National Healthy Soils Policy Network
“Given the appropriate tools, training and support is key to organizing and mobilizing farmers. We found that many individuals just lacked to confidence to approach and reach out to their legislators, once they had the appropriate support they were engaged and could certainly speak to the issues.”
- NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY)
Every year, the Network provides small grants, skill-building training and peer coaching to members to cultivate farmer leaders to advance healthy soils policies.
“As a very small nonprofit, we don’t have other sources of funding for engaging with soil health policy and as far as we know, no other organizations are currently advocating for this policy in Kansas. Without this funding we likely would not be doing advocacy and education in this area.”
- Kansas Rural Center
2025 Healthy Soils Movements Grown by Our Members
Resources provided by the National Network continue to support farmer organizing activities that contribute to the advancement of healthy soils policies and programs.
In 2025, our members:
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Championed 11 pieces of healthy soils legislation.
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Influenced the ongoing implementation of 9 state healthy soils programs.
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Elevated the voices of producers in 28 state healthy soils movements.
2025 highlights include:
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Dakota Resource Council advanced regenerative grazing in North Dakota by mobilizing producers and leveraging state-funded research on grassland carbon sequestration. Successful legislation establishes a state grasslands grazing grant program administered in coordination with conservation districts.
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Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (TX) advanced a bipartisan regenerative agriculture research bill through the Texas House of Representatives. Though the bill did not get out of the Senate, they will attempt it again in 2027 during the next legislative session.
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Illinois Stewardship Alliance successfully defended Illinois’ Fall Covers for Spring Savings program in the FY2026 budget, restoring a $300,000 cut that incentivizes cover crops on roughly 150,000 acres statewide.
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Michael Fields Agricultural Institute secured continued funding ($1.6M) in the 2025-2027 budget to continue the Wisconsin Crop Insurance Premium Rebate for Planting Cover Crops Program.
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The NY chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-NY) secured a $4.25M increase for NY’s Climate Resilient Farming Program, strengthening the state’s primary funding stream for on-farm soil health. They also expanded producer engagement and worked with agencies and partners to improve program transparency, accessibility, and delivery through Soil & Water Conservation Districts.
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The OK Association of Conservation Districts advanced an Urban Agriculture Cost Share bill through both chambers, signaling growing bipartisan interest in urban agriculture and soil health within the conservation district system, though the measure was ultimately vetoed.
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Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) successfully championed the inclusion of “Ohio Soil Health Week” in the Agriculture Appreciation Act and organized the state’s first official Soil Health Week in 2025, building legislative momentum toward their goals of establishing a Soil Health Task Force and new state incentives for healthy soils practices.