1. Improving Soil Health: The conservation opportunity of a
lifetime United States Department of Agriculture is an equal
opportunity provider and employer. Ron Nichols, Public Affairs
Officer USDA-NRCS
2. Agriculture is facing a huge loss of non-renewable resources
we cant wait till 2050 to start. The clocks ticking. Were already
at the tipping point. We must start planning now. Paul Farrell,
MarketWatch Why soil health? Why now?
3. Need to minimize environmental production impacts Keeping
topsoil and inputs where they belong on the land.
4. Soil health as a key solution Benefits of improving soil
health include Improve water quality Regulate water and reduce
flooding Cycle organic wastes and detoxify noxious chemicals
Increase soil carbon and remove CO2 Save energy Save water and
increase drought tolerance Increased infiltration and water holding
capacity. Improve income sustainability Improve plant health and
possibly improve nutrient-rich food production Reduce disease and
pest pressures Reduce sediment and nutrient delivery to surface
waters decreases potential for downstream hypoxic zone
formation
5. The hope in healthy soil CEAP Survey showed 146 million
acres of cropland was in moderate to high need of conservation
practices. Treating this acreage with No-till, cover crops, or both
could (conservatively) reduce annual loss of Soil 116 million tons
Soil carbon 11 million tons Nitrogen 1.9 billion pounds
6. Info-graphic by Jenn Van Eps
7. The science behind the hope is here
8. Thought for food No one knows exactly what it means to be
working with microbes. The vast invisible communities beneath the
soil are far too complex for our current level of scientific
mastery to chart and control. At some level, its still a mystery,
but its a mystery that provides consistent results. Nathanael
Johnson
9. The future of soil management Apparently, then, it usually
is necessary in farm practice to restore organic matter to the soil
by the use of manures, green manures [cover crops], and crop
residues as well as by growing in rotation those plants which
supply vegetable matter through the decomposition of their roots.
Elements of Soil Conservation, by H.H. Bennett (1947)
10. Environmental & wildlife benefits Customer &
stakeholder interest Production & sustainability benefits
Improving soil health
11. Campaign kick-off, October, 2012
12. We didnt start the revolution
13. NRCS awareness & education campaign
14. Producer print profiles in soil health across the
click-able nation.
15. Now in Season 3: The Science of Soil Health Developed in
partnership with Dr. Buz Kloot, University of South Carolina
16. Foundational print-on-demand learning resources including
fact sheets
17. Info graphics for stakeholder newsletters
18. Growing media interest Thousands of unique articles on the
Soil Health effort 100+ article placements in Farm Progress
publications alone
19. Increasing interest
20. Increasing interest
21. From the author of Farmacology Daphne Miller MD
@drdaphnemiller Enjoying @USDA_NRCS#healthysoil campaign. Funnyhow
much of this also applies to #healthyhumans.
nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrc 12:25 AM - 13 May 14 Reply to
@drdaphnemiller Retweet Favorite
22. From author Kristin Ohlson
23. It starts with the soil. Oprah promotes soil health.
24. The movement grows
25. Carbon Underground
26. Evaluation Tactical Following are some of the campaigns
more prominent tactical highlights, within just the first 18 months
of the campaign are estimated to be valued at more than $6 million
and include More than 3500 UNIQUE newspaper/magazine NRCS soil
health articles & OpEds placed (nearly 200 ag radio
features/interviews) 75+ NRCS soil health stories placed in Farm
Progress publications; several soil health- dedicated magazine
editions Full-page ad donations from the Buffett Foundation, NACD;
20 stakeholder groups using support materials 5000+ radio PSA ad
plays on ag-centric radio stations; 20 Ag Networks using spots. -
40+ agricultural, environmental and sustainability groups submit
letter supporting soil health campaign *Based on ad donations and
Vocus ad equivalency estimates.
27. Evaluation Tactical (cont.) Social media efforts: Gaining
followers, gaining ground 1200 tweets by NRCS offices to 17,000
followers for more than 5 million impressions 320 tweets by 60
partners (conservation districts, NGOs, media, watershed groups,
businesses) 100,000+ web page views (monthly visit averages
continue to rise) 400,000+ YouTube/Vimeo video views of
demos/profiles/Science of Soil Health videos
28. Farmer Perspectives on Soil Health J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr.
and Gabrielle Roesch-McNally SWCS Annual Conference July 28, 2015
Photo credit Mahdi Al Kaisi
29. Study context: The concept of soil health is now central to
NRCS agricultural programming Increasing discussion in farm press,
ag community Important to know what farmers think about soil
health: Does the concept resonate? Worked with Ron Nichols, other
NRCS staff, ISU faculty to develop survey questions for farmers
Photo credit NRCS
30. Survey data from the 2013 and 2015 Iowa Farm and Rural Life
Poll, an annual survey of Iowa farmers Focus on issues of
importance to agriculture in the Midwest Since 1982,
longest-running survey of its kind In cooperation with Iowa Dept.
of Ag and Iowa Ag Stats ~1,200 farmers Questions focused on 1)
awareness of soil health as a concept , 2) understanding of and
evaluation of key measures of soil health, 3) opinions about the
impacts of healthy soils, and 4) perceived capacity to manage for
soil health Methods
31. In-depth interview data from qualitative research with
farmers from across the Corn Belt Key part of a USDA-NIFA-funded
project called Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project:
Climate Change, Mitigation, and Adaptation in Corn-based Cropping
Systems (CSCAP) In-depth interviews conducted with 159 farmers
Questions focused on conservation practice use, with a primary
focus on cover crops and nutrient management, not soil health Many
farmers shared that soil health considerations were central to
their conservation practice implementation decisions Methods
32. Survey Data 2013: Soil Health Indicators Rating Research
questions: Are farmers familiar with soil health terminology; if
so, how do they rate the soils they farm? Percent organic matter
Available water capacity Water infiltration rate Presence of
earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms Bulk density
Aggregate stability Presence of macropores Overall health of the
soil Photo credit NRCS
33. Photo credit NRCS
34. Photo credit NRCS
35. Photo credit NRCS
36. Survey Data 2015 Research questions: What do farmers think
about soil health? Intro: The concept of soil health has been a
topic of discussion in the agricultural community in recent years.
Soil health has been defined as the continued capacity of soil to
function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals,
and humans. What are your thoughts about soil health? Awareness of
information on soil health Potential benefits Perceived knowledge
and capacity, action Landlord knowledge of soil health Photo credit
NRCS
37. Photo credit NRCS Information about Soil Health
38. Photo credit NRCS Information about Soil Health
39. Photo credit NRCS Potential Benefits
40. Photo credit NRCS Concerns
41. Photo credit NRCS Knowledge and Action
42. Photo credit NRCS Knowledge and Action
43. Photo credit NRCS Soil Health and Rented Land
44. Quotes from In-Depth Interviews Basically, to hold the soil
and to help build biological activity, to feed that biological
activity that's in the soil. Things that we don't even understand.
I think we're just on the tip of beginning to understand all the
things that are going on below the surface. And, along with that,
the economic benefits of that is, if you're holding that soil and
you're banking these nutrients, and letting them, especially
nitrogenrelease for the following year's crop versus going to the
nitrate form and just going on down through our water systems and
down to wherever it ends up, in the Gulf of Mexico. So that ...
that's all good and so bottom line is, eventually, I think I'll be
able to feel more comfortable with reducing nitrogen rates, you
know. And that turns into less cash out of my pocket(IN
farmer)
45. Quotes from In-Depth Interviews Building tilth in the soil,
I thinkto get more roots growing biodiversity in that soilbuild
carbon in soil, that's going to be the main thing that a farmer's
going to say.how can I make that soil more resilient or able to
handle the stresses that...whether it's a dry stress or...too much
rain or something like that, you know. By having that structure and
those roots there and...and holding on to that soil and maybe, hold
on to more nutrients through that, generally, dead period of the
year in Iowa where there's a lot of dead material out here, you
knowif we can keep those loose nutrients out of our water and use
them to build organic matter, instead of them, then that'll be a
plus. (IA farmer)
46. Quotes from In-Depth Interviews See, you talk about
earthwormspeople look at you screwy, but over the last two years
when I dig in that ground looking for the seed to see how deep it
isI used to take my pliers because it was so packed. Now I can just
take my hand and its firm and you always find earthworms. To not
move that ground, to keep the tilth, and let them do the tilling
for methis earth worm thing, youve seen seagulls following behind
the anhydrous sprayers in the fall, you know what are they doing?
Theyre eating our tillers. We dont have any seagulls following our
planters anymore in our fields. You tell that to some people and
they look at you like youre a fruit loopwe went out there after a
rain and you walk in that ground and its firm in the middle and you
find these leaves partially last years corn partially pulled down
in these holes its worms doing that. You actually stand there when
its quiet and you step, you can hear the worms going down. You
think Im goofy dont you? (IA farmer)
47. Summary: Soil Health Indicator Rating Few Iowa farmers
rated their soil health indicators as very good or excellent Many
were unfamiliar with key terms, or did not know how their soils
rated Lots of room for improvement Photo credit NRCS
48. Summary: Awareness, Attitudes, Action Large majority of
Iowa farmers believe that healthy soils have productivity benefits,
can reduce input needs, and can lead to drought resilience They are
also concerned about the potential negative impacts of pesticides,
heavy equipment, on soil health Photo credit NRCS
49. Summary: Awareness, Attitudes, Action Most Iowa farmers
have heard more about soil health in last few years They want to
learn more, and understand that NRCS is a good source of soil
health information Photo credit NRCS
50. Summary: Awareness, Attitudes, Action Most Iowa farmers
have been paying more attention to soil health, believe they
understand the concept well, and have taken steps to improve soil
health on the land they farm But nearly half were unsatisfied or
unsure about the effectiveness of their soil health management
plans Photo credit NRCS
51. Conclusions Soil health is beginning to resonate with
farmers Farmers who are into soil health can be highly passionate
about their efforts and results Soil health can be an integrative
concept that helps farmers think holistically It can help bridge
short-term and long-term thinking because farmers perceive that the
primary benefits accrue to them and the next generations The
practices that lead to healthy soils-no till, cover crops-can also
result in major societal benefits: soil building, water quality,
carbon sequestration, etc. Multiple-Benefit Prairie Conservation
Strips. Photo courtesy of A.
52. Thank you! Multiple Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips.
Photo courtesy of A. McDonald
53. Evaluation Strategic An estimated two- to three fold
increase in cover cropping systems (now at more than 10 million
acres according to NASS). SARE/CTIC: 38 percent increase in cover
crop usage between 2012-2013. Practical Farmers of Iowa: Aerial
seeders in Iowa reported a 200 percent increase in cover crop
seeding business from 2010 to 2013. In some areas of the country,
demand for cover crop seed (a key indicator in the adoption of soil
health management practices) has exceeded supply. But most
importantly 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 1948 1961 1964 1969 1971 1973
1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 NumberofRespondents Year
54. Impact on the environment: Annually, thanks to the
campaigns success (and the work of farmers who have implemented
soil health management systems on these 10 million acres of
cropland), the U.S. is (conservatively) Saving 9 million tons of
top soil; Sequestering 1 million pounds of carbon; and Reducing
nitrogen loss to rivers and lakes by 150 million poundsannually.
And the campaign is positioned to harvest even more benefits in the
months, years and generations ahead.
55. But our work is not done April 28, 2014, Kansas August,
2014, Lake Erie
56. Reaching out better & further Existing target audiences
Employees Partners/Ag retailers Later adopters New Audiences
Foodies/Consumers Enviros Food processors/retailers Educators
57. Non-operator landowner outreach direct mail pilot project:
(IN, IL, IA)
58. Bounce-back card to receive Soil Health Information Starter
Kit. After three mailings 8 percent reply rate 6 percent
undeliverable rate
59. Podcasts Check out the menu, and pick up an order of soil
health audio to go.
60. Hot off the press
61. Quiz takers from more than 40 countries Australia Austria
Brazil Cameroon Canada Chile China Columbia Costa Rica Czech
Republic Ecuador France Germany Greece Guatemala Hong Kong India
Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kenya Malaysia Mexico Morocco
Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan
Philippines Poland Serbia Singapore South Africa Spain Uganda
United Kingdom Venezuela
62. The next generation
63. New radio PSAs
64. Out of home Via social media, 6,000 users helped us
determine our 2015 posters
65. Dr. Laura Danly Speaking for the stars AND the soil Curator
at the Griffith Observatory & frequent guest on The
Universe.
66. Video PSAs Television spots 30-second TV PSA 15-second TV
PSAs (3) 90-second web PSA
67. A sneak peek at one of the TV ads
68. The art of land-doctoring is being practiced with vigor,
but the science of land health is yet to be born. Aldo Leopold
69. Improving Soil Health: The conservation opportunity of a
lifetime United States Department of Agriculture is an equal
opportunity provider and employer. Ron Nichols, Public Affairs
Officer USDA-NRCS