SOUTH WEST HUB
The Nebraska Soil Health Coalition (NSHC) is developing its next Hub in 16 counties in Southwest Nebraska and we need your help. Hub 1 has progressed well in south-central NE around 9 counties surrounding Hastings. The Coalition is a non-profit (est. 2023), nesoilhealth.org that exists to advance education, outreach, and adoption of soil health principles to build resilient farms, ranches, and communities across Nebraska. We do this by building regional hubs throughout the state with a three pronged approach:
The Stakeholder Visioning Group (SVG) brings together local stakeholders ranging from producers, educators, financial lenders, conservation groups, agribusiness, municipalities, and more. Together, these people identify their local needs and concerns and then create a strategic vision and action steps to support local soil health that contributes to their community health.
The Producer Learning Community (PLC) gathers producers to support one another technically and relationally in their soil health journeys. PLCs also offer systemic education using local data regarding the economics and social dynamics of regenerative agriculture.
Demonstration and Education Sites serve as soil health proving grounds for PLC and SVG members.
By connecting these three areas, the Coalition strives to meet four outcomes: improved soil health economics/ROI, social-behavioral feedback, soil health benchmarks, and supporting community growth ie., success stories.
As you can see, your role as a producer is pivotal to our efforts. For this to succeed, we need your participation and leadership in our Producer Learning Community. We are developing a long-term group.
The Coalition is providing several types of support on your soil health journey toward building this powerful community. In total, these resources are worth $16,000+, but through the generous support of our grant funders, there is no cost to you. Note, this is a range for various producers and criteria that need to be met.
Environmental Analysis - This work by Ecdysis, gives producers a clear, data-driven snapshot of how their production practices translate to improved soil health, biodiversity, and environmental resilience. (10 producers/year), worth $7,500/producer.
Enterprise Analysis - This free accounting analysis by Nebraska Farm Business, Inc. will review your farm’s economic performance and highlight the strengths and opportunities for you to become more profitable. (10 producers/year), worth $1,500/producer.
Partial Budget Analysis - This work by the Soil Health Institute evaluates the changes in net farm income and their farm management. Yields, revenues, and production costs are assessed on a before and after basis to show the economic impact of your soil health practices. (15 producers/year), worth $5,500/year.
Social-Behavioral Analysis - This interview by Julie Snorek helps producers understand the various motivations and barriers in their soil health journey. The introspection will equip you to better understand your own story and how to communicate it to others. (20 producers/year), worth $1,900/producer.
Demonstration-Education Site - 3-4 producers will work together and experiment. We will support the use of new technology, carbon benchmarking and other steps so that we have practical learning sites. This is worth $2,000/producer The combination of these activities form a well rounded case for the importance of soil health on farm profits and the environment. Additionally, these various interviews, with the exception of the environmental analysis, offer a $300 credit, meaning you could earn up to $900 total in credits toward soil testing, cover crops and other areas to be discussed.
Your soil health journey is important and special. Don’t do it alone. We are eager to support you and connect you with others. If you know of other producers that you believe would be a good fit for the efforts listed above, please share their name(s) and phone number(s) with info@nesoilhealth.org or mcdonald1.mike@gmail.com.
Thank you,
The Nebraska Soil Health Coalition Board