Armed with information, producers ready to help on soil health journey

A producer-to-producer learning community is one of the key components of the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition’s mission to promote the adoption of soil health systems and help rural communities.

The organization is using economic and socio-behavioral interviews to arm producers with data to adjust their nutrients, improve water quality and foster trusting relationships in the name of improving sustainability.

Last summer, eight Nebraska producers as well as a site at the Husker Harvest Days completed soil health benchmarking. This established a baseline between native prairies, tilled conventional fields and regenerative agriculture practices at sites in the soil health coalition’s Hub 1, consisting of 10 counties surrounding Hastings. Dr. Bijesh Maharjhan and his team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Station at Scottsbluff are exploring the soil health gap.

The soil health coalition wants to explore how tilled versus untilled soils compare in terms of organic matter, soil respiration, aggregate stability, biological life and a host of other measures. The idea is that each producer’s fields and grazing areas inform their annual soil health growth then help producer learning communities advance their soil health.

Reaching the level of native soil quality is one the main goals, said Zach Mader, one of the coalition’s new producer leads. We are building a network of operations at different stages toward improved economics. His farm, grazing and habitat areas north of Grand Island serve as one of the demonstration and education sites in Hub 1 “We believe this is a top goal regarding where we can push our soil health,” he said of the native soil. “It is a goal to shoot for.”

He has been farming with regenerative practices such as no-till, water management and nutrient optimization for about 15 years. “I’ve been doing this quite a while and I still have a long way to go,” he said about his soil test results. But he’s not deterred. Especially by integrating livestock on crop ground, he believes farmers can get their fields closer to operating like healthy native soils. In addition to a detailed soil health assessment, farmers are also equipped with an economic analysis that looks at the ways soil health practices benefit the bottom line. For the first time through a statewide model, the Soil Health Institute interviewed 35 farmers about their economic return. This step to compare regenerative production models with a conventional model works hand-in-hand with the barriers and incentives to make crop rotation changes.

The results showed the biggest returns were tied to saving on irrigation costs and integrating livestock. “There’s definitely a benefit, for example, if you have better water holding capacity,” Mader said. The Soil Health Institute report showed that the average regenerative producer used 30% less irrigation water. That number was exceptional in Nebraska, being a heavily irrigated state. Healthy soil can help water soak in better and hold it longer, reducing the need to use irrigation systems.

Armed with information on soil health and economics, producers involved with the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition since 2023 are now ready to be a resource to others. The organization has hired two producer leads, Mader and Brian Brhel, and demonstration sites take the next steps this month through a series of tiered educational events and get-togethers. They’ll be opportunities for producers to connect, discuss practices they’re trying on their operations and share what’s working for them – and what’s not. “There are many people who are dabbling but want to be sure on the risks,” Mader said. He invites anyone who sees the value of soil health, community health and human health to join and learn more. Watch the soil health coalition’s website, for upcoming meetings.

“The world is about people, it’s about relationships, and it’s about trust,” he said. “We all have a lot to learn from each other.”

‘Round the NSHC Coffee Pot is a monthly feature special to the Midwest Messenger. It highlights the work of the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition, a nonprofit organization established in 2023 to advance producer-centered education, outreach, and the adoption of soil health principles to build resilient farms, ranches, and communities across Nebraska.