Intro to Stories of Success
Welcome to Nebraska Soil Health Coalition’s Stories of Success series!
In the months ahead, we will highlight farmers and ranchers across Nebraska who are seeing real-world improvements to their operations by adopting soil health practices. As soil health and regenerative agriculture continue to be more commonly discussed, it is natural to wonder, “Does this actually work? Why does it matter how people farm and ranch?” These Stories of Success will not only share the experiences of producers in their own words, but also incorporate quantitative and qualitative research to validate their success. Why does it matter? Because soil health is also the basis for human health and environmental health.
Before we spotlight individual producers, let’s first explain the two forms of analysis that will form the foundation of each story: economic interviews and social behavioral interviews. The first analysis is being conducted through our partnership with the Soil Health Institute (SHI). Based in North Carolina, SHI is a national leader in advancing soil health science. Through their collaboration with the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition, SHI is interviewing Nebraska producers to assess the financial outcomes of adopting soil health practices. These interviews analyze changes to net farm income by looking at the reduced and added production costs as well as the reduced and added revenues when comparing before and after the adoption of soil health practices. Practices studied include no-till, livestock integration, cover crops, extended crop rotations, biological inputs, and more. Simply put, these interviews provide dollars-and-cents comparisons to answer the critical question: “Does soil health pay?” To give one example from their work, SHI found that producers on irrigated ground reduced irrigation by almost 30%, saving themselves time and money.
The second area of analysis focuses on the human side of change. Julie Snorek, Ph.D., is a social ecologist with expertise in rural resilience and behavioral change. Through her interviews with Nebraska producers, she explores the social and psychological dynamics behind soil health adoption:
What motivates a farmer to change?
Who influences their decision-making?
How do farmers overcome fear, uncertainty, and risk?
Factors like these , while perhaps less talked about, address the heart of change and why that can be so difficult. As we hope to see more producers adopt soil health throughout the state, it’s important to remember the intangibles that lead to change. Julie is passionate about sharing producer’s stories and humble in her approach.
“What has an impact is the work of the individuals who are living the soil health journey (all its ups and downs). I am a mere messenger in this process... The thing that makes this magical is when I get as much of myself out of the way as possible so the story shines through. We all have much to learn about how to best make this transition to more healthy soils. It is a process that takes time, money, and knowledge. I hope to be a part of sharing knowledge, building bridges, and supporting bringing more funding to those taking the risks and facing the challenges.”
The factors leading to the advancement of regenerative agriculture are vast and complex but they are all important. By combining these studies and more, we hope to present a more full picture of why producers are choosing this path. Whether you are focused on economic feasibility or if you care most about internal motivations, we ask you to follow along as producers tell their stories of why soil health works for them.