Farmers for Soil Health with Jack Cornell

United Soybean Board director of sustainable supply Jack Cornell joins us to kick off this brand new season of Sense Sense. Changing any practice on the farm, no matter how well intentioned and well researched, comes with risk. A new collaborative effort called Farmers for Soil Health is rolling out in 20 US states to try to help take some of that risk off the table. Farmers for Soil Health is a collaboration in partnership with the Soy Checkoff, Pork Checkoff and National Corn Growers Association to create a farmer-led cover crop program that advances the use of soil health practices, meets sustainability goals and improves farmer profitability.

“It’s important that technical assistance is right along with the financial assistance to mitigate any risk to a farmer.” – Jack Cornell

Jack explains his role with the Farmers for Soil Health program as helping to create sustainability and profitability for farmers through project development, program management, and creating partnerships.

“I love problem-solving with a farmer. It’s always a fun mental exercise. And when I walk on a farm, I never say you need to be doing cover crops and no-till. I go, what is the thing that drives you insane that you just can’t handle? And then I think through a sustainability approach to help them solve that issue…Our program is farmer led and farmer driven.” – Jack Cornell

Up Next

Ray Gaesser – Corning, Iowa

The increase in severe rains showed Iowa farmer Ray Gaesser that no-till, waterways and terraces couldn’t handle those events alone. He describes his learning process in gradually increasing cover crop acres, working toward his goal of using them on every acre.

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