Soil Health

Soil health refers to the ability of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Healthy soil is essential to clean air and water, diverse wildlife, abundant crops, forests, grazing lands, and vibrant landscapes. Throughout the nation, healthy soil:

Agriculture has the potential to both mitigate and contribute to climate change. Agriculture contributes 10% of U.S. emissions, particularly from nitrous oxide. At the same time, good land use practices currently absorb 12% of our emissions. By improving agricultural practices, we can reduce existing emissions and enhance our soil’s ability to sequester carbon. Healthy soils practices can reduce emissions from poor soil management. States are increasingly finding ways to support farmers as they improve soil health.

According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, the average age of farmers is 59, meaning a majority of farms will need to be passed on to the next generation in the coming years. Bringing young and new farmers into the workforce is vital to ensuring the security of our food supply. Furthermore, engaging young farmers will make for more sustainable farms; a survey led by the National Young Farmers Coalition revealed that 75% of young farmer respondents described their farming practices as sustainable (i.e., cover crops, rotational grazing, no-till). However, young and beginning farmers face numerous challenges such as access to affordable farmland, which is compounded by other economic barriers including student loan debt, health insurance, and credit access. Listed below are policy options to reduce some of these barriers and encourage young and beginning farmers to enter into farming.