The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is expanding its program thanks to a large investment made by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and matched by other donors.

The FFAR, a nonprofit established in the 2014 Farm Bill, awarded a $9.4 million grant to SHP, the Soil Health Institute, and The Nature Conservancy. The grant is being matched by General Mills, Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Midwest Row Crop Collaborative, Monsanto, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Walmart Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and individual donors for a total investment of nearly $20 million.

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) director of soil health and sustainability Nick Goeser says the grant represents one of the largest investments ever made in soil health. “It will allow us to expand our program to include more farmers who want to benefit from our body of work analyzing how practices like growing cover crops, reducing tillage and using advanced nutrient management can help family farms survive and thrive,” said Goeser, who also serves as director of SHP, which is an initiative of NCGA

The partnership, which is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health, has already expanded to 111 farms in 12 states a year ahead of schedule and hired two new field managers. Abigail Peterson and Alex Fiock will help manage the growing number of farmers enrolled in the program in Illinois and Indiana.

In this interview, Goeser talks about the growth of SHP, as well as the upcoming 4th annual Soil Health Summit. Interview with Nick Goeser, Soil Health Partnership director