Weathering the Harvest:
Soil Health Can Help Farms Go Further
(An excerpt from ‘The Dirt”: SCI’s Monthly Farmer Newsletter)
Harvest is what's on everybody's mind. Well, that, and also likely the cost of diesel. I feel like every newsletter I start with something along the lines of “I know it’s tough out there”. So I won’t belabor the point...
But what I will say is that, more than ever, the pressure to farm as cheaply as possible is real. There’s a lot going on in the world that we can’t control, but getting our operation cost-efficient is something we can control.
SCI's Farm Program has evolved to be about economics as much as anything else. The good news is that soil health and cost efficiency aren't at odds. On the contrary, improved soil structure is how farmers can hit solid yields while spending less.
The more functional your soil, the more efficiently it utilizes what you apply, the better it withstands weather events, and the less you need to spend.
Once harvest is done and you come up for air, please reach out. One of our main goals is to help with farm planning prior to the upcoming season. We can help you think through how soil health can translate into better economics on your farm.
As always, the whole team sends our best.
🌾 Taylor Herren, Farm Program Director
P.S.Our next Office Hour is September 24 at 4pm ET.
Topic: Restoring market freedom and regenerative communities with the Ryzosphere
Joni Kindwall-Moore, CEO & Founder of The Ryzosphere with introduce this exciting new platform. The Ryzosphere is a B2B AI-powered matchmaking platform connecting producers, purchasers, processors, organizations, and service providers across the food, fiber, biofuel & ag ecosystem.
If you grow crops, raise livestock, or harvest raw materials, The Ryzosphere connects you with trusted processors and buyers through smart matchmaking—giving you easy tools to access premium markets and build strong, local supply chains.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
🌱 Cover Cropping: Now is the time
The ideal time to put cover crops in is right before or after harvest depending on whether you're aerial applying, broadcasting, or drilling. If you want help, reach out to our team. We've got peer mentors (aka other farmers who’ve had success cover cropping) across the country who are happy to talk. Most importantly, we can connect you with someone in relative proximity to your farm and who is growing similar crops. We know best advice comes from other farmers operating in your context.
✅ NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program
Apply soon! We anticipate the deadline to apply for the next round of Regen Pilot Program (RPP) funds through NRCS will be in December 2026. This works like any other NRCS funding application. You'll need to go to your local office, but the SCI team is happy to help you pick out practices, build an implementation plan, and/or share insight on how to be competitive when you apply.
EVENTS
Farmer-to-Farmer Soil Health Workshop
August 21, 2026, 9:00am - 2:00pm
Iota, Lousiana
Real talk about "Regenerative Farming" in South Louisiana. With NRCS money available for conservation practices and farmers looking to cut costs, there's growing interest in soil health, but many farmers who’ve tried this stuff haven't consistently seen benefits.
Let's get together and figure it out. We'll dig into what systems actually work in rice-crawfish country. Anyone connected to ag and wants to help farmers is welcome.
🍽️ Lunch Provided. Limited Spots!
REGENERATE Conference
October 28-30, 2026
Santa Fe, New Mexico
The REGENERATE Conference is a leading regenerative agriculture conference bringing together ranchers, farmers, scientists, land stewards, and thought leaders to explore solutions for resilient working lands.
Hosted by Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, and the American Grassfed Association, the conference features workshops, roundtables, and community gatherings focused on soil health, regenerative ranching, conservation, and sustainable food systems. We hope to share knowledge, build community, and create a culture of resilience and regeneration.
NEWS
Road to Regeneration Series
SCI x Farmer's Footprint
SCI is partnering with Farmer’s Footprint to spotlight our very own SCI Farmers in Road to Regeneration, an ongoing series exploring their lived experiences and deep relationships with their environments.
Check out the first few stories below!
🌱 Jerry Volenec
Sometimes there are moments in a person’s life when the work they have known begins to feel unfamiliar, not because the tasks themselves have changed, but because something deeper has shifted beneath the surface.
🌱 Sheryl Hagen-Zakarison& Ariel Zakarison
For years, Sheryl and her daughter Ariel walked the hills of the Palouse carrying the same concern. Season after season, they watched water move across the landscape, carving through fields and carrying away the very thing that made farming here possible - soil.
🌱 BJ McNeil
In the rolling prairies of eastern South Dakota, where generations of families have shaped the landscape through agriculture, farming has always been part of BJ McNeil's family story.
RESOURCES
Opportunities for Continuous Learning Credits
University of Missouri
Center for Regenerative Agriculture
🌾 Earn a Certificate of Completion for Fundamentals of Cover Crops
The purpose of this certificate course is to better equip farmers, farm advisors, conservation professionals, and others interested in the fundamental concepts related to using cover crops.
Register Here
🌾 What We’ve Learned About Cover Crops: A Farmer-to-Farmer Discussion
An engaging farmer-to-farmer discussion and hear panelists Steve Kraszewski of Maryland and Monte Bottens of Illinois as they share lessons they’ve learned since implementing cover crops on their thousand-acre operations.
Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CT
Location: Virtual
Register Here
🌾 Conservation Grazing Workshop
In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the day will cover opportunities to enhance grazing operations for both wildlife and your bottom line. Partners from NRCS, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, National Audubon Society, Pheasants Forever, the University of Missouri, the Soil & Water Conservation District and others will share information on existing programs available to landowners and grazers.
Date: Thursday, September 3
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Hatfield, MO – Dunn Ranch Prairie and Little Creek Farm
Register Here
🌾 Pasture to Woodland: Diversified Grazing Systems Field Day
A day exploring diversified grazing systems — from native mixed-grass pasture to planted silvopasture and woodlands. Hear directly from producers and researchers who are integrating small ruminants, native forages, and regenerative practices across the landscape. The day includes a producer and extension panel, hay wagon field tours, lunch, and time to connect with exhibitors and fellow producers.
Date: Friday, September 18
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Land of the Osages Research Farm
Register Here