Looking Toward 2026:
Practical Soil Health When It’s a Tight Year
(An excerpt from ‘The Dirt”: SCI’s Monthly Farmer Newsletter)
On the farming side, we know things are still tough. You're most likely working on your plan for 2026 - what to plant, what your management program will be, how to make it through another year when prices were terrible last year and the outlook isn't any better.
At SCI, we're committed to promoting soil health in a way that helps farmers in this moment. That means fewer inputs while maintaining yields, and continuing the complex work of building markets for regenerative products outside of commodities.
If you'd like to talk through your farm plan with Soil Regen or a regional farm planner (another farmer in your region with a solid grasp on building soil health), please reach out.
We know you're managing a lot - prices, weather, policy changes, all the things outside your control. We see it, and feel proud to know each of you. Stay strong and stay in touch.
🌾 Taylor Herren, Farm Program Director
P.S. Registration is open for our next upcoming Field Day for Delta Regen Rice+ will be on March 24 at Chappell Farms in Cotton Plant, AR. We hope to see you there!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
⚠️ Farm Data Sessions | Action Required!
Please schedule a time with our team to recap your 2025 farm plan. We want to know how things went last year. We've built some cool new tools like a tillage calculator and input log that are meant to be useful to you in understanding your progress.
✅ Spring Soil Sampling | Schedule Today
We have a team available this spring that can provide access to professional soil sampling services, including guidance on sample collection, analysis, and interpretation to support your farm planning. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested or would like more details.
EVENTS
Delta Regen Rice+ Field Day
March 24 | Cotton Plant & Little Rock, AR
Join us for our second Delta Regen Rice+ Field Day at Adam Chappell's farm in Cotton Plant, AR!
Co-hosted in partnership with Arkansas Soil Health Alliance, agenda include fundamentals of soil health, regenerative rice systems (flood and row rice), planting into covers, making compost from rice hulls, and integrating poultry into a row crop system.
Regenerative Revival: A Soil-to-Soul Celebration of Food, Movement, Music, and Community
May 2 | Salado, TX
Join Soil Regen at Barrow Brewing Company for a celebration of farmers, food, and family.
Regenerative Revival is expanding this year with a clear theme: Soil to Soul, recognizing that healing and regeneration happen at many levels. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants, healthy food, healthy people, and ultimately healthier communities. The event brings together multiple pathways of regeneration, including food, movement, music, land stewardship, and shared experience.
Held alongside the Salado Farmers Market, the day begins at 9:00 AM with grounding yoga, led by Caroline of Proud Heart Yoga, setting the tone for a day focused on restoration, balance, and presence.
Attendees are encouraged to come and go, explore the farmers market, enjoy the brewery grounds, and engage in meaningful conversations around food, soil, and regeneration.
Soil & Climate Alliance Network Meeting
June 16-18 | Allentown, PA (Includes a visit to Rodale Institute!)
We’re thrilled to share that our Soil & Climate Alliance (SCA) will be hosting their annual in-person, on-farm Network Meeting at Rodale Institute this June!
Over three days, we’ll dive into the science and practice of regenerative farming, with hands-on learning and behind-the-scenes access to Rodale’s pioneering research. Expect exceptional farm tours, deep dives into soil health and nutrient-density outcomes, and rich conversations with practitioners, scientists, and supply-chain partners who are shaping the future of the field.
As always, our gathering will offer abundant opportunities for connection, collaboration, and systems-level problem-solving across the entire SCA network. We can’t wait to bring this community together on ground that has inspired decades of agricultural innovation.
Stay tuned! More details (including lodging and registration) coming soon.
RESOURCES
The National Organic Farmer Survey is Live!
Your Experience Matters to the Future of Farming
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has launched its National Organic Farmer Survey, which is conducted every few years, to understand the challenges, priorities, and needs of organic and transitioning farmers across the country.
The survey is open to all certified and in-transition organic farmers and ranchers nationwide. Upon completion, all farmer respondents will receive a code to Johnny's Selected Seeds and have the opportunity to win other farm-related prizes.
Survey takes ~25 minutes to complete and is open until February 28, 2026.
Pollinator Habitat Incentive Program
Incentive Payments for New Acres of Habitat Planting
American Farmland Trust, in partnership with Syngenta, offers incentive payments of $100/acre for new acres of pollinator habitat planted in the Midwest region through the Pollinator Habitat Incentive Program.
To be eligible for the Pollinator Habitat Incentive Program, applicants must plant:
New acres of pollinator habitat
In the Midwest Region
An area of 1 acre or more
On or adjacent to agricultural land
No later than November 15, 2026
The Pollinator Habitat Incentive Program is eligible for combination with other financial assistance programs, including USDA programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.