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Soil health case study evaluates farmer economics

A nationwide study tracks the economic benefits farmers have experienced from long-term soil health management.

Jeremy Peters is the CEO of the National Association of Conservation Districts.

“The focus of these case studies is demonstrating that not only do the systems themselves provide multiple benefits to cropping systems and to natural resources, but they’re also beneficial from an economic standpoint,” he shares.

Peters tells Brownfield the farmers in the study are early adopters of conservation practices and have increased net farm incomes by an average of $65 per acre.

“The cost that producers face are somewhere between $14.00 per acre or less with corn to $7 less with soybeans,” he says.  “They’re also looking at the yield increases.  For corn, the yield increase was 42 percent, for soybeans, 32%.”

He says changes to soil health systems don’t happen overnight and the participating farmers hope to inspire others to stick with changes longer-term.

NACD partnered with the Soil Health Institute and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service on the project.