Agri-Pulse: Commodity Groups to Double Cover Crop Acreage by 2030

Your soy checkoff joined forces with other national commodity organizations for an initiative to double cover crop usage by 2030 called “Farmers for Soil Health.” The commodity groups plan to work with corn and soybean farmers to bolster soil health, limit soil erosion, and capture and store carbon. A signing ceremony took place during the 2022 Commodity Classic between the three partnering checkoff organizations with support from USDA’s NRCS leading to a $1 million grant for the initiative.

“State-level commodity groups [are] going to be our vehicle,” says Jack Cornell, director of sustainable supply at the United Soybean Board. In addition to the state soybean organizations, the National Pork Board and National Corn Growers Association also have local affiliates well positioned to contribute to the initiative. “They’re closer to the growers in their state and area, and we want to make sure they’re doing the projects that would benefit them,” says Cornell.

The coalition plans to initially target nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. Down the road, they plan to expand efforts to plant cover crops on 52.9 million acres across 11 additional states in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. Learn more about the initiative at FarmersforSoilHealth.com.