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PROGRAM3rd Annual MeetingAugust 1-3, 2018Hyatt RegencyAlbuquerque, New Mexico USA

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Dear Friends:

It is a pleasure to welcome you to Renewing Soil, Restoring Life, the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Soil Health Institute! We are excited to be here with you in New Mexico’s stunning high desert, greeted by sunshine and treated to painted sunsets every day.

We have an information-rich meeting planned that I hope you will find both stimulating and enriching. You will have the opportunity to engage with some of the nation’s top leaders who are using soil health as a foundation for establishing environmental markets and achieving sustainability goals. You will hear about research that is advancing our understanding of soil organic matter formation. Policy opportunities for supporting soil health will be presented that range from legislative and agency policies at the state level, to the Farm Bill at the federal level. We will update you on how the Soil Health Institute, Soil Health Partnership, The Nature Conservancy and other partners are working together to assess and expand adoption of soil health management systems on a continental scale. You will be treated to an intriguing panel addressing lessons learned for enhancing the research-farmer connection from the perspectives of a farmer, federal agency, corporation, and a foundation.

We are also very excited to sponsor our first Poster Session. Please join me in visiting and exchanging information with the almost 50 presenters that will display their work for the entire meeting. Please also join us on Wednesday night for an unveiling of the Living Soil documentary.

Our keynote luncheon speaker this year is Daphne Miller, M.D. from the University of California-San Francisco and author of two books on food, agriculture and health, who will address us on the intersection of soil health and human health. Later that same evening, National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson, will lead us on a fascinating agricultural journey through photography. On Friday, each of you will have an opportunity to magnify your individual impact by joining forces with others to advance soil health in a strategically-focused Action Team. Those hanging out on early Friday afternoon can also make your mark by helping us “train” a computer program for reading the soil health literature.

From this overview, I suspect you can see why I’m so jazzed-up about this year’s meeting! So again, on behalf of your Soil Health Institute, please accept my heartfelt welcome to Renewing Soil, Restoring Life.

With deepest appreciation for all that you do,

C. Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D.President and CEO

C. Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D.President and CEO

Soil Health Institute

2803 Slater Road

Suite 115

Morrisville, NC 27560

Telephone: +1-919-230-0303

WELCOME

enewing Soilestoring Life

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TSYour Guide to Renewing Soil, Restoring Life 2018

Hotel Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Luncheon Speaker: Daphne Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Dinner Speaker: Jim Richardson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Plenary Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17

Summary of Breakout Session Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

Breakout Session Rooms Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Breakout Session Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Poster Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23

Train the Annotaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Soil Health Institute Leaders

SHI Executive Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Action Team Co-Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27

Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29

SHI Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Upcoming Conference: Soil Health • Human Health . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

About the Soil Health Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31


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APEASY GUIDE TO 3RD ANNUAL MEETING ACTIVITIES

EVENT LOCATIONRegistration (Wednesday evening) ◆ Enchantment Ballroom Foyer

Reception ◆ Enchantment Ballroom

Night at the Movies ◆ Grand Pavilion IV-VI

Registration (Thursday morning) ◆ Grand Pavilion Court

Welcome and Plenary Sessions ◆ Grand Pavilion IV-VI

Tribute to Vineyard Soils ◆ Grand Pavilion Court

All Meals ◆ Grand Pavilion Ballroom I-III

BREAKOUT SESSIONS – See Breakout Rooms map on page 20.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1

5:00-7:00 pm REGISTRATION (Enchantment Ballroom Foyer)

5:30-7:00 pm RECEPTION (Enchantment Ballroom) Poster Session

7:00-8:00 pm NIGHT AT THE MOVIES (Grand Pavilion IV-VI) Unveiling the “Living Soil” Documentary

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2

7:00-7:45 am BREAKFAST (Grand Pavilion Ballroom I-III, Foyer)

PLENARY SESSIONS (Grand Pavilion Ballroom IV-VI)

8:00-8:20 am WELCOME Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, Soil Health Institute Mr. Bill Buckner, Noble Research Institute

■ ECONOMICS Session: The Farm Road to Environmental Markets and Corporate

Sustainability is ‘Paved’ with Healthy Soil Moderator: Ms. Carolyn Baltz

8:20-8:30 am Unlocking Connectivity in Agricultural Supply Chains Ms. Carolyn Baltz, The Sustainability Consortium

8:35-8:50 am Advancing Ecosystem Service Markets for Farmer and Public Benefits Mr. Bill Buckner, Noble Research Institute

8:55-9:10 am The Foundation of Great Food Mr. Jerry Lynch, General Mills

9:15-9:30 am Farmer Focused and Farmer Driven: The Land O’ Lakes SUSTAIN Program

Mr. Jason Weller, Land O’ Lakes

9:35-9:50 am EMAIL BREAK

■ RESEARCH Session: Advances in Soil Health Research Moderator: Dr. Veronica Acosta-Martinez

9:50-10:00 am Changes in Soil Health in a Semiarid Region Transitioning to Dryland Cropping Systems

Dr. Veronica Acosta-Martinez, USDA-ARS

10:05-10:20 am Microbial Physiology Regulates How Much Crop Residue Becomes Soil Organic Matter

Dr. Stuart Grandy, University of New Hampshire

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10:25-10:40 am Teaching Machines to Read the Soil Health Literature Dr. Dane Bell, University of Arizona

■ POLICY Session: Policies in Action Moderator: Dr. Jim Jordahl

10:45-10:55 am Turning Soil Health into $oil Wealth: Policy and Economics Dr. Jim Jordahl, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance

11:00-11:15 am Farm Bill Update from Washington, DC: Conservation Opportunities and Challenges in 2018 and Beyond

Ms. Alyssa Charney, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

11:20-11:35 am State Policies and Programs for Advancing Soil Health Ms. Jamie Fanous, Tufts University

11:40-11:55 am NETWORKING BREAK

12:00-1:15 pm LUNCH (Grand Pavilion I-III, Foyer) Our Soil, Ourselves: The Links Between Soil and Human Health Daphne Miller, M.D., University of California-San Francisco

1:15-1:30 pm EMAIL BREAK

■ MEASUREMENT, STANDARDS, and ASSESSMENT Session: Assessing and Expanding Adoption of Soil Health Systems Moderator: Dr. LaKisha Odom

1:30-1:40 pm Importance of Public-Private Partnerships in Achieving Healthy Soils and Thriving Farms: FFAR’s Perspective on the Role of Collaborative Science

Dr. LaKisha Odom, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

1:45-2:00 pm Strategic Approach for Evaluating Soil Health Indicators Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, Soil Health Institute

2:05-2:20 pm Scaling Soil Health Research and Farmer Engagement Ms. Elyssa McFarland, Soil Health Partnership

2:25-2:40 pm Engaging Farmers and Landowner Advisers on Soil Health Ms. Pipa Elias, The Nature Conservancy

2:45-3:00 pm EMAIL BREAK

■ COMMUNICATIONS and EDUCATION Panel Session: Enhancing the Research-Farmer Connection Panel Moderator: Dr. Rob Myers 3:05-3:15 pm Lessons Learned from 30 Years of SARE Farmer-Researcher Projects Dr. Rob Myers, USDA-SARE

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3:15-3:25 pm The Quest for Understanding Soil Health Mr. Jimmy Emmons, Farmer, Oklahoma 3:25-3:35 pm The Science of Soil Health: Progress on the Path from Research

to Implementation Dr. Bianca Moebius-Clune, USDA-NRCS 3:35-3:45 pm Communicating 4R to Farmers and Connecting on Content Ms. Lara Moody, The Fertilizer Institute 3:45-3:55 pm Relaying Usable Research Results to Farmers Dr. Diana Jerkins, Organic Farming and Research Foundation

3:55-5:00 pm Panel Discussion 5:00-6:00 pm A Tribute to Vineyard Soils (Grand Pavilion Court)

6:00-7:30 pm DINNER (Grand Pavilion Ballroom I-III, Foyer) The Roots of Food: Exploring the World of Agriculture Jim Richardson, Photojournalist, National Geographic Society

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

7:00-7:45 am BREAKFAST (Grand Pavilion Ballroom I-III, Foyer)

8:00-10:30 am CALL TO ACTION – New and Renewed Action Teams (Pavilion Ballroom IV-VI) Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, Soil Health Institute

ACTION TEAM WORKING SESSIONS ■ Research (Enchantment A-B) ■ Measurement, Standards, and Assessment (Grand Pavilion IV-VI) ■ Economics (Fiesta 1-2) ■ Communications and Education (Enchantment C-D) ■ Policy (Fiesta 3-4)

10:30-10:45 am EMAIL BREAK

10:45-12:00 am ACTION TEAM PLANS (Grand Pavilion IV-VI) Moderator: Mr. Sheldon Jones, Soil Health Institute ■ Research ■ Measurement, Standards, and Assessment ■ Economics ■ Communications and Education ■ Policy

12:00 Noon CLOSING Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, Soil Health Institute

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LUNCHEON SPEAKER: Dr. Daphne MillerOur Soil, Ourselves: The Links Between Soil and Human Health


Daphne Miller, M.D.Associate Clinical ProfessorUniversity of California-San FranciscoandFounderGrowing Health Collaborative

Thursday, August 2

Grand Pavilion I-III

DR. DAPHNE MILLER is a practicing family physician, Associate Clinical Professor at the

University of California San Francisco and Lecturer at the University of California Berkeley. For the

past 15 years, her work has focused on aligning agriculture and conservation with human health.

Miller is the founder of the Growing Health Collaborative, which brings together experts from

medicine, public health and agriculture, to build a “health sensitive” food system from the soil

up. Miller is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Medical School and completed her

family medicine residency and an NIH-funded primary care research fellowship at University

of California San Francisco. She was as a senior advisor for Prevention Institute, is on the

Advisory Board of the Center for Health and Nature at Oakland Children’s Hospital, the UC

Berkeley Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity and the Edible Schoolyard Foundation and

a past Fellow at the Berkeley Food Institute and the University of Arizona Center for Integrative

Medicine.

Miller was a science contributor to the Washington Post and continues to write for scientific

peer-reviewed publications and the popular press. She has written two books about food,

agriculture and health: The Jungle Effect, The Science and Wisdom of Traditional Diets

(HarperCollins 2008) and Farmacology, Total Health from the Ground Up (HarperCollins 2013).

Farmacology appears in four languages and was the basis for the award-winning documentary

In Search of Balance. Miller is currently developing interdisciplinary education programs for

professionals in medicine, public health and agriculture so that they can work together to find

solutions that nourish soil and people. She is also working on another book about soil health and

human health.

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DINNER SPEAKER: Mr. Jim RichardsonThe Roots of Food: Exploring the World of Agriculture


Mr. Jim RichardsonPhotojournalistNational Geographic Society

Thursday, August 2

Grand Pavilion I-III

MR. JIM RICHARDSON’s photographic career for National Geographic Magazine and Traveler

has produced more than 50 stories, taken him around the world five times, garnered national

and international awards and produced extensive coverage of environmental issues, cultures,

landscapes and perils to the night sky and the challenges of feeding our planet.

Richardson’s roots are in documentary photography. CBS News Sunday Morning twice profiled

his 40 year-long journal of Cuba, Kansas. ABC News Nightline chronicled Richardson’s coverage

of the Columbia river. His 1979 book High School USA is now considered a photo essay classic

and is widely used in college classrooms. Richardson lectures and teaches internationally

and leads travel groups for National Geographic Expeditions. Among numerous awards, he is

proudest that his fellow National Geographic photographers named him their “Photographer’s

Photographer” in 2014 and the people of Cuba, Kansas (Pop. 186) named him their “Honored

Citizen.” In 2017, Kansas State University bestowed an honorary doctorate for his work in

cultural and environmental communications. Known for his dogged research and devotion to

craft, he is a sought-after mentor to new photographers. He lives in Lindsborg, KS, where his

work is featured at his Main Street gallery, Small World.

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enewing Soilestoring LifePLENARY SESSION SPEAKERS

■ ECONOMICS

Unlocking Connectivity in Agricultural Supply Chains Ms. Carolyn Baltz is the Senior Manager of Membership and Development at The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). Working across the organization, Baltz works with TSC members that include retailers, brand manufacturers, non-profit organizations and government bodies to enable full engagement in TSC’s broad offerings of resources, learning opportunities, and key connections. Since joining TSC in June of 2015, Baltz has recruited many new members into The Consortium, ensuring diverse perspectives are a part of all that TSC develops.

Prior to joining TSC, Baltz dedicated 11 years to member engagement and recruitment for the Arkansas Alumni Association at the University of Arkansas, where her passion for fundraising began as a student caller and later a manager of the University’s National Phone Campaign. Baltz was instrumental in growing stewardship programs for donors, members, and potential members. In addition to her expertise in relationship management, Baltz led efforts to create and implement a new brand identity for the Association.

Baltz received a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Journalism with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. She currently volunteers for multiple non-profit organizations in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Advancing Ecosystem Service Markets for Farmer and Public Benefits Mr. Bill Buckner is President and CEO of the Noble Research Institute, LLC, and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Beginning in 2017, the Noble Research Institute convened a series of meetings with multi-sector stakeholders to explore and assess the potential for creating a large-scale program to finance, generate and sell ecosystem service credits from working agricultural lands. Buckner leads this national effort to advance ecosystem service markets that incentivize farmers and ranchers to improve soil health systems. He joined Noble in January 2012 after serving as President and CEO of Bayer CropScience.

Buckner serves as the Soil Health Institute’s Chairman of the Board. He also serves on several other national boards, including the Wilbur-Ellis Company and the Farm Foundation.

Buckner obtained his B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The Farm Road to Environmental Markets and Corporate Sustainability is ‘Paved’ with Healthy Soil

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■ ECONOMICS

The Foundation of Great FoodMr. Jerry Lynch is Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for General Mills, a role he has held since 2010. In that role, he facilitates the Chairman’s Sustainability Governance Committee which sets global sustainability strategy and policy, and he leads the global sustainability team that oversees implementation of strategy, programs and policies. Lynch began his career at General Mills in 1995 and has served in general management and marketing roles across the company globally before taking on the sustainability leadership role.

In addition to his day job, Lynch is a Fellow of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota and volunteers his time as co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Keystone Policy Center as well as serves on the Advisory Board of the Food Recovery Network.

Farmer Focused and Farmer Driven: The Land O’ Lakes SUSTAIN Program Mr. Jason Weller joined Land O’Lakes, Inc., in 2017 as Senior Director of Sustainability where he leads the team providing natural resource sustainability and agricultural production solutions for the cooperative’s members and owners. Weller previously served as Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Weller has held various agriculture and natural resource conservation leadership positions, including on the US House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture where he provided oversight and crafted legislation to fund USDA programs and activities; on the US House Budget Committee where he helped construct the annual congressional budget for agriculture, environment, and energy programs; and in the White House Office of Management and Budget where he assisted with the development and implementation of the President’s budget for USDA conservation programs.

Weller earned a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in Northfield, MN, and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan.

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■ RESEARCH

Advances in Soil Health Research

Changes in Soil Health in a Semiarid Region Transitioning to Dryland Cropping SystemsDr. Veronica Acosta-Martinez, Soil Microbiologist and Biochemist, USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, focuses on soil microbial community size, composition and activities that are affected by management selections and climate change.

Acosta-Martinez contributes important soil health indicator guidance for the National Soil Health Assessment with the Soil Health Institute, Soil Renaissance, the Noble Foundation and the new Soil Health Division of NRCS.

Acosta-Martinez received her Ph.D. in Soil Science from Iowa State University.

Microbial Physiology Regulates How Much Crop Residue Becomes Soil Organic MatterDr. Stuart Grandy is Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, at the University of New Hampshire.

Grandy’s Soil Biogeochemistry and Fertility lab examines how soil organisms interact with the environment to regulate ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, trace gas emissions, and productivity. This research encompasses multiple spatial scales and lies at the interface of soil ecology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem science.

The soil ecologist/biogeochemist received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Teaching Machines to Read the Soil Health LiteratureDr. Dane Bell is a co-founder of Lum.ai, a start-up that develops Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to create causal models of the world out of unstructured text, to uncover opportunities. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Arizona and specializes in information extraction, complex linguistic phenomena such as coreference resolution, and social media analysis.

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■ POLICY

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKERS

Policies in Action

Turning Soil Health into $oil Wealth: Policy and EconomicsDr. Jim Jordahl helps farmers and environmental experts implement conservation practices and innovations that have a positive impact on water quality. Jordahl brings more than 30 years of experience working in farming operations, soil science, engineering and environmental science, and project management to the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA). He leverages all of these experiences to coordinate water quality efforts of key partners and plan and manage projects and proposals. Jordahl received his B.S. in Farm Operations, M.S. in Agronomy (Soil Management) from Iowa State University and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Iowa Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Farm Bill Update from Washington, DC: Conservation Opportunities and Challenges in 2018 and BeyondMs. Alyssa Charney is a Senior Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in Washington, D.C. NSAC is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. At NSAC, Charney leads the coalition’s work on federal conservation programs and policies.

She holds an M.S. in Agriculture and Food Policy and an M.P.H from Tufts University. She has also worked on food and agriculture policy at the Center for Rural Affairs, New England Farmers Union, and the National Farm to School Network.

State Policies and Programs for Advancing Soil HealthMs. Jamie Fanous recently graduated from Tufts University (2018) with an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment (AFE) and an M.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP). At Tufts, Fanous focused her research on topics including food system modeling, soil health, conservation agriculture (CA), and climate change mitigation. She wrote her thesis on the current gaps in U.S. agriculture policy and modeling alternative opportunities for improvements in CA adoption. Jamie has worked with the Soil Health Institute’s Policy Team on state level soil health initiatives.

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■ MEASUREMENT, STANDARDS, and ASSESSMENT


Assessing and Expanding Adoption of Soil Health Systems

Importance of Public-Private Partnerships in Achieving Healthy Soils and Thriving Farms: FFAR’s Perspective on the Role of Collaborative Science Dr. LaKisha Odom joined The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) in September 2016 as a Scientific Program Director to pursue her commitment to promoting the use of innovative science and interdisciplinary thinking to tackle today’s complex challenges in food and agriculture.

Odom developed her passions for the inter-sectional space of research and policy while working at the U.S. EPA in the Office of Research and Development and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response’s Brownfield’s Redevelopment Program. In her academic career at Tuskegee University, she continued to seek out opportunities to work in interdisciplinary and collaborative science as a Create-IGERT fellow and as a researcher at Teagasc Research facility in Carlow, Ireland. She then had the opportunity to serve as an Early Career Intern for the Public Policy Board of the American Phytopathologicial Society. In 2013, Odom became an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Biotechnology Regulatory Service where she managed a diverse portfolio which included working with the OECD Working Group for the Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology.

Odom received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Tuskegee University, her M.A. in Environmental Resource Policy from The George Washington University, and her Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences from Tuskegee University.

Strategic Approach for Evaluating Soil Health IndicatorsDr. Wayne Honeycutt leads the Soil Health Institute’s programs to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils. He previously served for 5 years as the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology with USDA-NRCS in Washington, DC, where he led programs in technology acquisition, development, and transfer to ensure NRCS conservation practices reflect the latest scientific advances for conserving our nation’s soil, water, air, plant, animal, and energy resources. He served as a Research Soil Scientist for 14 years and a Research Leader for 10 years with the USDA-ARS New England Plant, Soil, and Water Laboratory, where he led and conducted interdisciplinary research on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling and sustainable cropping systems development. Honeycutt has served on assignments to the U.S. Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, USDA-ARS National Program Staff, and USDA-ARS Area Office Staff.

Wayne’s commitment to agriculture is rooted in his experiences with raising tobacco, corn, and other crops on his family’s 120-acre farm in Metcalfe County, Kentucky. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Master’s degree in Soil Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in Soil Genesis from Colorado State University.

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■ MEASUREMENT, STANDARDS, and ASSESSMENT


Scaling Soil Health Research and Farmer EngagementMs. Elyssa McFarland was raised on a grain and livestock farm east of Columbus Junction, Iowa. She attended Iowa State University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, and spent summers as a Soil Science intern with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. McFarland completed a dual Master’s degree in Agronomy and Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. After graduation, McFarland moved back to Southeast Iowa and worked to expand and implement Soil Health Partnership research trials in Iowa as field manager while actively participating in the family farm. After 3 years as a field manager, McFarland is now the Key Relationships Director for SHP and is working to coordinate the efforts of SHP with partnering and collaborating organizations at a state and regional level.

Engaging Farmers and Landowner Advisers on Soil HealthMs. Pipa Elias is Soil Health Strategy Manager at The Nature Conservancy. She leads the soil health program, which is helping advance the adoption of best agricultural practices across the United States by drawing from the Conservancy’s work across the country and helping catalyze new partnerships to drive scientific, economic, and policy solutions for soil health. Her expertise is in applying scientific research to advance policy and conservation solutions. She joined The Nature Conservancy in 2014 as a Senior Policy Advisor for land use and climate change and has published over a dozen reports on sustainable forestry and agriculture related to climate mitigation.

Elias holds an M.S. in forest soils from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in environmental science from the University of Notre Dame.

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■ COMMUNICATIONS and EDUCATION


Enhancing the Research-Farmer Connection

Lessons Learned from 30 Years of SARE Farmer-Researcher ProjectsDr. Rob Myers is Regional Director of Extension Programs for the USDA-NIFA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. He administers competitive grants and state funding for sustainable agriculture projects in 12 states. He holds an appointment as an adjunct faculty member in the Plant Sciences Division at the University of Missouri.

Myers received his Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Minnesota.

The Quest for Understanding Soil HealthMr. Jimmy Emmons and his family own and manage the nearly 2000-acre Emmons Farm in Dewey County, OK. The farm was converted to no-till in 1995, and Jimmy later went a few steps further and adopted crop rotations, cover crops and planned grazing management to decrease soil erosion and increase water infiltration. In addition to conventional soil testing, Emmons uses specialized soil and plant tissue testing to monitor soil fertility. This helps him adjust fertilizer application rates by crediting the system for nutrients supplied by soil organic matter. In 2017, Emmons Farm received the inaugural Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award®. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources. Emmons has served on the Dewey County Conservation District Board for 10 years and is currently President of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.

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■ COMMUNICATIONS and EDUCATION

The Science of Soil Health: Progress on the Path from Research to ImplementationDr. Bianca Moebius-Clune directs the USDA-NRCS Soil Health Division and leads the specialists who provide training, technical assistance, science and technology acquisition, and leadership to the soil health movement.

Moebius-Clune came to the agency from the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Cornell University, where she served on the faculty as a Senior Extension Associate and Lecturer with research and extension responsibilities in soil health assessment and management and in weather-based precision nitrogen management. She also taught a class in Sustainable Soil Management. Moebius-Clune has conducted research on agricultural management impacts on soil health and nitrogen dynamics in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as in Kenya, and developed a new framework for Soil Health Management Planning.

Moebius-Clune holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science from Cornell University.

Communicating 4R to Farmers and Connecting on ContentMs. Lara Moody is the Vice President of Stewardship and Sustainability Programs at The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) where she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of TFI’s programs to increase the use and adoption of fertilizer best management practices. Moody directs the development and delivery of outreach and education tools to promote 4R Nutrient Stewardship through engagement with industry members and stakeholders as well as other organizations including government agencies.

Prior to joining TFI, Moody performed research and extension efforts in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department at Iowa State University.

Moody received her M.S. degree in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Relaying Usable Research Results to FarmersDr. Diana Jerkins, Research Program Director, Organic Farming Research Foundation, oversees projects focused on scientific improvements in plant breeding, soil and fertility management, weed and insect pest management, and water use effectiveness.

Jerkins has decades of experience in agricultural research, federal program management, university administration and hands-on farming. She was a National Program Leader with the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture between 2002 and 2014 and helped implement the agency’s first sustainable and organic agriculture programs. Earlier, Jerkins directed the Center for Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Jerkins earned her Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Georgia.

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BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Friday, August 3 – 8:00-10:30 am

FOCUS ACTION TEAM GOALS

■ List the steps needed to apply metaproteomics and metagenomics methods for understanding how soil microbial communities respond metabolically and physiologically to agricultural management practices, and in turn, how those changes in microbial community functions influence different soil processes and properties such as carbon sequestration, aggregation, water-holding capacity, and disease suppression. Consider as a resource that SHI and its partners will be sampling approximately 150 long-term agroecosystem research sites across North America in 2019.

■ Design a plan that can be implemented in different regions and production systems for developing/calibrating nutrient recommendations for production systems employing soil health management systems/practices. The plan for this calibration should make optimal use of the measurements and standards identified by the Soil Health Institute’s partner-led work on measurements and standards, ensuring that those particular indicators and methods are included as part of the calibration field studies.

■ Assemble a list of published literature (and provide PDFs when available) to conduct a meta-analysis of edge-of-field studies evaluating soil health practices/systems for their impacts on soil and nutrient losses at a watershed scale.

■ Identify (and provide links to their websites or sources) watershed-scale models of nutrient uptake by plants and transport through runoff and leaching that account for changes in soil properties (e.g., root distribution, nutrient mineralization) resulting from soil management systems (including 4R nutrient management).

■ Identify sources of information and the process for determining current watershed-scale adoption levels of soil health management systems (e.g., through the National Soil Health Assessment, NASS, NRCS-CEAP, etc.)

■ Develop a template for a partial budget format for comparing economics of soil health-promoting practices/systems that can be used across a range of production systems and inputs (e.g., manured vs. non-manured; no-till vs. moldboard plow).

■ Develop outline of a paper that quantitatively relates soil health to land value and the value of ecosystem services (both in monetary terms). Suggest authors for each section of the paper.

■ ECONOMICS Fiesta 1-2

■ RESEARCH Enchantment A-B

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■ SHI & partners plan to have the right soil health indicators identified by 2020. Given that starting point, design a plan to effectively and efficiently conduct a National Soil Health Assessment. Estimate funding needs for each major step/category.

■ Provide a list of the variables, attributes, capabilities, and other information required for a database that houses data collected in a National Soil Health Assessment.

■ Identify key published literature (and provide PDFs when possible) enabling a meta-analysis of methods for quantification of plant-pathogenic fungi and pathogen bioassays; data on numbers affecting crop productivity; value and interpretation of bioassays instead of direct quantification.

FOCUS ACTION TEAM GOALS

■ Develop and Implement a process to collect and continuously update information on soil health related events, conferences, and opportunities on SHI’s publicly accessible calendar.

■ Develop and Implement a process to integrate soil health education into K-12 schools and community colleges.

■ Develop and Implement a process to keep Educational Resources Catalog up-to-date.

■ Develop case studies evaluating positive and negative effects of policies on soil health.

■ Develop list of federal policies; evaluate and record their impact on soil health. Identify how each can be improved (if negative, identify how it can at least be neutralized).

■ Identify individual volunteers and a specific process for keeping the catalog of soil health policy resources up-to-date.

■ COMMUNICATIONS and EDUCATION Enchantment C-D

■ POLICY Fiesta 3-4

■ MEASUREMENT, STANDARDS, and ASSESSMENT Grand Pavilion IV-VI

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BREA

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S ■ Research (Enchantment A-B)

■ Measurement, Standards, and Assessment (Grand Pavilion IV-VI)

■ Economics (Fiesta 1-2)

■ Communications and Education (Enchantment C-D)

■ Policy (Fiesta 3-4)

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22


POSTER SESSION5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 1

Poster TITLE SUBJECT AUTHORS AFFILIATIONS

1 A comparison between fatty acid methyl ester profiling methods as soil health indicators for microbial community composition

Microbial Community Composition and Structure

Amanda Cano; Chenhui Li; Veronica Acosta-Martinez; Kristen Veum; Jennifer Moore-Kucera

Texas Tech University, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Lubbock, TX; USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Unit, Lubbock TX; University of Missouri, School of Natural Resources, Columbia, MO; USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research, Columbia, MO; USDA-NRCS, Soil Health Division, West National Technology Support Center, Portland, OR

2 Soil Health Promoting Practices and Yield Consistency: A Systematic Evaluation

Yield stability through Soil Health Sean Bloszies; Wayne Honeycutt; Steve Shafer

Soil Health Institute

3 A Rapid Low-cost Cell Phone Test for Soil Microbial Load Estimation

Microbial Biomass testing Judith Fitzpatrick; E. Brady Trexler Prolific Earth Sciences Inc.

4 Achieving Soil Health Objectives with PRSÂ® Technology and Models

Integration of soil measurements into cropping decisions

Ken Greer; Eric Bremer; Cheyne Ogilvie; Tabitha Brown; David Huggins

Western Ag Innovations; USDA-ARS

5 Application Of An Integrated Environmental, Economic, And Farm Management Decision-Making Tool (Nutrient Tracking Tool: NTT) For Evaluating Best Available Conservation Practices To Improve Soil Health

NTT application for Soil Health improvement Ali Saleh; Oscar Gallego; Edward Osei Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University

6 Building a Multi-Decadal Library on Soil Biology Research Research Landscape Tool Deborah A. Neher University of Vermont

7 Building Robust Datasets and Databases for Soil Health Assessment

Databases for Soil Health indicators Carmen M. Ugarte; Y. Xia; H. Kwon; M.M. Wander

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Argonne National Laboratory

8 Changes in plant and soil micronutrients with Nitrogen fertilization in a long-term continuous maize no-till cropping system

Micronutrients, Soil Organic Carbon, Nitrogen

Grace L. Miner; Jorge. A. Delgado; James A. Ippolito; Ken A. Barbarick; Catherine E. Stewart; Daniel K. Manter; Stephen J. Del Grosso; Ardell D. Halvorson; Bradley A. Floyd; Robert E. D`Adamo

Colorado State University; USDA-ARS

9 Changes in Soil Health with the Increasing Years under Tallgrass Prairie Restoration in Central Missouri

Changes in Soil Health under prairie restoration

Chenhui Li; Kristen Veum; Keith Goyne School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, Columbia, MO

10 Cover crop impacts on carbon retention and sequestration on US cropland

Carbon sequestration under cover crop management

Sami Tellatin; Rob Myers Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Corvallis, OR (remote position); Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

11 Cover Crops in Low-Rainfall Eastern Washington Cover Crops, Soil Health, Grazing Cover Crops

Leslie Michel; Lynne Carpenter-Boggs; Ian Burke; Doug Collins; Nichole Embertson

Okanogan Conservation District; Washington State University; Whatcom Conservation District

12 Decrease of soil macroaggregates with higher exotic earthworm abundance in a tropical soil and its implications for using earthworms as indicators of soil health

Earthworms as indicators of Soil Health Yaniria Sanchez-de Leon; Mauricio R. Morej`an Centeno

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, Mayagüez, PR

13 Diversified Crop Rotations are a Powerful Management Strategy for Improving Soil Health and Function

Soil Health Crop Production Systems Michael Lehman; Shannon Osborne USDA-ARS Brookings, SD

14 Effects of Fire on Soil Health and Crop Production in South Dakota

Soil Health Jose Guzman; Dwayne Beck; Savahnah Eastwood

South Dakota State University, Dakota Lakes Research Farm

15 Estimating the addition of nutrients and carbon to the soil from beef cattle production activities

Soil Health N. Kannan; A. Saleh; A. Cole; H. Aljoe Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Retd. (USDA-ARS); Noble Research Institute

16 Evaluating Procedures to Measure Soil Organic Carbon in North Carolina Soils

Soil Organic Carbon Wayne Roper; Deanna Osmond; Joshua Heitman; Wayne Robarge

North Carolina State University

17 Evaluating the effect of pasture type and grazing intensity on the hydrology of Southern Great Plains

Pasture types and grazing intensity effects on soil hydrology

R. Niraula; A. Saleh; N. Kannan; R. Bajgain; P. Gowda; J. Neel

Texas Institute of Applied Environmental Research (TIAER), Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX; Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; Forage and Livestock Production Research Unit, USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory, El Reno, OK

18 Impact of 20 Years of Agricultural Management on Soil Organic Matter Quantity and Quality

Soil Organic Matter Jessica Chiartas; Nicole Tautges; Kate Scow UC Davis

19 Impact of Improved Soil Health on Sustainability and Profitability of Cotton

Impact of Improved Soil Health on Sustainability and Profitability of Cotton

Bill Robertson; Amanda Free; Mike Daniels; Breana Watkins; Steve Stevens

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service

20 Improving the Science behind Soil Health: NRCS-University collaborative assessment projects

Methods for Measuring Soil Health Michael Robotham; Skye Wills USDA-NRCS

21 Integrating Soil Health and Ecological Resiliency Concepts to Advance Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture

Linking resilience theory to soil health concepts provides an interesting analytical perspective that frames soil health properties and functions using four main attributes of resilience: latitude, resistance, precariousness, and panarchy.

David R. Huggins; Alexandra G. Davis; John P. Reganold

USDA-ARS; Washington State University

22 Integrating Soil Respiration and USDA-NRCS Defined Hydrologic Groups to Improve Nitrogen Fertilizer Management

Nitrogen Management G.M. Bean; N.R. Kitchen; K. Veum; J.J. Camberato; R.B. Ferguson; F.G. Fernandez; D.W. Franzen; C.A.M. Laboski; E.D. Nafziger; J.E. Sawyer

University of Missouri-Columbia; USDA-ARS; Purdue University; University of Nebraska; University of Minnesota; North Dakota State University; University of Wisconsin; University of Illinois; Iowa State University

23 Linking Edge-of-Field Water Quality to Soil Health - Great Lakes Project

Linking Soil Health and Water Quality Kevin Fermanich; Ron Turco; Mathew Dornbush; Molly Meyers; Greg Lawrence; Marianne Bischoff Gray; Lisa Duriancik

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay; Purdue University; U.S. Geological Survey; USDA-NRCS

24 Linking soil microbial communities to the health of Oregon soils

Microbial Communities and Soil Health David D. Myrold; Christopher Burgess Oregon State University

23

Poster TITLE SUBJECT AUTHORS AFFILIATIONS

25 Mathematical model for calibration of CO2 released by soil respiration captured by passive sampler in field conditions

Evaluation of microbial activity respiration level determined by measuring the amount of CO2 generated in the specific combinations of beneficial microbes and carbon compounds of liquid fertilizers.

Zouheir Massri; Jerry Wilhm AgroLiquid

26 Measuring Soil Health Benefits on Private Rangelands through Wyoming Ranchers’ Profitability from Improved Forage Production

Rangeland Soil Health Kristie A. Maczko; Holly Dyer; John Ritten; John Tanaka; Jennifer Moore-Kucera

Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable University of Wyoming; University of Wyoming, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics; University of Wyoming, Agricultural Experiment Stations; Soil Health Division, USDA-NRCS

27 Molecular Tools for Soil Health Assessments Soil Health indicators - microorganisms Daniel K. Manter; Jennifer Moore-Kucera USDA-ARS, USDA-ARS-PA-CARR; Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research, Fort Collins, CO; USDA-NRCS, Soil Health Division, Portland, OR

28 Monitoring Impacts of Cover Crops on Soil Health in Indiana

Cover Crops and Commercial Soil Health Tests

Stacy M. Zuber; Eileen J. Kladivko Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

29 Nematodes are Bioindicators of Soil Function Biological Indicators Deborah A. Neher University of Vermont

30 Organic soil management practices promote natural pest control through enhanced plant resistance

Role of soil management in pest preference Robert Blundell; Jenifer E. Schmidt; Andrea L. Cheung; Rachel L. Vannette; Amelie Gaudin; Clare L. Casteel

Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA; Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA; Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA

31 Pacific Northwest Cover Crop Variety Adaptation Trial Cover Crop Variety Testing Allen Casey; Annie Young-Matthews; Terron Pickett; Joel Douglas

USDA-NRCS

32 Rapid and simple field test of soil bio-available nutrients True Balance Soil Testing Cody J. Hatzenbuhler; Marko Davinic True Balance LLC, Bismarck State College

33 Seasonal trends in microbially-mediated nutrient cycling in soils with cover crops interseeded in corn

Soil microbiology Andrew J. Curtright; Lisa K. Tiemann Michigan State University, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

34 Sensor Data Fusion for Soil Health Assessment Precision Soil Health Kristen S. Veum; Kenneth A. Sudduth; Newell R. Kitchen

USDA-ARS

35 Soil Health Evaluation in Three Grazed Texas Rangelands Rangeland Soil Health Kristie A. Maczko; Jennifer Moore-Kucera; Jeff Goodwin; Timm Gergen; J.K. Brite; Deborah Clark; and Diaz Murray

Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable University of Wyoming; Soil Health Division, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services; Noble Resources Institute; University of Wyoming, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management; JA Ranch, Birdwell-Clark Ranch, Diaz Murray Ranch

36 Soil Health Indicators Do Not Differentiate Management of North Carolina Soils

Soil Health Testing and Indicators Wayne Roper; Deanna Osmond; Joshua Heitman; Michael Wagger; S. Chris Reberg-Horton

North Carolina State University

37 Soil Health Interpretations – Using soil survey data to inform soil health assessment and conservation planning

Use of soil survey data to inform conservation planning

Diane Stott; Maxine J. Levin; Cathy Seybold; Steve Campbell; Bob Dobos; Steve Peaslee; Wade Bott; Jennifer Moore-Kucera; Brandon Smith; Dana Ashford; Lindsay Haines

USDA-NRCS

38 Soil profile carbon and nitrogen under diverse cover crops in a winter wheat-sorghum-fallow rotation

Cover Cropping and Soil Health Pramod Acharya; Rajan Ghimire; Young Cho Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM; New Mexico State University, Agriculture Science Center, Clovis, NM

39 Soil stoichiometric characteristics of different ecosystems under the same climatic conditions in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China

Soil Health of natural and artificial grasslands, and field and commercial crops in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China

Xiajie Zhai; Kesi Liu; Paulette Ford; Deborah M. Finch; Kun Wang

Institute of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Albuquerque, NM

40 Soil Your Undies: A Demonstration of Soil Health Soil Your Undies: A Demonstration of Soil Health

Bill Robertson; Ricki N. Gilbert; Amanda Free University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service

41 Temporal dynamics of soil health parameters as influenced by tillage and cover crops

Temporal dynamics of soil health parameters as influenced by tillage and cover crops

Ayush Gyawali, Ryan Stewart Virginia Tech

42 The short-term and long-term effects of adoption of conservation tillage: perceptions of farmers in South Dakota

Profitability of adoption of soil conservation practices

Alexander E. Saak; Tong Wang South Dakota State University, Department of Economics

43 The Use of Microbial Metagenomics to Determine the Effects of Tillage and Residue Management on Soil Biodiversity in Mid-South Corn-Soybean Systems

Microbial biodiversity William L. Kingery; Shankar G. Shanmugam; Normie Buehring; M. Wayne Ebelhar; Michael S. Cox; Daniel G. Peterson

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University; Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, Mississippi State University; North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Verona, MS; Delta Research & Extension Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Stoneville, MS

44 Tillage impact on soil organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus from 1990 to 2014

Tillage and Soil Organic Matter Jasper M Teboh, Ezra Aberle, Blaine G. Schatz, Mike Ostlie

North Dakota State University - Carrington Research Extension Center

45 Tracking Changes in Soil Health Indicators under Different Management Practices

Soil Health Indicators Jennifer Moore-Kucera; Daniel K. Manter; Diane Stott; Bianca Moebius-Clune; Veronica Acosta-Martinez; Skye Wills

USDA-NRCS, Soil Health Division; USDA-ARS, USDA-ARS-PA-CARR, Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research, Fort Collins, CO; USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Wind Erosion & Water Conservation Unit, Lubbock, TX; USDA-NRCS, Soil Science Division

46 Understanding the Barriers and Needs of Agricultural Retailers and Certified Crop Advisers in Providing Cover Crop Services

Cover Crop Adoption Angel Cruz; Monica La; Sofia Tenorio Fenton; Marcy Lowe

Datu Research

47 Variability of Soil Health Tests Compared to Chemical Nutrient Tests: A Soil Test Survey on 18 Farms in New England

Soil Testing Variability Will Brinton; Tom Morris; Karl Guillard; Dan Davidson

Woods End Laboratory; University of Connecticut

48 Binning for Soil Health Scores – Capturing Intrinsic versus Dynamic Soil Characteristics

Soil Health Scores Shannon Andrews; Adam Fund; Drew Childs; Teresa Matteson; Markus Kleber

Oregon State University Crop and Soil Science Department Central Analytical Laboratory; Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District; Funding from Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service

49 The Soil Health Partnership Database: Preliminary Results and Future Prospects

Overview and preliminary analyses of the effects of cover crops and other soil management practices on several potential soil health indicators, based on more than 100 Midwest farms.

Bradley Crookston; Matt Yost; Jack Cornell; Kristen Veum; Douglas L. Karlen

Utah State University, Soil Health Partnership, USDA-ARS

24

enewing Soilestoring LifeBE PART OF CHANGE IN RESEARCH

Train the Annotaurus! Enchantment A-B

A Soil Health Institute (SHI) priority is to make rapid additions to the online collection of articles

and reports that researchers can access with the Soil Health Research Landscape Tool™. We

need your help to train the Annotaurus, a machine learning tool, to recognize and catalog online

soil research efficiently.

We invite you to sign up for the Friday afternoon session. (Please bring your laptop.)

PARTNERS AT WORKThe Soil Health Institute, The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America,

Soil Science Society of America and lum.ai have partnered on the project that uses natural language

processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to accelerate the retrieval and use of soil health

research. The lum.ai-developed tool takes unstructured text and turns it into structured data.

“We originally developed this natural language processing application for researchers at the U.S.

Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation to help identify causal pathways in cancer research and children’s

health,” said Mihai Surdeanu, co-founder of lum.ai. “It achieves levels of interpretation and

precision that are statistically similar to humans, but unlike humans who can become fatigued and

bored, the computer’s process is sustainable for an unlimited number of papers.”

NLP pushes information derived from published papers to the researcher in a format that is easier

to understand than traditional meta-analyses of scientific literature. Human researchers then

interpret the automated findings – a subset of the entire body of literature that was automatically

searched – to determine the value of the information. Surdeanu’s tool read more than 1 million

papers from Pub Med in one year and has the capacity to read one scientific paper in 10 seconds.

Dr. Steven Shafer, Interim Chief Scientific Officer at the Soil Health Institute, said, “We imagine

it like an ‘earthworm’ because it will ‘crawl’ through the soil science and related literature and

determine which papers are relevant to soil health based on our current model, the Soil Health

Research Landscape Tool. We will use the NLP application to determine how new literature fits

into the Research Landscape Tool’s conceptual model of soil health and its management.”

Given the pace of discovery and evolving needs in scientific domains, rapid access to published

research in an increasing number of publications continues to be a critical and growing challenge.

“Using the Soil Health Research Landscape Tool, the Soil Health Institute aspires to be the kind

of go-to source of indexed soil health publications in the same way that Google Scholar indexes

computer science publications and PubMed indexes biomedical journals,” Shafer said. “This NLP

application is intended to help us achieve our goal.”

Mr. Sheldon JonesChief Operating OfficerSoil Health Institute

Dr. Dane BellCo-Founder lum.ai

SESSION LEADERS

25

enewing Soilestoring LifeSOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE EXECUTIVE TEAM

Dr. Wayne Honeycutt is the President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute, where

he leads the Institute’s programs to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of

soils. He previously served for five years as the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology with

USDA-NRCS in Washington, DC. Honeycutt served as a Research Soil Scientist for 14 years

and as a Research Leader for 10 years with the USDA-ARS New England Plant, Soil, and Water

Laboratory, where he led and conducted interdisciplinary research on carbon, nitrogen, and

phosphorus cycling as well as sustainable cropping systems development. In those roles he led

national research teams for predicting nutrient availability, developed procedures adopted by

ARS for enhancing national research coordination, and received regional and national awards for

technology transfer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Master’s degree in Soil Science

from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in Soil Genesis from Colorado State University.

Dr. Steven Shafer is the Interim Chief Scientific Officer of the Soil Health Institute. In his

position, Shafer is responsible for developing and establishing the scientific direction, strategy,

and implementation plan for Institute research programs and for establishing the research

priorities for the Institute. Shafer joined the Soil Health Institute after a career spanning more

than 32 years in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shafer received the Senior Executive

Service Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2011 and the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award

in 2012 and 2014. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from The Ohio State University and a

Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, all in plant pathology, with research emphasis on soil

microbiology and chemistry.

Mr. Sheldon Jones is the Chief Operating Officer of the Soil Health Institute. Prior to

joining SHI, Jones served as Vice President at the Farm Foundation, NFP, from 2008 to 2016,

where he oversaw the Foundation’s financial operations and project management activities. His

public service experience involved service as deputy commissioner of the Colorado Department

of Agriculture, 2004-2008. From 2002 until 2004, he was executive vice president of the Agri-

Business Council of Arizona, the agricultural water and power membership organization. From

1997 until 2002, he was director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. During his term, he

was active in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, serving as president

of the organization in 2002.

Mr. Byron Rath is the Communications and Development Specialist for the Soil Health

Institute. Prior to joining the Soil Health Institute, Rath worked for CCS, a global fundraising

consulting and management firm that provides development services and strategic consulting to

nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is proficient in written and spoken Arabic.

26


■ RESEARCH Douglas Karlen, Ph.D.USDA-ARSDr. Douglas L. Karlen is a Research Soil Scientist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE). His research program focuses on quantifying effects of tillage, crop rotation, nutrient management, manure management, and harvesting crop residues as feedstock for bioenergy or other bio-products on soil health/quality. He is a native of Wisconsin and has his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Michigan State University, and Kansas State University, respectively.

Janice Thies, Ph.D.Cornell UniversityDr. Janice Thies is an Associate Professor of Soil Biology in Soil and Crop Sciences and International Professor of Soil Ecology. She has served as an expert consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Iran, and the USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program. She has also served twice on Scientific Advisory Panels for the US-EPA.

■ MEASUREMENT, STANDARDS and ASSESSMENT Diane Stott, Ph.D.USDA-ARSDr. Diane Stott is the National Soil Health Specialist for USDA-NRCS. She previously served as a Soil Scientist specializing in Soil Biochemistry with USDA-ARS at the National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (NSERL). Dr. Stott received her B.S. and M.S. in Microbiology from Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry) from the University of California at Riverside.

David Myrold, Ph.D.Oregon State UniversityDr. David Myrold is a Professor of soil microbiology in the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology at Michigan State University in 1984, an M.S. in Soil Science from Washington State University in 1979, and a B.S. in Forestry from Michigan Technological University in 1977. Dr. Myrold is Editor-in-Chief for the Soil Science Society of America and on the editorial boards of ISME Journal and Soil Biology and Biochemistry.

■ COMMUNICATIONS and EDUCATION Beth MasonNorth Central Region Representative, NACDMs. Beth Mason began her career with soil and water conservation districts in 2002 when she came to work for the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). She currently holds the position of North Central Region Representative, which focuses on conservation districts and their state associations within the Midwest, working from her home in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her position with NACD, however, has national projects and areas of focus such as coordinating the NACD Soil Health Champions Network. Beth has a B.S. from Illinois State University in Public Relations with a Psychology minor and a background in Marketing.

ACTION TEAM CO-CHAIRS

27


■ POLICY Rob Myers, Ph.D.SAREDr. Rob Myers is Regional Director of Extension Programs for the USDA-NIFA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. He administers competitive grants and state funding for sustainable agriculture projects in 12 states. He also holds an appointment as an adjunct faculty member in the Plant Sciences Division at University of Missouri. In 2013-14 he held a special appointment as Endowed Chair of Agricultural Systems through the University of Minnesota, working on cover crop issues for the Upper Midwest. His Ph.D. in agronomy is from the University of Minnesota, and he grew up on a family farm in central Illinois.

Timothy GriffinTufts UniversityDr. Timothy Griffin is the Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program as well as Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. He has served on the steering committee for the Tufts-wide graduate certificate program Water: Systems, Science, and Society since 2010, and serves as faculty co-director for the Tufts Institute for the Environment. Prior to coming to the Friedman School, he served as Lead Scientist/Agronomist at USDA-ARS (2000-2008) and Extension Specialist in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Maine (1992-2000), the first such position in the United States.

■ ECONOMICS Matt BechdolGeoSilosMr. Matt Bechdol is the President of GeoSilos, a consulting firm focused on leveraging place-based solutions for food and agriculture challenges. Matt began his career as a consultant at NASA, investigating imaging, wireless, and GIS technologies for precision agriculture. Matt spent a decade at ESRI, where he managed a team supporting USDA’s technology and business integration to solve agricultural problems ranging from precision farming to global crop forecasting. Matt also teaches continuing education courses at George Mason University’s GIS Certificate Program in Manassas, Virginia, and lives with his family on the farm’s original 1864 Indiana homestead.

Becky DoyleHickory Grove Pork Farm, Doyle Associates, The Context NetworkMs. Rebecca Doyle is a lifetime Illinois farmer with a concurrent background in government and association administration. During her tenure as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (1991-‘99), Doyle administered state funding for the soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs); guided the state’s livestock waste management plan; and served on the original Mississippi River Watershed Nutrient Management Task Force. Doyle is a senior associate of The Context Network. She has guided the 2017 strategic plan for Illinois’ SWCDs, advised The Nature Conservancy for their work on climate change risk assessment and supported the Soil Health Institute’s economics working group. Doyle served as director of resource mobilization for the United Nations World Food Programme in the early 2000s. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and is a member of the Farm Foundation Round Table and CARET (Council for Research, Extension and Teaching).

ACTION TEAM CO-CHAIRS

28

enewing Soilestoring LifeBOARD OF DIRECTORS

William (Bill) BucknerPresident and CEONoble Research Institute, LLCThe Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationBill Buckner is President and CEO of the Noble Research

Institute, LLC, and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Throughout his career he served in several leadership positions for Bayer, including President/CEO of Bayer CropScience, LP, from 2006 to 2011. Buckner currently serves on the boards of the Soil Health Institute (board chair), Wilbur-Ellis Company, Mercy Hospital Ardmore, and the Farm Foundation. Buckner received his B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1980.

Constance CullmanPresidentFarm Foundation, NFPConstance Cullman was named President of Farm Foundation, NFP in June 2016. Prior to joining Farm

Foundation, Cullman was U.S. Government Affairs Leader with Dow AgroSciences. She previously worked at the Corn Refiners Association, Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Cullman is a graduate of Ohio State, earning her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Economics with an emphasis on international trade and agricultural policy.

William G. (Bill) FloryPresidentFlory FarmsBill Flory is a fourth-generation farmer from north central Idaho. The Flory Farms operation includes

wheat, bluegrass seed, canola, lentils, garbanzos, malt barley, and hay. Flory is board chairman of the wheat industry’s Wheat Marketing Center in Portland; a commissioner and past chairman of the Idaho Wheat Commission; member of the Farm Foundation Roundtable; serves on US Bank’s advisory board; and is a director of the Lewiston Roundup. In 1977, Flory earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Idaho.

Robert FosterFoster Brothers Farm, Inc. Bob Foster and his family run an 1,800-acre farm near Middlebury, Vermont. The Fosters also have one of the largest compost companies in New England. They gather

residual nutrients from their own and neighbors’ farms, process manure for use as fertilizer, blend the different formulas together, and distribute the resulting product. Foster served on the Cabot Cheese Board of Directors for 37 years. The fourth-generation farmer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Vermont in Agricultural Engineering and Agriculture Economics.

Earl GarberFarmer and Former President, NACDEarl Garber, former President of the National Association of Conservation Districts, started his involvement in conservation as a Soil Scientist, Soil Conservationist, and

District Conservationist with the USDA. He has served as President of the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts and as the Louisiana Board Member for the National Association of Conservation Districts. Garber’s farm includes 670 acres of rice, soybeans, grain sorghum, timber, and commercial hay production. He is a licensed crop consultant and field services manager for Sanders, Inc., Seed Company.

Jerry L. Hatfield, Ph.D.USDA-ARSDr. Jerry L. Hatfield is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America and Past President of

ASA. He is the Laboratory Director of the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, where he leads the agriculture sector for the National Climate Assessment. Hatfield has received numerous awards, including election into the ARS Hall of Fame and the Hugh Hammond Bennett award, and he served on the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Diana Jerkins, Ph.D.Research DirectorOrganic Farming Research FoundationDr. Diana Jerkins is the Research Director for the Organic Farming Research Foundation in California, leading their

efforts to provide direct funding to researchers, farmers, and ranchers to conduct scientific research and educational advancements for organic producers. Earlier, she was a National Program Leader and Division Director for Integrated Programs with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Her graduate work was at the University of Georgia with degrees in Agronomy and Entomology. She consults internationally on sustainable agriculture issues.

Andrew (Andy) W. LaVignePresident and CEOAmerican Seed Trade AssociationAndrew W. LaVigne is President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association. He previously served as

Executive Vice President/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, and as President and Executive Director of the Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association. He served for eight years in Washington, D.C., working for the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. LaVigne received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida with a minor in Economics.

Bruce I. KnightStrategic Conservation Solutions, LLCBruce Knight, principal of Strategic Conservation Solutions (SCS), has a track record of bringing strategic workable solutions to farm and conservation policy from

the grassroots to the national level. From 2002 to 2006, Knight served as Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Knight is a third-generation rancher and farmer and lifelong conservationist who operates a diversified grain and cattle operation using no-till and rest rotation grazing systems.

29

enewing Soilestoring LifeBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Clare LindahlCEOSoil and Water Conservation Society Clare Lindahl, Chief Executive Officer of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), became the CEO of

SWCS in August of 2017. She previously served as the executive director for Conservation Districts of Iowa and as natural resources program manager with River Action, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad Cities.

Neal Martin, Ph.D.Former Director of U.S. Dairy Forage Research CenterDairy Forage Research and Education ConsultationDr. Neal Martin grew up on a dairy farm in northern Ohio. He obtained a Ph.D. in agronomy and animal science and

pursued interests in forage and grassland science at Iowa State University. Martin was a forage extension specialist at the University of Minnesota from 1974 to 1999 prior to joining USDA-ARS in 1999. He retired as Director of the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, USDA-ARS in Madison, WI. Today, he and his wife operate a small highbush blueberry farm in northern Ohio.

Jason WellerSenior Director of SustainabilityLand O’LakesJason Weller, Senior Director of Sustainability at Land O’Lakes, leads environmental sustainability and agricultural

production solutions for the cooperative’s members and owners. He previously served as Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), where he led the effort to focus on soil health, and has held various leadership positions, including as staff to the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, U.S. House Budget Committee, and White House Office of Management and Budget. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan.

Jay VroomPresident and CEOCropLife AmericaJay Vroom is President and CEO of CropLife America. He is a founding member of the CropLife Foundation,

serving as Chairman and now Vice-Chair. Vroom held various positions in executive capacities with the National Fertilizer Solutions Association (now the Ag Retailers Association), the Merchants Exchange of St. Louis, and The Fertilizer Institute. He graduated with honors from the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Greg RuehlePresident and CEOServi-Tech, Inc.Greg Ruehle is President and CEO for Servi-Tech, the nation’s largest independent agronomic firm. Earlier,

Ruehle served as CEO for the Independent Professional Seed Association and as Executive Vice President of the Nebraska Cattlemen. Ruehle’s association career began with the National Cattlemen’s Association (now National Cattlemen’s Beef Association), where he served in various positions, including Director of Private Lands, Water, and Environment. Greg has a B.S. in Agriculture from Oklahoma State University and graduated from the Ranch Management Program at Texas Christian University.

Jeff MoyerExecutive Director Rodale InstituteJeff Moyer, Executive Director of Rodale Institute, is a world-renowned authority in organic agriculture. He is Past

Chair of the National Organic Standards Board, a founding board member of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Seed Farm. He also contributes to the Green America Non-GMO Working Group, is a Project Member in the Soil Renaissance, and is a Board Member of PA Farm Link.

Lara Beal Moody, P.E.Senior Director, Stewardship and SustainabilityThe Fertilizer InstituteLara Moody is Senior Director of Stewardship and Sustainability at The Fertilizer Institute (TFI). She serves as

Chair of the Conservation Technology Information Center Board of Directors, serves on the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force, and oversees the fertilizer industry’s 4R Research Fund Management and Nutrient Stewardship Committees. Prior to joining TFI, Moody served as the Program Manager for the Agricultural Waste Management Laboratory at Iowa State University. She received her B.S. in Agricultural Engineering and M.S. in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

V. Larkin MartinMartin FarmV. Larkin Martin manages her family’s row crop farm in Alabama. She is a Director of Rayonier Inc., trustee and member of the Executive Committee of The Farm

Foundation, Vice Chair of the Alabama Ethics Commission, and serves on the boards of The Public Research Affairs Council of Alabama, Africa Harvest, and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. She previously served as Director and Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Director and Chair of The Cotton Board, and Director of The Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Ms. Martin was named an Eisenhower Fellow in 2012.

Klaas MartensLakeview Organic GrainKlaas Martens farms 1,600 acres of certified organic crops, and owns and operates Lakeview Organic Grain, a certified organic animal feed and seed business. Klaas

works closely with researchers and has co-authored publications on organic fertility management for New Farm, Acres USA, and Organic Broadcaster. Klaas also serves on the Organic Farming Research Foundation Board of Directors, the Farm Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Yates County conservation district Board of Directors.

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■ SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE FUNDERS ■

■ USDA PARTNERSHIPS ■

■ COORDINATING COALITION FOR SOIL HEALTH ■

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ABOUT THE SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTEThe Soil Health Institute works with its many stakeholders to identify gaps in research and

adoption; develop strategies, networks and funding to address those gaps; and ensure beneficial impact of those investments to agriculture, the environment and society.

To become even more involved in SHI activities, please contact us at soilhealthinstitute.org.

OUR MISSION: SAFEGUARD AND ENHANCE THE VITALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SOIL THROUGH SCIENTIFIC

RESEARCH AND ADVANCEMENT

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© 2018 All Rights Reserved.Printed July 2018

2803 Slater Road | Suite 115 | Morrisville, NC 27560 | 919-230-0303 | soilhealthinstitute.org

Cover Photography: Jim Richardson; USDA-NRCS (Combine, Harvesting)

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