Jul 6, 2021

Soil Health Institute announces speakers for its annual meeting

The Soil Health Institute, the nonprofit organization that works to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils, announced July 6 its lineup of agricultural leaders, scientists, and practitioners who will speak at its annual meeting, “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life.”

The Soil Health Institute ‘s (SHI) two-day virtual event on Aug. 11-12 will kick off with a keynote presentation from Moira Mcdonald, director of the environment program with the Walton Family Foundation.

Other highlights of the event will include:

• Panel Discussion: Three farmers will describe their experiences adopting a soil health system.
• Taryn Barclay, Cargill’s Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, will lead a session on the “Business Case for Regenerative Soil Health Systems.”
• Julie Howe and Terry Gentry, both with Texas A&M University, will present their assessments on the “State of the Science: Impacts of Fertilizers, Manures, Pesticides, and Biological Additives on Soil Health.”
• Arnab Bhowmik of North Carolina A&T State University will describe how soil microbial processes impact nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Ashley Shade of Michigan State University will share insights from her research into how soil microbial interactions influence their resilience, and Elizabeth Rieke, Soil Microbiome Scientist with the Soil Health Institute will provide results of a continental assessment on how tillage impacts soil microbial communities that serve various roles in healthy soils.
• Marc Bernard will describe “4 per 1000,” the international initiative among approximately 40 countries using soil health as a framework to increase soil carbon sequestration by 0.4% per year.
• Rodrigo Nicoloso of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) will address how the depth of carbon storage is affected by management – a key issue for carbon markets.
• Cristine Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer with the Soil Health Institute, will introduce the concept of “Soil Health Targets,” the Institute’s approach for establishing and scaling soil health interpretations for farmers, conservation planners, and others.

These and more topics will be covered. There is no cost to attend the event, but you must register here. The website also includes a detailed schedule, a full list of speakers, and their bios.

Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) will be available for Tri-Society members who attend the virtual conference.

“We are excited to bring together this esteemed group of professionals to share their soil health knowledge that can significantly benefit farmers and the environment,” Wayne Honeycutt, CEO of the Soil Health Institute, said in a news release. “Whether you’re a grower, agribusiness, consultant, scientist, field conservationist, government or NGO employee, this conference has valuable information for you to advance the science, adoption, and environmental benefits of soil health.”

For more information about “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life,” speaker bios, the schedule, and to register, visit here.

SHI brings together leaders in soil health science and the industry to help farmers, ranchers,and landowners adopt soil health systems that build drought resilience, stabilize yieldand benefit their bottom line.

The institute’s team of scientists, holding doctorates in various soil science and related disciplines, has developed highly effective soil health targets and standardized measurements to quantify progress at achieving regenerative and sustainable agricultural systems, and leads the cutting-edge fields of carbon sequestration and decoding the soil microbiome.

Healthy soils are the foundation for rejuvenating our land. Together, we can create a secure future for all, mitigate the effects of climate change, and help agriculture and organizations meet production and environmental goals at scale. Visit here to learn more.