By: Renée Scott
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| In this edition of NOFA/Mass Policy News, we’re thrilled to share the National Healthy Soils Policy Network’s 5 Year Impact Report!
The National Healthy Soils Policy Network is a farmer-forward community of grassroots organizations that advocate for state-level policies to scale up the use of healthy soils and climate-resilient practices on farms and ranches. NOFA/Mass is proud to be a founding member of NHSPN; our former policy director, M. Dagoberto Driggs is now working as the national coordinator for the network. |
Working with state-level advocates, the National Healthy Soils Policy Network helps states pursue policies like:
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Establishing and funding dedicated state healthy soils programs, providing incentives and technical assistance for farmers and land managers
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Adding soil health practices to existing or proposed conservation and climate action plans
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Providing for crop insurance rewards, tax credits/exemptions and other cost-share incentives to subsidize cover cropping, nutrient capture projects and other healthy soils practices on farmland
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Improving agricultural codes and infrastructure for on-farm use of manure, compost, & food residuals
This five year report, covering the network’s impact from its founding in 2018 through last year, highlights the passage of 31 state-level healthy soils bills. This includes recent victories in states like New Mexico, which invested millions of dollars in a “Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund,” and Illinois, which passed a bill that created the Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative after 3 years of grassroots organizing.
Of course, we’re also excited about recent progress on healthy soils in Massachusetts!
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