Healthy Soil, Healthy Land
One of the four pillars of our conservation work is protecting local farms, which means working with farmers and landowners to conserve their farm as agricultural land. It also means sharing resources to keep those farms thriving and productive. Farming is a part of our history and culture in the North Carolina Piedmont, so we want to preserve it.
When it comes to farming, there is no more important resource than the soil you are working. Whether growing crops or grazing livestock, it all starts with healthy soil.
There are practices that can be used on farms to improve or preserve soil health. These include things like planting cover crops, using no-till drilling to plant seed and rotating grazing herds through pasture paddocks. Our team is connecting with local farmers to share resources on these practices and shine a light on those who are already implementing them.
Because when it comes down to it, healthy soils:
Are important to both the ecosystem and to productive agriculture
Reduce costs and increase profits for farmers
Help protect our region’s natural resources
Increase soil diversity
Create healthier crops
Help manage pests
Soil Health Management Systems
Farmers who integrate multiple soil health practices into their land management plan see greater long-term benefits than those who implement just one. Each practice is related to and enhances the effectiveness of every other. Combining practices like no-till, cover crops, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, and pest management can lead to increased productivity, longevity, and economic gain.
Below we dive into some of the components of a Soil Health Management System, providing additional paths for learning, and connecting you to technical and financial resources.
Cover Crops
Farmers plant cover crops in empty or fallow fields as part of crop rotation to improve the overall soil health of their land. Choices for cover crops depend on a farmer’s management goals and the qualities of their lands, but cover species tend to include grasses, legumes, cereals, or a mixture.
Farmers who integrate cover crops into their management plans often see economic benefits because of improved soil structure.
Cover crops can:
- Increase crop yields
- Reduce erosion
- Increase water retention
- Reduce diseases and pests
- Smother weeds
- Improve the land’s resistance to extreme weather
- Feed cattle and other grazers
- Attract pollinators
- Shelter wildlife
(Source: USDA & NRCS)
Programs exist to help North Carolina farmers implement or improve cover cropping operations. In addition to EQIP and CSP, which are discussed under “Financial & Technical Assistance”, Farmers for Soil Health offers a Cover Crop Incentive Program.
Below are some sources on planning, species selection, seeding, management, and termination.
- Farmers for Soil Health: Tools & Resources
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education: Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations
No Till or Reduced Till
Many of our farmland partners already employ a No Till strategy to their farm operations because of its financial and practical benefits.
Too much tillage destroys soil’s organic matter and structure, reducing water infiltration and increasing runoff.
On the other hand, No-Till and Reduced-Till can:
- Increase plant growth
- Reduce soil erosion
- Reduce cost of fuel and labor
- Improve nutrient cycling
- Provide wildlife habitat
No-Till drills can be expensive to purchase, but many counties offer drills for rent through the Soil and Water Conservation District and may offer delivery and pick-up.
Rotational Grazing
Rotational grazing systems control the timing and intensity of stock grazing by moving animals to different paddocks, giving pastures time for rest and regrowth. Because grazing animals recycle nutrients across the landscape, farmers can manage where and when to return nutrients and organic matter to their soil.
Check out NRCS Prescribed Grazing Factsheet for a quick breakdown of what it is, how it helps, and how farmers apply it.
Compared to continuous grazing, rotational grazing improves forage yield and animal productivity per acre.
Rotational Grazing Systems Can:
- Improve economic viability
- Reduce costs: less fertilizer, less supplemental feed
- Enhances soil structure, cover, and organic matter
- Increase forage quality and quantity
- Improve the health & condition of the herd
- Reduce animal replacement cost
- Improve water quality
Farmers who transition from continuous to rotational grazing may see increased short-term costs, but long-term net gain. See “A Farmer’s Guide to Grazing” for economic insight.
Short term costs are associated with fencing, water systems, and laneways. Long-term profitability is associated with greater stocking density, increased herd health, and reduction in the cost of pesticides, fertilizer, and supplemental feed. Check out Economic Impacts of No-Till Adoption in Maryland to see how apply No-Till strategy has impacted other farmers.
Farmers interested in trying rotational grazing can begin small—with just one fence. North Carolina’s NRCS technicians are available to help, and EQIP and CSP financial resources can help fund qualifying farmers with associated start up costs.
Economic Benefits
Farmer testimony and research show that combining practices like cover crops, prescribed grazing, no-till, and other soil-conscious strategies can increase long-term economic viability for croplands and rangelands.
Governmental agencies such as the USDA as well as non-governmental organizations like American Farmland Trust (AFT) continue to research the environmental and economic effects of individual and combined soil health practices.
For example, a 2022 Soil Health Institute study found that, of 100 farmers evaluated across nine states, 85% of those growing corn and 88% growing soybean saw increased net income as a result of managing soil health. The average change in income for study participants growing corn was $51.60/acre and $44.89/acre for those growing soybean.
Sixty-seven percent of participants reported increased yields, but even those who didn’t see increased yields reduced their expenses, thereby increasing profitability. Farms employing soil health management systems saved an average of $24.00/acre growing corn and $16.57/acre growing soybeans.
Current & Future Generations
Why do farmers farm? There are many personal answers to that question, but one recurring theme is this: to provide for your families now and in the future.
Integrated Soil Health Management Strategies, which is just a fancy phrase for working with the land, help us build healthy, resilient farmlands. What does that mean?
Working with the land can result in farmland that can better resist:
- Drought
- Extreme temperatures
- Flooding
- Disease
Just as important, over time healthy soils mitigate risks of extreme weather by:
- Storing more carbon in the soil, which mitigates extreme heat
- Increasing water infiltration, which mitigates flooding
- Increasing variety and abundance of forage species, which not only increases crop resistance to disease, but feeds and shelters wildlife that face habitat loss
Check out the EPA’s website to read how extreme temperatures and weather impact agriculture and food supply in the United States.
Financial & Technical Assistance
The Soil Health Division is a great resource for information about farmland management, tools for implementing soil health practices, and potential funding for farmland improvement.
Professionals at your local field office can talk to you about your farm, any concerns you have, and point you toward further resources as appropriate.
They can also help determine if you’re eligible for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which are financial assistance programs that help farmers assess their needs, set goals, devise a plan, and share the cost of implementing it.
Whether you’re interested in financial assistance or just want to connect with other agricultural experts, call your local NRCS field office. Below are regional contacts as well as contacts by county.
Regional Contacts:
- Mark Kopecky. Kopecky@usda.gov. 715-616-9622
Regional Soil Health Specialist (Alabama, Caribbean Area, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina)
- Nathan Lowder. Lowder@usda.gov. 202-480-4895
Regional Soil Health Specialist (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, WV)
NCRS Service Center Locator
| County | Center | Phone | Address | |
| Mecklenburg, Cabarrus |
Concord Service Center (NRCS) | Shauntae.Britt@nc.usda.gov | 704-788-2107 | 715 Cabarrus Ave W, Concord, NC 28027 |
| Lincoln, Gaston | Dallas Service Center (NRCS) | Mike.Sigmon@nc.usda.gov | 704-922-3806 | 1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy, Dallas, NC 28034 |
| Union | Monroe Service Center (NRCS) | Shauntae.Britt@nc.usda.gov | 704-233-1621 | 3230 Presson Rd, Monroe, NC 28112 |
| Catawba | Newton Service Center | Jim.Propst@nc.usda.gov | 828-4658950 Ext. 3 | 1175 S Brady Ave, Newton, NC 28658 |
Hear from our partner farmers about how they are implementing healthy soil practices on their land: