A new report from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the Soil Health Institute (SHI) highlights the environmental and economic advantages of soil health management systems in the Delaware River Watershed.
The project, supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation, used interviews with three producers to document the benefits of conservation practices such as cover crops and no-till production. The producers, located in parts of the watershed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, detailed increases in net farm income following practice implementation.
“It is important for farmers to have access to real-world examples of soil health practices at work so they can make informed decisions for their own unique operations,” NACD CEO Jeremy Peters said. “The equation is different for every farm, underscoring the importance of voluntary, incentive-based programs for conservation and the work of conservation districts nationwide to help producers implement practices that make sense on their land.”
In addition to NACD's interviews, SHI conducted a partial budget analysis to compare costs and benefits before and after the implementation of soil health management systems. Despite varying in location, size, and crop type, soil health – and the bottom line – improved at all three farms.
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Wayne Honeycutt, SHI's president and CEO, said the findings “highlight the vital role of soil health in mitigating operational risks amid the growing challenges posed by more frequent and prolonged extreme weather events.”
Beyond the rise in net farm income, the farmers said the practices enhanced water infiltration, increased levels of soil organic matter, reduced soil compaction and erosion, and improved their farms' ability to withstand drought stress.
“These three farms demonstrate how investing in soil health improves both bottom lines and the health of the Delaware River Watershed by reducing erosion and improving water quality,” Stuart Clarke, Watershed Protection Program Director at the William Penn Foundation, said. “They are examples not only for us here in the Delaware River Watershed, but for others across the country, modeling how soil health management systems can benefit both business and the environment.”
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