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What's New with the Soil Health Program?

Upcoming Events 

CDA Insectary 80th Anniversary | August 14th, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Palisade, CO

For 80 years, biologists and employees at CDA's Palisade Insectary have been instrumental in helping farmers on the Western Slope combat pests that threaten their crops. The Insectary has grown over the past decades to include multiple forms of biocontrol, consistently with the help of farmers and other partners. There will be food trucks, kid-friendly fun, and tours of the insectary (75037 8/10 Road, Palisade). RSVP for the event! 

On-Farm Energy Workshop | August 19th, 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm | Fort Collins, CO

Join the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and American Farmland Trust for a workshop focused on on-farm energy technologies at CSU's Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center. This workshop aims to facilitate open and honest conversations about on-farm energy technologies and their potential adoption benefits and tradeoffs for farmers. The event is free and will feature a solar site tour and dinner. Register for the workshop here. 

Grazing on Challenging Landscapes | August 30, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Cañon City, CO

The Quivira Coalition is collaborating with Badger Creek Ranch, Grasslands LLC, and the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) to host an educational community field day. Attendees will learn how to navigate the terrain and technical challenges of riparian areas in the high-desert to achieve increased soil carbon and soil moisture, healthier pasture, healthier animals, and healthier riparian areas. Lunch will be served. 

Email cda_soil@state.co.us to have your event featured here!

 

Grants & Other Soil Health Engagement Opportunities

Clif Family Foundation Non-Profit Grants | Open now until August 1st

These grants support general operating cost or specific projects and applicants must be registered as (or fiscally sponsored by) a 501(c)3 organization. The Foundation reviews applications twice a year; the deadlines are March 1 and August 1. Grant announcements occur approximately four months after the deadline. Typical grants range from $5,000 - $50,000 and last for one year.

USDA Grassland Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment | Open now until August 8th

The Grassland CRP Managed by the USDA Farm Service Agency and provides annual rental payments to producers who steward grasslands while maintaining the ability to graze and hay. Contracts are based on NRCS-approved grazing management plans and allow producers to earn income that supports long-term stewardship. 

USDA Emergency Commodity Assistance Program | Applications open until August 15

The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides economic assistance payments to eligible agricultural commodity producers for the 2024 crop year. USDA’s Farm Service Agency is issuing up to $10 billion in direct payments to eligible agricultural producers. These one-time economic assistance payments will help commodity producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices. 

Join GoFarm's Beginning Training Program | Applications open until August 20th

Applications are open until August 20 for both the Intro to Farming & our Incubator Farmer tracks. The incubator program is designed for beginning farmers with experience who want to launch an independent small scale farming venture centered on food production. The intro to farming program is designed people interested in learning more about market farming and running a farm business, no experience is required. The programs start in mid-October and will take place primarily in Lakewood and Arvada. Scholarships are available!

Producers Wanted for New Soil Project: "Probing Our Country's Soil Health"

This new effort, funded by the NRCS, aims to refine soil health baselines and tools for benchmarking progress on working farms and ranches across the nation. The anonymous data collected will be used to expand a new and exciting tool called the Soil Health Assessment Protocol and Evaluation (or SHAPE). If interested, producers should sign up for a 1 hour Zoom call to complete a management survey and grant access to their fields for hand-probe soil sampling. Participating producers will receive a soil health report for their fields. Sign up for a Zoom meeting here or here. 

Zero Foodprint 

The Zero Foodprint logo is a circle with a hand carrying a serving tray that holds a globe.

Winner of the James Beard "Humanitarian of the Year" Award, Zero Foodprint (ZFP) is a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions. Learn about their work and apply for the Restore Grant here.


Watch: Restore Colorado Producer Webinar
Watch: Restore Program Webinar June 2023

 

Hold Your Ground logo which features a pair of hands holding a sprouting plant and the CDA logo which features a red barn.Soil Health at Work

Hold Our Ground Film Series

The first episode in a three-part documentary film series highlighting the innovative work of Colorado producers in building healthy soil and more resilient agricultural systems. 
Watch here: 

E1: Farmers on Soil Heath 

E2: Ranchers on Soil Health

E3: Hold Our Ground
 

Audubon Rockies 

With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Audubon Conservation Ranching staff helped enhance soil and reseed native plants on a degraded pasture of the Rafter W Ranch, an Audubon-certified ranch in eastern Colorado. These restoration techniques help the ranch retain water, which should increase its drought resilience and long-term biodiversity. Monitoring during the first growing season found increased plant growth and reduced soil compaction. 
Learn about a soil restoration project through the Conservation Ranching Initiative: Rafter W Ranch Article & Video