American Farmland Trust Provides Soil Health Training To Farmers

Read below on how American Farmland Trust (AFT) has created soil health trainings tailored to provide farmers with the tools needed to deepen soil health knowledge.

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is thrilled to announce that applications to their regional Advanced Soil Health Trainings (ASHT) are now open. The ASHT program is designed for corn, soybean, wheat, cotton, and dairy farmers, as well as farm advisors who share an interest in improving soil health while sharing their expertise among the community and the next generation of farmers. This hands-on curriculum combines classroom time with all-day visits to innovative local demonstration farms to see soil health practices in action. ASHT courses will be offered in the Midwest, Southeast, New York state, Mid-Atlantic, and New England regions in 2024/2025. Applications are now open for the Midwest course starting July 23-24 in West Lafayatte, IN. The Southeast course will start July 30-31st in Raleigh, NC. Each ASHT cohort will meet in person 4 times over the course of about 12 months.

AFT’s expert trainers, Barry Fisher, Brandon Smith, and Dennis Chessman, have worked in soil health education for decades and have had long careers with NRCS, as regional team leaders in the Soil Health Division. The ASHT training will address practical management challenges such as cropping systems for soil health; how to do a soil health assessment; cover crop management to include selection, planting, termination, equipment, and more; new technologies, assessments, and products for soil health; and economic considerations. In addition to a certificate of completion, participants will graduate with a completed Soil Health Impact Plan, and resources for mentoring others in soil health practices. The training includes a strong focus on mentorship, with modules dedicated to building and sustaining a network of farmers and mentees.

This training is free of charge for all successful applicants and includes a travel stipend to cover costs for selected participants. Through this in-person training, participants will have direct access to high-level trainers who can answer your real-world management questions, as well as the opportunity to build relationships with a cohort of 30-35 participants, facilitators, and speakers who have unique expertise and experiences with soil health and agriculture. Farmers and farm advisors who choose to continue working as Soil Health Advisors will also receive a stipend for their ongoing work with project partners.

For more information about what AFT is looking for in an applicant, please read the Application Guidelines. If you are interested in applying to this program, please click here to access the application.