Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) Program - NC Soy Investment

Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (grant to NCSPA); United Soybean Board (created FSH)

Award to NCSPA: $824,646.00

Geographic Scope: North Carolina

Focus Areas: Climate-smart agriculture, cover crop adoption, soil health improvement, farmer profitability

Program Description:
Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) is a farmer-led cover crop program designed to advance soil health on farms while increasing farmer profitability.

Farmer Incentives:

• Signing Incentive Payment (SIP): For each existing acre of cover crops enrolled in the program
• Transition Incentive Payment (TIP): For each new acre of cover crops enrolled

Program Goals:

• Increase cover crop adoption on North Carolina farms
• Encourage transition to cover crops on more NC farms
• Expected result: 25,000 new acres of cover crops on soybean and corn farms in North Carolina

Support Structures:

• Internal NCSPA program specialist position to support farmer enrollment
• NC State Extension subgrant to establish Extension program around cover crops and climate-smart practices
• NC State Extension Associate to provide technical assistance and education
• County extension agent peer-to-peer network

Benefits of Cover Crops:

• Suppress weeds
• Improve soil structure
• Conserve soil moisture
• Decrease soil erosion
• Improve soil health
• Increase farm profitability and sustainability
• Improve productivity

Contact Information:

• NCSPA Research Coordinator: Jeff Chandler
• North Carolina Soybean Producers Association
• 3600 Haworth Dr., Suite 2
• Raleigh, NC 27609
• Phone: 919.839.5700
• Email: ncsoy@ncsoy.org

How to Apply

Eligible farmers wishing to invest in climate-smart agriculture and participate in the Farmers for Soil Health program should:

1. Contact the NCSPA to express interest in enrolling in FSH SIP/TIP
2. Work with the NCSPA program specialist to support enrollment process
3. Engage with NC State Extension for technical assistance and education on cover crops and climate-smart practices
4. Enroll existing or new cover crop acres in the program

Available Resources

• Direct technical assistance from NCSPA program specialist
• NC State Extension educational resources and support
• County extension agent peer-to-peer network consultation