Healthy soil is key to maintaining vibrant, profitable and sustainable natural resource systems. Without healthy soils the challenge of feeding the world’s population becomes more daunting.

The July 16 Farm Foundation Forum will examine the Soil Renaissance, an initiative by Farm Foundation, NFP and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation to make improving soil health the cornerstone of land use management decisions.

Soil health is not a new concept, but has been taken for granted. The Soil Renaissance brings new energies to the knowledge, research and education needed to help improve and maintain soil health. Soil Renaissance work will focus in four areas: economics, measurement, research and education.

Neil Conklin, President of Farm Foundation, NFP, and William Buckner, President and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, will moderate the Forum. Discussing the diverse issues that are part of soil health will include:

• Wayne Honeycutt, Deputy Chief for Science and Technology, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
• Jimmy Kinder, a fourth-generation Oklahoma farmer/rancher who is an early adopter of never-till crop production,
• John Larson, Executive Director of the National Association of Conservation Districts, which represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, and
• Klaas Martens, a New York state farmer whose operation includes 1,300 acres of organic corn, soybeans, dry beans, grains and processing vegetables.

Panelists will each have about 10 minutes to present, after which the floor will be open for discussion.

The Forum will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington D.C. There is no charge to participate but registration is requested.  A live audiocast is available free of charge.

To attend the event, register online HERE or at the Farm Foundation website.

For those people unable to attend the event in person, a live audiocast of this Forum is being provided free of charge. It will include speaker PowerPoints as available, and the opportunity for the audiocast audience to submit questions. To participate by audio cast,

CLICK HERE. Audiocasting is made possible by a grant from Farm Credit.

Who should participate in the Forum: People with an interest in agricultural, food and rural policy, including members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, industry representatives, NGO representatives, academics and members of the media.

The Forum: Farm Foundation, NFP organizes these public forums to engage all stakeholders in informed dialogue on food, agricultural and rural policies. Participants examine current policies, explore and analyze alternative policy proposals, and give voice to new proposals.

Audio from the session will be posted on the Farm Foundation website. Presentations and audio files from past Forum sessions are also available at the website.