Latest / The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast / Episode 62 | ISAP Soil Health Leadership Program
Transcript
- Episode 62 | ISAP Soil Health Leadership Program 00:00:05:29 - 00:00:32:11 Todd Gleason This is episode 62 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast. ISAP Soil Health Leadership program. I'm University of Illinois Extension's Todd Gleason. Coming up, we'll talk about the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership and its relationship to the Soil Health Leadership Program. First, we'll explore the partnership, then discuss the program. And finally hear from somebody who's experienced the Soil Health Leadership Program. 00:00:32:13 - 00:00:44:18 Todd Gleason We'll start with Helen VanBeck. She's the Midwest program manager for the American Farmland Trust. I asked her to tell us about herself, her role and what she does with the Illinois Sustainable AG Partnership. 00:00:44:20 - 00:01:02:07 Helen VanBeck Sure. So my name is Helen VanBeck. I'm a program manager on American farmland trusts, Midwest team. And, part of that is serving as the manager of the Illinois Sustainable AG Partnership. 00:01:02:10 - 00:01:36:16 Helen VanBeck And so that's one of my programs. I spend quite a bit of time on it. And yeah, mostly in providing programmatic support. Administrative support, you know, keeping all of our programs kind of in line, doing a lot of member engagement and making sure that our members, are actively participating and engaged in our programs. And that they are getting, you know, the benefits of, of the partnership that they would like to get and having their priorities sort of elevated, through our collaborative partnerships. 00:01:36:18 - 00:01:59:07 Helen VanBeck But like most conservation work, it's so it's wearing a lot of different hats. So sometimes I'm helping develop, resources for farmer facing resources. Sometimes it's communications through our newsletter and website. Facilitating our, program meetings and our partnership meetings. So there's, it's, a little bit of, a lot of a lot of things with that. 00:01:59:14 - 00:02:07:03 Todd Gleason What are the origins of the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, why it was developed, some of its objectives. 00:02:07:06 - 00:02:27:28 Helen VanBeck Yeah. So we are now a nonprofit organization with 15 members, who are all working in Illinois. But the group really developed in 2017, through for memorandums of understanding. And they came about, in response to the establishment of the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. 00:02:27:28 - 00:02:48:12 Helen VanBeck And in 2015. And, you know, it sort of came from conversation that, some of our member organizations were having at the time, around, you know, how how Illinois as a state and Illinois agriculture specifically, that's going to address some of the, I was going to meet some of the goals that were established, in the strategy. 00:02:48:15 - 00:03:14:02 Helen VanBeck And so today, since then, the partnership has grown. We've added new members. We filed as, 501 C3 nonprofit last year in 2023. But we still are using those, the goals that are established in the nutrient loss reduction strategy, is kind of the Northstar of the organization. And we've sort of taken on a train the trainer model. 00:03:14:04 - 00:03:39:04 Helen VanBeck You know, understanding that we're going to need a lot of people across the state, farmers and their advisors, who are well equipped, to, implement these conservation practices that are suggested in the strategy and also to help their, their neighbors, their customers. You know, other other farmers that they're working with. To also, also adopt some of these practices. 00:03:39:06 - 00:03:46:15 Todd Gleason Can you tell me a little bit about more about the stakeholders in the partnership, the benefits of collaborating? 00:03:46:16 - 00:04:04:19 Helen VanBeck Sure. So as I mentioned, we've got 15 members. And it's it's sort of a good mix across types of entities. So, you know, I mentioned that I'm employed by American Farmland Trust. We're, a strong and leading member in the group. 00:04:04:19 - 00:04:28:21 Helen VanBeck And, you know, we're definitely, more of a conservation and, entity. The Nature Conservancy is another group that kind of falls into that category. And then we've got some commodity groups. So, a really strong leader is the Illinois Soybean Association. They're, Yeah. Provide a lot of generous support to our to our programs, both with their staff and, financially. 00:04:28:23 - 00:04:49:26 Helen VanBeck We also have educational entities involved. So, the Illinois Central College is a partner. University of Illinois. And then, you know, we've got some, some groups that have a lot of on the ground support. So extension and that that allows us to work with extension agents across the state as well as the Association of Soil Water Conservation Districts. 00:04:49:28 - 00:05:26:20 Helen VanBeck So same thing there. And, you know, I think just recognition of all of our 15 individual members have their specific priorities for their organizations. And they have unique connections with farmers. And so, you know, some of us across the, the partnership are are working with sort of a different subset of farmers. But there's really value in the, the partnership coming together and agreeing on, on a unified message for how we talk about these practices and how we talk about the benefits. 00:05:26:23 - 00:05:45:10 Helen VanBeck Both environmentally and economically, and have that unified message that's being spread, you know, to farmers across the state. I think that that is one of the strongest, benefits of, of collaborating throughout that. 00:05:45:13 - 00:05:52:09 Todd Gleason You know, what are the challenges that farmers face when they're transitioning to these more sustainable practices? 00:05:52:14 - 00:05:55:09 Helen VanBeck Yeah. So we've we've closed out a lot of information about this, right? 00:05:55:09 - 00:06:13:07 Helen VanBeck Because we're all trying to crack this nut of what is it going to take to get to get adoption. And one of the things that ISAP has really focused on is kind of this information gap. So, you know, when we're talking with farmers, we're, you know, we're doing a lot of education around the benefits of the practices. 00:06:13:07 - 00:06:42:15 Helen VanBeck But then, you know, once someone has decided, sure. Yeah. Okay, I'll I'll plant some cover crops. Where do I get, seed from? You know, just just having some of some of this information really easily accessible for them. So, a couple of things that we've put together over the past couple years, we put together a directory of cover crop service providers, and that includes, seed dealers as well as applicators and, a variety of different services that that are offered to farmers. 00:06:42:17 - 00:07:07:13 Helen VanBeck We've also put together several, financial incentive directories. So again, like, you know, just making trying to make it really easy and clear for farmers to see where they can get paid to implement these practices. So we have a cover crop incentive directory. We have an incentive directory for edge of field practices. We put together an overview of carbon market, opportunities for farmers. 00:07:07:16 - 00:07:31:03 Helen VanBeck And really just trying to help connect farmers to the information really easily. And, you know, a lot of times I think that farmers it's hard in, in that space specifically where it feels like people are trying to sell, sell you something. And so ISAP has really tried to be kind of that, that independent third party just sharing information. 00:07:31:05 - 00:08:06:29 Helen VanBeck And then and then another, another thing that we know is that, you know, farmers want to hear from other farmers that these practices are working. And that's really a trusted source of information. So ISAP has, has tried to, uplift, successful, stories as farmers who are implementing these practices. So whether that's including farmers, farmer voices in our trainings and in our workshops and our, webinars, but also putting together farmer profiles to, to share their stories a little bit further out. 00:08:07:02 - 00:08:35:07 Helen VanBeck And one of the things that we've also put together is our conservation story map, which includes, teams, across the state, farmers service providers, people who have gone through ISAP’s training programs, as well as demonstration sites where some of these practices can be seen. And that's just another way to connect people to, local sources of information about about these practices. 00:08:35:09 - 00:08:38:10 Todd Gleason Where can people go that they might find this information? 00:08:38:12 - 00:08:58:28 Helen VanBeck So we've got a website. It's, I L sustainable Ag dot org, and you can learn more about our programs there. We also have a resource library, that we keep updated. We have an events calendar. So you can find a workshop near, or field day near you or an upcoming webinar. 00:08:59:01 - 00:09:24:23 Helen VanBeck We have a career page where people can stay up to date if they're looking for jobs and conservation and space. And then we also put out a monthly newsletter called The Aggregate. And you can sign up for the newsletter on our website. And that's where we, we send out sort of a recap every month of, articles and other and other resources, as well as some of those upcoming events and, and job opportunities. 00:09:24:24 - 00:09:38:09 Helen VanBeck So that's the best way to stay up to date as we're rolling out, you know, new projects and new resources. For farmers, that's really that's really where the best way to stay up to date with them. 00:09:38:11 - 00:09:44:25 Todd Gleason Are there any other things that you want to highlight as it's related to ISAP? Some of the resources or projects? 00:09:44:29 - 00:10:07:14 Helen VanBeck Sure. So I mentioned our incentive directories. We also host a monthly, webinar, focused on cover crop topics under the Illinois cover Crop on Farm Network. So that's a great way to, get more information about cover crops and, and sort of connect with other people in Illinois and across the Midwest who are working on on that. 00:10:07:16 - 00:10:35:00 Helen VanBeck And then also, you know, kind of a highlight of ISAP programing is the Soil Health Leadership Program, previously, titled the Advanced Soil Health Training. ISAP has held five cohorts of the training, up to now. So we've trained over 100 farmers and their advisors on soil health topics. And we're really excited to be, launching this, this next, cohort, this fall. 00:10:35:02 - 00:10:37:23 Todd Gleason What's the application deadline for the fall program? 00:10:37:25 - 00:10:55:00 Helen VanBeck Sure. So the application is available on our website. I L sustainable ag dot org forward slash SHLP for Soil Health Leadership Program, and the application is open until May 31st. And applicants can expect to hear back sometime by late June. 00:10:55:04 - 00:11:03:24 Todd Gleason Again, the application for the Soil Health Leadership Program is available on the ISAP or Illinois Sustainable AG Partnership program. 00:11:03:27 - 00:11:21:25 Todd Gleason We've been talking with Helen VanBeck of the American Farmland Trust. Now let's turn our attention to Megan Baskerville. She's with the nature conservancy and has more about the Soil Health Leadership program. And of course, I asked her to to tell us about her role in the Nature Conservancy. 00:11:22:01 - 00:11:34:18 Megan Baskerville Yeah. Megan Baskerville, I'm the Illinois ag program director for the Nature Conservancy, and we are a worldwide nonprofit that focuses on, conservation. 00:11:34:19 - 00:11:59:28 Megan Baskerville We've started as a land trust. So we also work in the working land space as well in Illinois. TNC joined ISAP kind of from the start back in 2017, and we've been a member of the sustainable ag partnerships. Since then. I currently serve as ISAP vice president, and we're excited about pushing out this soil health leadership program. 00:12:00:02 - 00:12:05:15 Todd Gleason Tell me about the program itself and some of its specific goals, objectives, those sorts of things. 00:12:05:16 - 00:12:27:03 Megan Baskerville The Soil Health Leadership Program is a six part training that takes place over 18 months across Illinois, guiding participants on the science and principles of soil health. Right alongside that kind of practical production management changes that are needed to maximize the on farm benefits of these systems. 00:12:27:05 - 00:12:37:09 Megan Baskerville The training was really designed for people that are already in the field advising on road crops in Illinois or managing real crops themselves. 00:12:37:16 - 00:12:51:04 Todd Gleason Can you tell me, about a transition that took place because the Soil Health Leadership Program at one point was the Advanced Soil Health Training program. What was that transition like and what's changed? 00:12:51:09 - 00:12:55:14 Megan Baskerville Yeah, so a lot of people might be more familiar with it under that moniker. 00:12:55:14 - 00:13:26:18 Megan Baskerville Advanced soil health Training. ISAP has been running this training since back in 2018. I was actually a participant way and way back when in the first cohort, but this name change is really just the name change. The program content and the structure has not changed. We just thought the name change underlines the anticipation that farmer that participants take what they learn back out to their community. 00:13:26:20 - 00:13:47:15 Megan Baskerville We think of this program as almost a train the trainer, where these participants are learning a lot about the principles of soil health and how to implement them successfully. But we can't get everyone in Illinois through this type of a program. So we're really hoping they bring this information back to their clients and their community where they're from. 00:13:47:17 - 00:13:54:24 Todd Gleason In what ways can the individuals implement what they've learned? To the community? 00:13:54:26 - 00:14:21:26 Megan Baskerville Yeah. So we have an application process. And in that application, we do ask, potential participants what their, oh, how should I say this, what their impact might be. We might ask, how many acres are they currently advising on? One of the easiest ways to implement the lessons learned is through guiding clients or themselves through a transition. 00:14:21:28 - 00:14:52:00 Megan Baskerville Adding one or multiple of the practices that might help increase soil health on the farm. So direct implementation through advising is definitely a possibility. And another is if they have a platform to share resources, maybe they're on a soil and water or Farm Bureau board that they can have an impact in setting up educational programs. Or if they have a farm, are they willing to invite people onto that farm and see the practices for themselves? 00:14:52:02 - 00:15:05:10 Megan Baskerville So how they get that information back out, there can be lots of different, varied ways. And hopefully, something comes up where again, that information kind of goes beyond, at the end of the training. 00:15:05:17 - 00:15:21:28 Todd Gleason To date are these individuals mostly that are already involved? Organizational meaning they belong to an organization directly and are, hired by them, or are they individuals and farmers and other business people? 00:15:22:00 - 00:15:56:16 Megan Baskerville Yeah, that's a great question. One of the big tenets of the program is that the participants are learning from themselves as well, and it's slightly interdisciplinary. So our hope is that we have a, equal smattering of, participants. A third, our crop advisors, either independent agronomists or working through a retailer. A third, our conservation staff. So perhaps they're working at a soil and water district or some other entity that's still advising growers. 00:15:56:18 - 00:16:30:15 Megan Baskerville And then a third farmers. So growers themselves that are implementing these practices. So our hope is if they are employed by somebody, that they get that sign off from their employer to be participating because it is a longer program. Again, it's six, two day trainings. That's over 18 months. So it definitely takes up some time. So we want buy in from their employers if they can be there and they don't feel like they're, you know, having to be separate or at two different spots at one time, but they can really focus on the training. 00:16:30:18 - 00:16:39:18 Todd Gleason Farmers who are interested will want to know if these trainings take place during the growing season, and if so, if they coincide with the time that they really want to be in the field. 00:16:39:21 - 00:16:52:14 Megan Baskerville Right? Great point. So we're doing our best to get the dates of the program, out in front. So when people apply, they can see exactly what times we're discussing. 00:16:52:17 - 00:17:28:03 Megan Baskerville So we're trying to avoid those really busy times for the farmers and the crop advisors and conservation staff that might be involved. The current potential dates for the 2024 2025 training are up on the kind of application landing page on ISAP website I L sustainable ag dot org backslash S H L P, but right now we have some in August, November, early March, pre planting mid-summer and then winter. 00:17:28:03 - 00:17:33:26 Megan Baskerville So really avoiding April, May September October. 00:17:33:29 - 00:17:40:14 Todd Gleason You've mentioned this already. When. Just now. But how do individuals apply for the program. 00:17:40:17 - 00:18:04:11 Megan Baskerville So we have an application form that's open now through May 31st. And that can be accessed through ICF website. Which is I L sustainable ag dot org. I'm pretty sure right on the home page, kind of the very first thing you'll see is, to apply for ICF Soil Health Leadership Program. 00:18:04:13 - 00:18:35:23 Megan Baskerville On that page. You'll learn a little bit more about the program. Again, when those, six trainings are scheduled to take place, you'll see some quotes from previous, graduates just to see what their experience was. And then that is where there's an online application form. It's maybe 10 to 12 questions. That would be submitted. And then we hope to notify successful applicants that they're in the program by June, which it would then start in August. 00:18:35:26 - 00:19:01:23 Todd Gleason So that's the second time we've heard how to apply for the Soil Health Leadership Program. And as we were wrapping that up, Megan Baskerville told us that there was a transition from the Advanced Soil Health Training Program to the Soil Health Leadership Program. One of the people has gone through the advanced training is Brandon Hall. He's a location operations manager for West Central Air Force out of Watauga, Illinois. 00:19:01:25 - 00:19:05:20 Todd Gleason I asked him to tell us about his experience. 00:19:05:26 - 00:19:47:05 Brandon Hall Yeah. So, I, I had went to a few meetings, in relation to my, my role at, Knox County Farm Bureau young leaders as the chair that year and stewardship grant, process. So I went to some meetings and, and was told the, about the application process and then was contacted, and like, it was a really great fit for me, as, as an ag retailer trying to learn more about, and, and then trying to bring that to, to the table for my growers. 00:19:47:10 - 00:19:51:10 Todd Gleason You talked a little bit about this, but what is it that motivated you to join? 00:19:51:15 - 00:20:07:27 Brandon Hall Yeah, I guess for me, first and foremost, I'm kind of a soil nerd. So when it when it came any anything to do with educating myself, sharpening the blade. As an agronomist in the soils world, it's fun for me. 00:20:07:28 - 00:20:32:20 Brandon Hall So, soil health and so, you know, soil and ability has been a hot topic in, in agriculture for, for quite some time. And, I kind of wanted to be, at the leading edge of, of this, this new world of sustainability. So, as I, as I was approached, it was really a, no, a no brainer. 00:20:32:20 - 00:20:58:27 Brandon Hall It was just another way for me to educate myself and get more prepared for questions that were, that we're going to be coming down, down the pipe from from my growers, especially when we're talking about carbon credits and I'm talking about soil health, soil health, and then cover cropping as a whole. So, you know, and guys, farmers changing their management systems to adapt to some of these new technologies. 00:20:58:27 - 00:21:23:04 Brandon Hall So, I just felt like it was it was my responsibility as a certified crop advisor, as a partner. For for my growers and my community to be able to for them to have somebody that they could come to that had taken a course that had had given me the experience to to give educated information from across the state of Illinois. 00:21:23:07 - 00:21:33:01 Todd Gleason When you think about the training itself, are there sessions, those that stood out more than others, as they relate to things that you're able to pass on to producers? 00:21:33:04 - 00:21:51:00 Brandon Hall So I would say just as a whole, there wasn't one session that that I didn't make. Obviously that was a challenge in itself. Sometimes I think people are, you know, in, in agriculture or busy people, and it's hard to fit in your schedule to, to make all of the trainings. 00:21:51:03 - 00:22:20:21 Brandon Hall But each one was well worth its time. So that, you know, part of them are, one day session, you go out to the field, and then the next, the next day you'd be in the classroom or vice versa. But each one in its in itself had had value, you know, I think beginning with, just basic soil, soil information, the basics of stuff that I learned when I was in college, just to reiterate that information. 00:22:20:23 - 00:22:44:22 Brandon Hall And, you know, re learn some of the stuff that maybe I'm not using currently in my role that now is coming back, or it, or the values of going to, on site trainings where, growers that are what I would, what I would say or experienced and advanced in the system in this cropping system was cover cropping system. 00:22:44:24 - 00:23:06:02 Brandon Hall They, they are giving us firsthand, information, the do's and don'ts, on their farm, using their farms as an example and how, they've made it work for their system. So I don't think there's one that that really stands out because they all have value, in their own, in their own ways. 00:23:06:04 - 00:23:12:07 Todd Gleason Have you started to use what you've learned, through your operations there at West Central FS? 00:23:12:07 - 00:23:43:11 Brandon Hall Yeah, absolutely. So one of the things that I've said a couple times in and after I got the certificate and I hope in my office, I've had a few people ask me what that was about. And then there was an article put out about the next round of this, the training and, and, and what I told them is it has given me the confidence that these trainers give me the confidence level to have, to have these tough conversations about management practices. 00:23:43:11 - 00:24:07:19 Brandon Hall You know, if you have been doing the same thing over and over and over again, the same thing that grandpa did, and then I did. Now now we've got my generation coming in farming, you know, that they it's a tillage system that they're using now, having some conversations wrapped around soil health and, and cover cropping and maybe some no till systems or reduced tillage systems. 00:24:07:21 - 00:24:46:18 Brandon Hall And sometimes it's become a a tough conversation and so just because that's what they know and that's what they've always done and it's, and it's all I did for them, it's, it's given me the confidence to start having those conversations and, and make sense in their operation. And also taking that into the covert, having Knox County, you know, validating that that we are doing good things and, give me some experience to then look at some data that we're collecting through that project and then use that on farm trail system to then give examples for grow in our community. 00:24:46:20 - 00:25:15:06 Brandon Hall So and then also tying that in, in education, I have a lot of opportunities where I work with the community, whether that's FFA or 4H or, or, even some community college Blackhawks. I can give some, I can give students, education on what soil health is and how that's how that's, you know, an important part of the future of agriculture here in, in West Central. 00:25:15:06 - 00:25:47:22 Todd Gleason But that's Brandon Hall from Watauga, Illinois. He's a location operations manager at West Central FS and had participated in the predecessor to the current Soil Health Leadership Program. If you'd like to apply for that program, you can do so. The deadline is May the 31st, visit the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership website. That's I L sustainable ag dot org and you'll find an application link for the Soil Health Leadership Program on the home page. 00:25:47:25 - 00:26:00:07 Todd Gleason You've been listening to the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy podcast. It's produced in concert with extensions Rachel Curry and Nicole Haverback, I’m University of Illinois Extension's Todd Gleason.