2023 Healthy Soils and Climate Bills Championed & Passed by Our Membership

Resources provided by the Network supported farmer organizing activities that contributed to the advancement of the following healthy soils policies, programs and funding in 2023:

• Hawaii Farmers Union (HI)
  A refile of the Healthy Soils Program bill ( SB660 ) advanced in the legislature, while organizing centered around “Talk Story" listening sessions, informing policy priorities and enabling them to recruit and train grass-tops leaders and farmer spokespeople.
• I llinois Stewardship Alliance (IL)
  After three years of organizing, the Alliance saw the passage of a bill to create the Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative and direct state agencies to collaborate on an accelerated soil health framework ( SB1701 ). A successful push on the FY2024 budget provided up to $4 million for the new initiative ( HB3817 ).
• Northeast Organic Farming Association, Mass. (MA)
  Successfully led a coalition effort to secure $1.02M in the FY24 budget to fund healthy soils programs.
• Northern Plains Resource Council (MT)
  Established a state soil health week aimed at building awareness and education. Resolution passed with bipartisan support ( SJ9 ).
• Oregon Climate & Agriculture Network (OR)
  Successfully advocated for passage of a Natural Climate Solutions Bill ( SB530 ), providing incentives and technical assistance for land managers to adopt natural climate solutions, including soil health practices.
• Pasa Sustainable Agriculture (PA)
  Leveraged an existing bill (1994 PA Sustainable Agriculture Act) to convince the PA State Conservation Commission to create a Soil Health Program. Their long-running Soil Health Benchmark study continued in 2023, working with more than 100 farmers to assess their soil health and implement improvement practices.

Read more in our 5 Year Impact Report , released January 2024