The Soil Health Stewards: Establishing a Producer-Driven Soil Health Research Network in Northeastern Washington

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), hay, medics/alfalfa, oats, wheat
• Animals: bovine, equine, goats, poultry, sheep, swine

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage, grazing management, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, rangeland/pasture management, winter forage
• Crop Production: conservation tillage, cover crops, fertilizers, no-till, nutrient management
• Education and Training: demonstration, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, technical assistance
• Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration, soil stabilization
• Soil Management: green manures, organic matter, soil microbiology, soil quality/health

The Northeastern Washington Soil Health Stewards (SHS) group was established in 2018 and is network of local producers interested in learning more about soil health, and increasing the adoption of practices that have been shown to improve soil health. Funding from the Research to Grassroots Grant will assist ten landowners in implementing previously-funded research projects on a site and context-specific scale in order to determine whether or not these practices are suitable for the region.

In order to increase understanding and awareness of the importance of soil health in the region the group will hold meetings, farm tours and a workshop to network and inform local landowners of soil health practices and ideas that may be successful in northeastern Washington. In 2021 2 virtual meetings, 2 farm tours, and 1 field day were held and planning has started for an annual meeting in February.  The purpose of these meetings are to provide a place where producers can engage with other like-minded individuals, learn from experienced local growers and ag professionals, and receive feedback and support for their research projects.  The group expects to grow from 10 to 30 participants over the duration of the grant.  At the end of 2021 the group had grown to 67 members and had 58 posts on google groups platform. We will be considering shifting to Facebook for 2022 and the remainder of this grant to see if can expand further.  

Workshops will be held on an annual basis that will be open to the public.  These events will showcase research projects; host prominent local, regional and national speakers; and will provide other demonstrations that show local growers and the public the benefits of improving soil health.  We expect attendance to these events to increase from 30 to nearly 100 participants by the end of the funding cycle.

Ten research projects will be implemented through the Research to Grassroots Grant.  Most of these researchers will be farmers who are members of the SHS group.  Five of these individuals will be given funds for research implementation, including supplies (seed, amendments, equipment rentals, and other purchases) and costs for conducting soil tests.  Members who conduct research will report to the group in order to receive feedback and support from the group. In 2021 6 projects were completed with soil testing which started in 2020 5 winter bale grazing 4 with cost-share funding and 1 winter cover crop w/o livestock which received cost-share funding.  Another 4 summer cover crop projects were started 2 completed with cost-share assistance, 1 without cost-share assistance and 1 withdrew project because of drought very poor germination rates landowner decided to do a conventional summer fallow. 3 of these projects has soil samples taken but issue with the lab requires resampling.  Final reports are being worked on but not completed. 

In summary, conservation district staff anticipate that this grant will enable local growers to increase their soil health knowledge and understanding, thereby improving the region's soil health.

Planning for 2022 we will have a small workshop in spring, hoping to bring more partners for a larger regional workshop this coming winter. 4-5 half day farm tours.  Meetings or 1-2 hour events will depend upon ability to do inspersion will rely on outside farm tours.  SCCD has applied for funding to cover soil health sample testing through the Washington Soil Health Imitative with the hope this will provide additional information on current SARE projects.  Currently in the planning stage to install a couple of demonstration plots at the newly acquired WSU research farm in southern Stevens County and reaching out to additional landowners for 3-5 more small demonstration projects.

1. Establish a baseline for soil health (knowledge) in the region

• All participants of the Soil Health Stewards group will complete a pre-survey to determine their current knowledge and to ask questions they may have concerning soil health. To determine a baseline for soil health, all research participants will conduct soil health and fertility testing before they implement new practices.

2. Increase farmers' knowledge and acceptance of new soil health practices through experiential learning.

• Participants of the Northeastern Washington Soil Health Stewards (SHS) group will receive technical assistance and networking opportunities to learn more about previously-funded SARE projects and will apply them to the Northeastern Washington area.
• Group meetings and workshops will answer producers’ questions related to soil and plant health. Experienced local growers or technical assistance providers from other agencies (Washington State University, Washington State Department of Agriculture, the Western Cover Crop Council, and others) will provide expertise during workshops.  Farmers will gain education and experience from a multitude of experience growers, ag professionals, and scientists, thereby improving their soil health knowledge.
• Conducting at least 10 research projects with trusted ag professionals a peers will provide producers the experience, technical support, and social capital they need to verify they adopt new soil health practices.

3. Improve soil health (knowledge) throughout the Northeastern Washington region

• It is crucial for the successful adoption of soil health practices to reach out to at least half of the ag producers in the Northeast Washington region.  By the end of the funding cycle, we will: increase SHS group membership from 10 to 30 participants; increase workshop attendance from 30 to 100 attendants; double the use of soil health practices (cover crops, rotational grazing, no-till pasture management, etc.) in the region compared to historic levels of implementation; and increase farmers' knowledge and acceptance of new soil health practices through experiential learning.