Water Wise, Soil Smart: Co-Development of an Online Training for Soil Health Professionals

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: decision support system, technical assistance
• Soil Management: soil quality/health

Producers across the Rocky Mountain West face increasing pressures, including drought and soil degradation, that threaten agricultural viability and rural prosperity. Sustaining our region's crop production systems relies on transitioning croplands to regenerative soil health management to improve soil water holding capacity and drought resilience. Successfully transitioning thousands of acres to soil-health management will require support from trained soil conservation professionals, trusted producer leaders, and well-informed agribusiness partners. Most existing soil-health training resources are designed for wetter regions and are not always applicable to semi-arid and arid regions. The proposed Water Wise, Soil Smart project addresses this gap by developing an online "train the trainer" program to equip agricultural professionals with both the technical knowledge and facilitation skills needed to support adoption of regenerative soil-health practices in water-limited environments.

We will create a digital credentialing program that presents the science of soil health in an applied context, using producer testimonials, interactive scenarios, and hands-on activities that encourage learners to continuously apply their new knowledge. The four "badges" (Soil Health "Explorer", "Supporter", "Leader", and "Change-Maker") will progress from applied soil science to advanced facilitation and coaching skills - needed to support growers through the challenges of management transition. The program will be developed in collaboration with producers and regional agricultural organizations (i.e., Colorado and New Mexico State Departments of Agriculture, farmer training programs, conservation districts, agribusiness, etc.), where a facilitated co-creation process will be used to generate program ideas and feedback.

Water Wise, Soil Smart will equip soil health producers and professionals with the technical and interpersonal skills needed to support the adoption of soil health practices across our region. The program will bolster the region's soil-health workforce, enhance stewardship of soil and water resources, and strengthen agricultural viability in the Rocky Mountain West and beyond.

1. Reduce barriers to soil health practice adoption across the Rocky Mountain West through accessible education and skills practice. This project will support the shift from input-dependent cropland management toward regenerative soil health systems that rebuild soil organic matter, improve water-use efficiency, and enhance farm resilience.
2. Empower agricultural professionals and influential producers to lead the soil health transition in the Rocky Mountain region by increasing their technical knowledge of research-supported soil health management systems, improving capacity to coach producers through the challenges of system transition, and introducing them to decision-support approaches suited to water-limited systems. Training modules will strengthen learner's understanding of soil-water relationships, soil organic matter management, microbial nutrient cycling, and the economic and social resources needed to successfully transition to soil health management.
3. Enhance collaboration and information exchange among regional soil health organizations (i.e., state agencies, conservation districts, community colleges, agribusinesses, and producer networks) through the curriculum co-creation process. Increased communication between regional agricultural organizations is intended to improve synergy between organizations and their soil health initiatives.
4. Ensure the training is accessible to as many different kinds of learners as possible by continuously evaluating and refining the training with input from co-creation partners, early user feedback surveys, and pre-/post-assessment data. ADA compliance will be prioritized at every step of curriculum creation.
5. Enhance workforce readiness and rural economic resilience by increasing the number of trained personnel dedicated to serving rural communities. Ensuring the training meets industry standards, including continuing education units (CEU) approval for agricultural professional certifications (i.e., Certified Crop Advisor) and iterative program refinement based on workforce needs.

Collectively, these objectives will develop a network of skilled soil health professionals capable of supporting the implementation of drought-resilient, economically viable management systems that strengthen rural communities and sustain agricultural productivity across the water-limited Rocky Mountain West.