Jim Isermann, SHP Field Manager for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, talks with host John Mesko uncovering the first-ever 2019 Cover Crops Planting Report. The Cover Crop Planting Report consists of answers from 80 farmers that participated in SHP programs in 2019. Those 80 farmers live in eleven different states and provided information about the cover crops that they seeded last year. Listen in to learn more, and download the full 2019 Cover Crops Planting Report. Show notes

Elyssa McFarland, Iowa farmer and SHP Development Manager talked with John Mesko about the future of soil health. As a farmer, she sees anecdotal changes on her farm due to the soil health management practices she’s incorporated. As a researcher, she is really interested in being able to measure and track the changes and tie them to outcomes on the farm. In Elyssa’s mind, soil health is the new frontier in agriculture. Learn more: https://www.soilhealthpartnership.org/

Jay Watson, Sourcing Sustainability Engagement Manager for General Mills, chats with host John Mesko about why General Mills is so invested in soil health. He believes focusing on soil health and improving natural resources is a win-, win-, win for the producers, for the environment, and for downstream food companies.  Learn more: https://www.soilhealthpartnership.org/

Mike Jordan, a wheat farmer in Kansas, joined the Soil Health Partnership to gain access to expertise and see if he could make cover crops work on his farm after a few years of trying it on his own with only minimal success. After years of inconsistent success with cover crops, Mike is taking a new approach. Learn more: https://www.soilhealthpartnership.org/the-people-of-soil-health-podcast/

Kristin Poley, SHP Michigan Research Manager, is focused on building research partnerships that help answer key soil health and water quality questions. She leverages Michigan's diverse regions to examine the many challenges and motivations farmers experience while trying to build soil health. 

Dr. LaKisha Odom is the Scientific Program Director for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. With partnerships at the core of her work, Dr. Odom oversees the Soil Health Initiative, an example of how organizations can leverage their expertise and learnings to accelerate the adoption of soil health practices.  

As Director of Agriculture for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in North America, Pipa Elias leads a team of experts in a collaborative approach to help producers meet the growing demand for food while protecting critical lands and waters. The People of Soil Health Podcast host John Mesko and Pipa discuss the opportunity for agriculture to create solutions.  Elias’s work can be found at nature.org/workinglands. TNC is on Twitter at @natureag and Elias is at @pipaElias.

As Lead Scientists for the Soil Health Partnership, Dr. Maria Bowman leads the scientific and data plan for the partnership. She recently published a business case that focuses on the economic benefits of wheat cover crop management practices when adopted at scale. 

Welcome to the People of Soil Health, a podcast that unearths the community exploring the financial, economic and environmental benefits of soil health. The first episode will drop April 7th. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it! From farmers to researchers, on this podcast you will meet the people committed to understanding soil health practices and improving the land. Hear from the experts as they share their experiences, analyze the data and discuss soil science.