AFT expands soil health efforts with nearly $5 million from USDA
Source: American Farmland Trust news release
American Farmland Trust (AFT) is set to expand its national soil health research efforts after receiving nearly $5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Conservation Innovation Grants On-Farm Trials program.
The five-year initiative will create a coordinated Soil Health Management Systems Network spanning 35 trial farms in 14 states, including Virginia. The project will evaluate how biochar, a charcoal-like material produced from biomass, performs when combined with other soil health practices aimed at improving soil productivity, water management and farm profitability.
The expanded network builds on AFT's existing biochar and cover crop trials and adds new sites in Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. More than 20 partner organizations, universities and industry groups are participating.
AFT Climate and Soil Health Director Dr. Bianca Moebius-Clune said farmers are interested in the potential benefits of biochar but want proof that it works under conditions similar to those on their own farms.
"Farmers and ranchers want to see how new practices perform on farms like theirs before they invest in significant change," Moebius-Clune said.
Researchers will study biochar alongside a range of complementary conservation practices, including cover crops, reduced tillage, compost applications, manure management, agroforestry, diversified crop rotations and livestock integration. Special attention will be given to crops and production systems that face water limitations or frequent soil disturbance, including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, peanuts, potatoes, vegetables, dairy and forage operations.
Over the course of the project, researchers plan to collect more than 1,500 soil samples and track yield, water use, soil biology, nutrient density and economic performance. Participating farmers will receive technical support and financial assistance, including a net-return guarantee designed to protect them if trial practices reduce farm income.
The network also plans to host at least 100 educational events, including field days and regional biochar training sessions, while producing practical resources such as case studies, decision-making tools and survey reports. Organizers estimate the project will reach between 3,000 and 5,000 farmers, ranchers and agricultural advisers nationwide.
Virginia State University is among the project's partners. Dr. Tiffany Carter of Virginia State University said the effort will help producers evaluate "evidence-based solutions" to soil health challenges while assessing how biochar-integrated systems can improve resilience and productivity.
USDA and AFT expect the grant agreement to be finalized by spring 2027, with new on-farm trials beginning between fall 2027 and fall 2028.
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