New Tool Estimates Potential Long-Term Costs & Benefits of Adopting Soil Health Practices

Michelle Perez shares more about the American Farmland Trust’s resource to help farmers and producers plan soil health improvements.

SILVER SPRINGS, Md. (RFD-TV) — Farmers continue to seek ways to improve soil health while maintaining profitability, and new tools are emerging to help guide those decisions. American Farmland Trust has released an online tool designed to estimate the long-term costs and benefits of adopting soil health practices.

Michelle Perez with the American Farmland Trust joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss their new tool and the impact of soil health management strategies.

In her interview with RFD-TV News, Perez explained the basics of soil health, distinguishing between poor and good soil conditions. She highlighted how practices such as cover crops, no-till farming, and nutrient management can improve soil structure, water retention, and overall productivity.

Perez also discussed the economic benefits of adopting these practices, noting that improvements in soil health can increase crop yields and reduce input costs, delivering both environmental and financial returns for farmers. Finally, she introduced the new predictive soil health economic calculator, explaining how it works, which crops it applies to, and how farmers can use it to make informed decisions about implementing soil health practices on their operations.

To learn more, visit: www.farmlandinfo.org

Related Stories
Technology returns depend on management, not just adoption.
Strong feedlot demand keeps beef-on-dairy calf premiums elevated.
Organizers say the event helps bridge the gap between producers and consumers
Roger McEowen discusses how long-term healthcare costs for elderly Americans are reshaping estate-planning decisions for farm families and what producers should consider moving forward.
Farmer Jeffry Mitchell with the Mississippi Farm Bureau joins us for a spring planting update from the southeast region as drought, input costs, and fertilizer access complicate crop progress.
Spring Fieldwork Progress Mixed As Moisture Slows Activity

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD News and FarmHER + RanchHER. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, bringing a decade of digital experience in broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Data centers may compete with farms for key resources.
Catch the double-episode premiere of Prairie Prophets, Tuesday night at 9 PM ET on RFD Network and RFD+
Strong corn and China-driven demand support the pace of U.S. grain exports. RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney discusses Canada-China agricultural trade talks.
This Final Rule adopts the changes introduced in the Interim Final Rule, consolidating seven agency-specific NEPA regulations into a single, department-wide framework, reducing the overall volume of regulations by 66 percent.
UNL’s Dr. Dirac Twidwell discusses wildfire recovery efforts in Nebraska and what producers should keep in mind in the days and weeks ahead.
Rich Nelson with Allendale joined us to break down early planting progress, market expectations, and what producers should keep an eye on as the season moves forward.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.