Meet John Sorenson, a fifth-generation Minnesota farmer. To combat harsh winds threatening his sugar beets, John joined the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to implement a rye cover crop and reduce his tillage. These changes have protected his crops and produced savings in fuel and labor costs.

Ensuring good water quality is essential for sustainable farming, environmental health, and food security. Learn about our water sampling process, conservation efforts, and the impact of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff to protect ecosystems and support sustainable farming.

Peyton grew up on a small hog farm in southwest Ohio and developed a deep connection to agriculture from an early age. His years of hands-on experience and academic background in soil science make him a wonderful resource on the SWOF team.

Water is a critical resource, and managing it efficiently is essential to ensure sustainability and productivity in agriculture. Gain more confidence in managing this vital resource as we review the key principles of efficient irrigation practices, as well as the role conservation measures and soil health play in water management.

The concept of additionality is frequently utilized to best measure the effectiveness of agricultural conservation initiatives and their environmental impact. The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund considers additionality on a field-by-field basis to help farmers both begin and expand their efforts.

Katie Nelson grew up on a diverse farm in northwest North Dakota and joined the SWOF team in October of 2023. We invite you to learn more about Katie and how she leverages her expertise in crop science and plant pathology to guide farmers in sustainable practices through her work at SWOF.

The grant has also enabled the Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program to solidify multi-year relationships with farmers. For example, Nick Hermanson, who farms 5,000 acres of corn and soybeans and raises 300,000 turkeys a year on his farm in Story City, Iowa, is a fifth-generation farmer on the same land his family has farmed for 150 years.