Today, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation announced a $6.6 million initiative to improve soil health through development and adoption of cover crops across the United States.
Together, we will:
- Enhance the health and future productivity of U.S. soils
- Spur development and commercialization of enhanced cover crop varieties that will provide a host of environmental benefits and increased yields
- Increase profitability and sustainability for thousands of farmers across the U.S.
This initiative is the perfect example of what FFAR is working to achieve –bringing together key players toward a common goal that benefits a broad swath of agriculture. This project is strengthened by expertise at multiple land grant universities, the Department of Agriculture and the proven leadership of Noble Foundation.
Since FFAR was established, we have heard again and again from the community about the critical need to improve soil health across the United States and the host of environmental and economic benefits offered by cover crops.
Soil health is a challenge that FFAR is committed to addressing; the National Cover Crop Initiative announced today is the first of what will be more soil health projects from FFAR.
Our joint investment in soil health through this grant has the potential to increase profitability and sustainability for thousands of farmers across the U.S and will generate new cover crop varieties and data for use by other researchers and for commercialization. Researchers leading this initiative will maximize our impact by engaging both producers and industry throughout the process.
We look forward to sharing the results this project will generate. I know that this project is only the beginning of what certainly will be a fabulous partnership with Noble Foundation as we imagine and realize a world where science drives agriculture to new heights with the people of the world as its beneficiaries.
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