Philippa Lockwood
Clif Bar Program Manager
Soil Health
Our Soil Health research develops sustainable on-farm practices from the ground-up, creating innovative solutions to improve soil health from measurement to adoption.
Program Contact
Dr. LaKisha Odom
lodom@foundationfar.org
Development Contact
Catherine Maxwell
cmaxwell@foundationfar.org
Our Research Focuses on:
- Resiliency and adaptation
- Site-specific decision making
- Farmer wellbeing
- Novel pathways to adoption
Learn more about our Soil Health research goals.
Advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals
Soil Health supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), 17 global goals to enhance peace and prosperity, eradicate poverty and protect the environment. Specifically, this research bolsters the following SDGs:
Why Are We Tackling Soil Health Challenges?
Some farming practices harm soils, depriving them of nutrients, killing the beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil, or leaving them vulnerable to washing away. Climate change is further accelerating the loss and degradation of soils.
Yet, we need nutrient-rich soils to grow healthy, flavorful food. Thriving soils also bolster crop yields, increase water retention, protect water quality, prevent erosion, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve biodiversity.
We created the Soil Health Challenge Area to develop sustainable on-farm practices and empower farmers to implement these practices. Our Soil Health research develops and deploys the latest technology and knowledge to help farmers build and maintain healthy, productive soil. Ultimately, this research protects farmer’s livelihoods and the environment, while increasing productivity.
We Pioneer Soil Health Research
Congress established FFAR to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement USDA’s research agenda. Our public-private partnerships match federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment.
Our Soil Health grants, programs and consortium produce data-driven results to help farmers make sustainable decisions that support thriving farms.
Learn more about our Soil Health grants, programs and consortium.
Soil Health Awarded Grants
Advancing DEI in Sharing Carbon & Ecosystems Services Information
Awarded Amount $100,000
Year 2022
Matching Funders American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and the Soil Science Society of America
See all Soil Health Awarded Grants
Soil Health Grant Programs
Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research
Tuskegee University Organic Research Endowment
Soil Health Scientific Workforce Development Programs
Soil Health Consortium
The Latest
Krista Marshall
2019-2022 FFAR Fellow
Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director Emeritus
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