Climate Curve

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Name of Project:

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Project Summary / Description:

The objective for this current phase of work is to create a “tipping point” of data, knowledge, and network to have our soil health appraisal methodology become standardized within the agricultural appraisal process throughout the Midwest.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption)', 'Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our work centers on recognizing the self-agency of rural farming communities. Nearly 50% of Midwestern agricultural land is managed by farmers who do not own the land. Many farmers share that conservation incentives are often misaligned between different federal and state programs; consequently, many landowners are hesitant to invest in soil health management systems. By building consensus around a uniform methodology, our approach helps remove economic risks that oftentimes neglect to recognize farmers as the land’s primary drivers of productivity and stewardship. Our methodology builds consensus among farmers, landowners, and land appraisers, more equitably recognizing the important role that each group plays.
We strive for equitable representation to reflect the many diverse communities that our organization serves. Each member of senior leadership shares that they have lived through environmental justice circumstances that directly relate to our work. Our CEO hails from a rural Wisconsin community, our Chief Development Officer hails from rural “coal country” in Illinois, and our CFO hails from a community of color on Chicago’s South Side. Furthermore, 70% of our governing board of directors self-identify as having lived in an environmental justice setting, and multiple directors have backgrounds growing up in farming communities in different Midwest states.