Policy and Regulation Conservation

Based on our analyses of cash and cash equivalents, fixed income, real assets, public equity, private equity, and venture capital markets, this report concludes with a series of recommendations for investors working within each asset class and for stakeholders such as foundations, policymakers, asset owners and asset managers, and regenerative agriculture practitioners.

The “Soil Investment Guidance Report” aims to support food and agriculture companies to invest in impactful, high-value, and long-term solutions for healthy soils along their supply chains and beyond.

This report identifies finance opportunities and pathways to build resilient value chains for regenerative farms.

Erica Hall, Board Chair of the Florida Food Policy Council and longtime advocate for climate justice, social equity, and economic resilience, shares the Florida Food Policy Council’s work in community organizing for climate change resilience.

The How Regenerative Agriculture Can Grow series is a collection of five briefs that cover how opportunities for policy reform, investing, training, and marketing can accelerate the implementation of regenerative agriculture practices. Cortney Ahern Renton, Executive Direction of CitySeed, Claire Huntley Lafave, Manager of Client Strategy for Native Energy, and Katie Sierks, Project Manager at Granular, wrote the following featured briefs: The State of Regenerative Agriculture: Growing with Room to Grow MoreFarmers on the Frontlines of the Regenerative Agriculture TransitionSo, You’re Thinking of Investing in Regenerative Food Systems. . .Show Me the Money: Making a Downstream Market for Diverse Regenerative CropsThe Case for Crop Insurance Learn more about the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative here. Read the How Regenerative Agriculture Can Grow series …

During the webinar, Grant Ballard discusses federal crop insurance policy changes, new products crop insurance agents promote, litigation, and consequences for organic production. Grant represents ranchers and farmers in the areas Federal Farm Programs, Crop Insurance litigation, contract law, environmental law, and governmental compliance investigations as a partner with Ark Ag Law, PLLC. The National Agricultural Law Center, host of the webinar, is an independent agricultural and food law organization that serves the public through plain language resources in 50+ topic areas, state law compilations, and more. View the webinar …

Haley Nagle, Outreach & Education Specialist and Data Analyst with COMET Farm Team, and Lynette Niebrugge, Associate Director of Education and Training with Carbon Cycle Institute, cover carbon farming basics, how to use COMET-Tools, and using COMET for planning. Carbon farm planning is an approach to enhance on farm carbon capture. COMET-Tools consider on farm greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) and how different conservation practices may impact whether the landscape is a source or sink. The COMET-Tools can inform implementation of farming practices that enhance carbon storage. Watch the webinar here. View the COMET-Planner and COMET-Farm …

Anchored in practice driving federal policy, the document describes how the agriculture sector can be reimagined to prioritize the environment, science, public health, and social equity. Through five chapters, this document builds from the ground up, beginning with prioritizing soil health and progressing to equitable land acquisition. Read the report here. Learn more about Day One Project …

Through 18+ interviews on the status of agriculture policy, the Policy Working Group examines challenges and opportunities for adopting policies that would support a transition towards regenerative agriculture. However, policy is not the only driver for agriculture reform. As such, policy decisions must be informed by the climate, economics, culture, and racial equity to make meaningful adjustments away from the status quo and towards regenerative agriculture. Read the report here. Learn more about Funders for Regenerative Agriculture …

Wondering if wind and solar energy are right for your farm? Or how to go about installing and producing renewable energy on a large scale? This 32 page guide introduces Minnesota’s law, what you need to know when working with developers, and more. View the guide here. Learn more about Farmers’ Legal Action Group …

Barriers to land access are laden with interconnected challenges of climate change, food sovereignty, structural racism and discrimination, cost of living, and public health. However, resistance to inequitable practices and the opportunity for reform are substantial. The Land Policy Report sheds light on the importance of land access and lays a policy driven path forward governed by 15 principles and numerous key actions. Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here. Read the report …

The Racial Equity Toolkit (1) introduces the toolkit and the vast systems of racism in our agriculture system, (2) offers guidance on organizing around and having conversations about racial justice, and (3) exhibit examples of direct action such as allyship, resource sharing, and reparations. Each avenue for transformative action includes valuable resources to help you and your community take action. Notably, the toolkit structures conversations around specific questions related to thirteen informational books, podcasts, and other materials. Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here.  Read the Toolkit …

Why work with a land trust to preserve or access farmland? And, how do we navigate the creativity AND limitations of easements on farmland? Farm Commons talks with Ian McSweeney, Director of Agrarian Trust, to answer these questions with explanations on how land trusts work, what agricultural easements are, and how the Agrarian Trust supports land access for the next generation of farmers. Learn more about Farm Commons and view additional podcasts. Listen to the podcast …

The Farm Commons team discusses inequities in who has access to land, who owns the land, and strategies farmers and farm-advocates pursue to secure land that honors how they want to farm. With a focus on reducing barriers to entry, they dive into the legal mechanics of farm land gifting, crowdfunding, cooperatively purchasing land, and long term leases. Learn more about Farm Commons and view additional podcasts. Listen to the podcast …

The NRCS Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART) streamlines and simplifies conservation planning so NRCS staff can inform farmers, ranchers, and landowners on how to implement and fund their conservation goals. This guide provides conservationists with the pertinent information they need to understand how the new tool works and how it is used. Download the guide here or access it online here. Learn more about the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition …

This collection of current programs and policies breaks down who is eligible, success stories, application information, resources, and history. Originally released in 2014, the guide is continuously updated to ensure farmers, advocates, entrepreneurs, researchers, and rural and urban community groups have the resources they need to build a more sustainable ag system. The Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs seeks to support farmers in navigating federal programs around the following topic areas: Beginning & Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Conservation & Environment Credit & Crop Insurance Food Safety Healthy Food Access Local & Regional Food Systems Organic Production Renewable Energy Rural Development Sustainable & Organic Research The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also features a reference sheet of programs discussed, glossary and acronyms, and additional resources. Access the guide here. Learn more about the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition …

Developed by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance with assistance from the Illinois Department of Agriculture and University of Illinois Extension, this guide informs farmers and producers on the federal, state, and local government regulations that apply to direct farm marketing. The guide includes (1) general overview, (2) key regulatory points, (3) specific food regulations, (4) a checklist for farmers and growers to consider before selling farm products directly, and (5) a state and federal resource section. Download the guide here. Learn more about the Illinois Stewardship Alliance …

The Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe Webinar Series is a collection of monthly webinars talking all things soil health. Each webinar consists of a main presentation and a short Q&A session after. Researchers from Michigan State University, University of Nebraska, Kansas State University, and more discuss soil in terms of health, carbon storage, digital agriculture, regenerative beef production, and policy. View the webinar catalog here. Learn more about Soil Health Nexus …

Doing your due diligence is a common practice when purchasing property, but as Rachel Armstrong explains, it is just as important when signing a lease for farm land. Rachel Armstrong is the founder and Executive Director of Farm Commons, a nonprofit specializing in farm business law that offers support to farmers and ranchers in building legal resilience. Learn more about Farm Commons here. Learn more about the Quivira Coalition here. Watch the webinar recording …

Rachel Armstrong, founder and Executive Director at Farm Commons, discusses the importance of establishing the right business structure and writing the proper organizing document for your farming or ranching operation. The webinar features the nuances between a LLC and corporation, advice on how to build legal resiliency, and bonus content about anti-corporate farming laws, when to consult a separate business structure, and trusts vs business entities. Learn more about Farm Commons here. Learn more about the Quivira Coalition here. Watch the webinar recording …

The Key Perennial Crops infographic acts as a guidebook for top tree crops in the Midwest. The Savanna Institute characterizes 12 tree crops, each equipped with an introduction, management, livestock integration & food safety, harvest, markets, and an economics case study. Tree crops described include: Cider Apples Aronia Black Currant Black Walnut Chinese Chestnuts Hazelnut Saskatoon, Serviceberry, Juneberry Asian Pear Elderberry Honeyberry, Haskap Northern Pecan Pawpaw Access the guidebook here. Learn more about the Savanna Institute …

Trevor Russell and Erin Meier share their work on the Mississippi River Restoration & Resilience Initiative (MRRRI). MRRI works to advance river-related policy and funding opportunities at the federal level by aiming to strengthen community resilience to climate change and reduce flood risk by restoring floodplains, riverine wetlands, delta and coastal wetlands, and backwaters.

The Savanna Institute partnered with Farm Commons, Wisconsin DATCAP, and Midwestern farmers to develop the Managing Food Safety Liability Risks when Integrating Livestock with Specialty Crops guide. This guide details three strategies to reduce food safety and liability risks and suggests a fourth strategy to build a legal framework that prioritizes food safety while considering farms that utilize agroforestry or mixed crop livestock operations. Additionally, the guide summarizes how featured farms implement harvest and worker training, exclusion periods, record keeping, and preserving farm flexibility. Download the Guide. View additional resources on Food Safety in …

The policy brief discusses how systemic racism within the agricultural sector excludes Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and strategies for addressing longstanding …

Green Lands Blue Waters, along with co-hosts RuralAdvantage and Savanna Institute, discuss examples of leveraging NRCS funds to implement and support Continuous Living Cover (CLC) practices like perennial forage and alley cropping.

The report explores the market, benefits, and barriers related to grass-fed beef production, outlining a clear way forward for transitioning acreage to more sustainable management.

This webinar, a collaboration between the Pasture Project and Delta Institute, digs into the report “The State of Grass-Fed Value Chains in Illinois” and discusses the continuing work to advance grass-fed value chains in the state.