USDA to fund ‘Climate-Smart’ program

Apr 20, 2023

Just under $3 billion was earmarked by the USDA last fall for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

Funding has become available in the past few weeks, says Ben West, executive director for Farmers for Soil Health, one of the groups that received $95 million in funding.

This project looks to accelerate long-term cover crop adoption by creating a platform to incentivize farmers, according to a USDA release. The platform will quantify, verify and facilitate the sale of ecosystem benefits, creating a marketplace to generate demand for “climate-smart commodities.”

The lead partner is the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and other major partners include the United Soybean Board, the National Corn Growers Association and the National Pork Board.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.