By Lauren Stanick
Aaron Lee M. Daigh, hydrologist and soil physicist in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and president of the Soil Science Society of America, helped host a Congressional Soils Caucus at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 2. The bipartisan caucus provided a forum for members of Congress to learn about soil health updates from leading soil science experts.
“We should not expect elected officials to independently keep up with soil science updates, just as scientists cannot be experts on policymaking,” Daigh said. “The SSSA is specifically positioned to represent the soil science community in events like this."
Daigh says the congressional caucus is intended to give members of Congress and their staff a scientific foundation when considering policies related to agricultural research priorities and working lands. Such decisions — including those involving agricultural research, soil health and federal farm programs — have a direct impact on Nebraska producers. In 2025, Nebraska had approximately 44,100 farm operations managing 43.9 million acres, including more than 10 million acres of corn and nearly five million acres of soybeans.
Source : unl.edu