Soil Health Initiatives in Nebraska: Cultivating a Sustainable Future

Feb 21, 2025

By Carolina Córdova

Nebraska's agricultural landscape is evolving, with a diverse coalition of organizations spearheading innovative soil health initiatives. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions are collaboratively shaping the future of sustainable agriculture in the Cornhusker State. This article highlights the current soil health work and future initiatives of key Nebraska institutions, showcasing their collective efforts to promote regenerative farming practices. By sharing these endeavors, we aim to raise public awareness and inspire agricultural producers to engage with these vital programs, fostering a more resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystem for generations to come.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is one of the world's largest conservation-based nonprofit organizations. Our local team in Nebraska collaborates with producers and partners to promote conservation practices on agricultural land. The TNC Nebraska row crop team is currently leading several key initiatives in the state:

Nebraska Soil Carbon Project: This Regional Conservation Partnership Program, in collaboration with NRCS, local NRDs and supply chain partners, provides financial and technical assistance to adopt soil health practices across the geography of the Central Platte and Upper Big Blue NRDs. The goal is to support farmers in implementing cover crops, no-till farming, and diversified rotations on 100,000 acres over five years.
Farming for the Blue River Project: Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, this project collaborates with the Little Blue and Lower Big Blue Natural Resource Districts. It offers farmers in target areas financial and technical assistance to develop and follow nitrogen management plans to improve their efficiency.
Resilient Irrigation Project: In partnership with the agricultural industry, this project works with producers in central Nebraska to utilize technology for improved irrigation management. It provides financial and technical assistance for adopting precision irrigation tools, quantifies water benefits, and identifies pathways to connect with entities interested in supporting water sustainability.

Source : unl.edu

Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.