A soil health and conservation study conducted by the American Soybean Association (ASA) with support from the Walton Family Foundation found that U.S. soybean farmers prioritize conservation in their fields, with a desire to keep improving.
The study assessed farmers’ attitudes and experiences with conservation programs and practices. It found that on average, U.S. soybean farmers have 14 longstanding conservation practices in place, recently have added new ones, and intend to implement more. And that’s despite having to pay for them. Average spending for all conservation measures totals more than $15,000 per year.
“This study demonstrates soybean farmers’ receptiveness and commitment to advancing conservation practices and efforts,” says Arkansas farmer Brad Doyle, ASA secretary and Conservation Committee member.
In the research, 73% of farmers surveyed said they would implement more conservation measures if they thought it would be profitable to do so. Most farmers (78%) manage rental land the same as land they own, paying conservation expenditures even on rented land, which means the positive practices put in place by farmers extend to all the land they farm.
U.S. farmers value resources and opportunities to learn more about how to continuously improve their soil health and conservation practices.
According to the study, farmers want better information to set up their conservation efforts for success. They value learning from other farmers the most, and universities and grower organizations are trusted sources of information, as well.
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