Turning of the Season
By Taylor Herren, Farm Program Specialist
Excerpt from ‘The Dirt’: SCI’s Monthly Farmer Newsletter
With October behind us, the turning of the season is well on its way. Soon, fall will become winter and for many that offers a window of reprieve after harvest.
Hopefully that means a little time to do something you need or love. Catch up on rest, tend to responsibilities off the farm, and spend time with family or friends.
Knowing it’s also when a lot of you are finally able to get to office work, we're inviting all SCI farmers to schedule a 1:1 call before the end of 2024. We’ll recap this year, talk about the SCI program in 2025, and can invite Soil Regen if you want to discuss soil testing or farm planning.
As always, your time, openness, and contributions are so appreciated.
Reminder to all SCI farmers: Our monthly Farm Office Hours will take place every last Thursday of the month at 4pm ET.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Big Soil Health Event
December 9-11, 2024 | Cedar Fall, IA
The Big Soil Health Event provides producers, landowners, and ag industry members with a ground-up educational experience. While many conferences inspire and teach, this event encourages and illuminates soil health practice adoption.
This conference is brought to you by our partners, Soil Regen. SCI’s Taylor Herron will be the event’s co-MC, and many SCI farmers will be there – enjoy all the connections!
INDUSTRY NEWS
Drones to the Recuse for Hurricane Helene Relief
SCI Farmers Helped Raise More Than $35,000 for Supplies
Soil Regen partnered with Green America and Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI) to create the fund, Drones to the Rescue - Hurricane Helene Relief.
Led by Soil Regen's Russell Hedrick and the Bestway Ag drone team, these agricultural innovators have been at the forefront of relief efforts since the hurricane made landfall on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Within days, they had raised over $13,000, with 100% of the proceeds going towards purchasing supplies for the victims.
SCI farmers in North Carolina recently repurposed their drones to help deliver food, medicine and other supplies to people stranded by Hurricane Helene. Pictured above is one of the drones to the rescue. When not helping hurricane victims, the drones help with regenerative farming work, such as planting cover crop seeds.
As the recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene progress, we've seen the remarkable impact that arises when empathy resourcefulness unite. The dedication of farmers becoming drone pilots and community members opening their businesses for supply storage shows the true spirit of resilience and solidarity. Throughout the ongoing recovery, these farmers and their drones remain on the forefront, delivering vital supplies and a sense of hope to those affected by the devastation. This collective response demonstrates that together, we can overcome even the most significant challenges.
Thank you to Soil Regen, SCI Farmers, and to all those who have donated, for your massively impactful efforts!
FUNDING NEWS
Organic Farming Research Foundation:
Farmer-Led Trials Program
Apply by December 1
Are you an organic or transitioning farmer or rancher who wants to test out a new agricultural practice on your farm?
The Organic Farming Research Foundation is providing farmers with technical assistance and grants up to $1,500 to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges.
The Farmer-Led Trails Program will provide support for on-farm learning trials aimed at testing new practices, inputs, varieties, or animal breeds that can improve profitability and environmental sustainability.