The Dirt on Soil Health Policy & Legislation

In this episode of Ruminations, we dig into the legislative soil beneath America’s regenerative agriculture movement with Aria McLauchlan, co-founder and executive director of LandCore. Aria brings a rare insider’s view of how soil health is making its way into federal and state policy—often against the odds.   We explore how LandCore is reshaping the policy landscape by working alongside USDA, legislators, producers, and investors to mainstream soil health as a critical lever for economic resilience, food security, and climate action. You’ll hear about their groundbreaking risk modeling tools, the Soil Health Bill Tracker, and what it actually takes to get meaningful policy passed in a system designed for the status quo.   +++   ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path   +++   00:00 Intro 03:20 Welcome Aria 04:20 Aria's Journey into Policy 09:55 Founding LandCore: Mission and Goals 12:15 Economic Incentives for Farmers 16:48 Navigating Capitol Hill: Engaging Policymakers 24:51 Risk Mitigation and Soil Health 32:31 LandCore's Risk Modeling Tool 37:55 Challenges in Modeling Grazing Practices 42:05 Practice-Based vs. Outcomes-Based Approaches 44:27 LandCore's Policy Priorities 45:56 The Farm Bill 51:28 Engaging with Legislators 59:49 Broader Implications and Agencies Involved 01:04:59 Global Perspectives 01:08:33 Economic Case for Soil Health 01:22:18 Future of Soil Health Policy 01:28:20 Final Thoughts   +++   MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: – https://landcore.org/ – https://landcore.org/bill-tracker – https://landcore.org/news-post/2024/05/02/land-core-risk-model-interactive-beta-tool – https://landcore.org/news-post/public-comments-hhs-dietary-guidelines – (BONUS) https://landcore.org/news-post/rooted-in-health-the-soil-and-human-health-connection   +++   This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member   Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast   +++   FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/   +++   HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997   +++   Music written & performed by Travis McNamara.