June 13, 2018

Wyden Applauds Step Forward for His Soil Health Provision in Senate Farm Bill

Provision Encourages Advanced Farming Practices to Improve Crop Resilience, Address Climate Change

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded a step forward for a provision he secured in the Senate Farm Bill that would improve soil health and crop resilience and address climate change.

Wyden’s provision would establish a pilot project for farmers across the country to implement advanced farming practices to capture carbon in soil. These farming practices have been shown to improve soil health and crop resilience while lowering the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Wyden’s soil health provision passed the Senate Agriculture Committee today as part of the Senate Farm Bill, which was released last week.

“My soil health piece of the Senate Farm Bill encourages farming practices that will allow farmers to grow better crops on healthier soil and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable agricultural future,” Wyden said. “I’m proud to have worked with people on all sides to move forward on this win-win for farmers and the environment.”

The Wyden soil health provision would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the effects of the pilot projects to determine their viability for broader application on farms across the country. The USDA would also work with interested farmers across the country to manage the pilot project.

Wyden’s provision is supported by the American Coalition for Ethanol, Environmental Entrepreneurs, the National Corn Growers Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Find a summary of Wyden’s provision in the Senate Farm Bill here.

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