Kauai Farmer Soil Health Management Plan Demo & Funding

Learning Objectives:

• General understanding of how to use results from the UH Crow Lab to develop soil health goals and targets for your farm;
• Conceptual understanding of how to use a farm/production map to integrate soil health practices on your farm;
• Conceptual understanding of how to develop an implementation timeline for integrating soil health practices for a specific field;
• Ability to identify the qualitative costs and benefits for installing a windbreak, cover crop or carbon amendment on your farm;
• Conceptual understanding of how to identify quantitative costs and benefits for installing a windbreak, cover crop or carbon amendment on your farm;
• Ability to develop a budget for a windbreak, cover crop or carbon amendment for your farm;
• Knowledge of how to apply for resources and programs to fund your soil health practices.

4:10-4:35 pm [25 min]- Presentation of Soil Health Management Plans (SHMP) for Old Koloa Regenerative Farm  [Sally Rizzo from Old Koloa Regenerative Farm

Louise Martin & India Clark

• Introduction to SHMP; 
• Review components of Old Koloa Regenerative Farmʻs SHMP;
• Demonstrate how the plan uses the UH Crow Lab results and farmer knowledge to identify soil health goals and a schedule of relevant soil health practices that will improve the biological, chemical and physical properties of the soil;
• Demonstration of an implementation timeline of soil health practices by growing area;
• Demonstration of using farm and production maps to integrate soil health practices into crop rotations and fallow land.

4:35-4:50 pm [15 min]- Farmer Feedback on Soil Health Management Plan Demo

• Which components of the plan would be helpful for your farm?
• What level of detail or additional components would you want to see in a soil health plan for your farm?

4:50-5:10 pm – [20 min] Using Cost-Benefit Analysis to Prioritize Soil Health Practices on Your Farm, [India Clark & Megan Gonsalves, Oahu RC&D] 

How to do a Cost-Benefit Analysis

• A simple framework for analyzing cost-benefit for cover crops
  • Qualitative analysis (examples of qualitative cost and benefits of cover crops from local case studies and experts in this field)
  • Quantitative analysis (examples of quantitative (numbers) for cost and benefit categories of cover crops from local case studies and experts in this field)
• A simple framework for developing a partial budget for your cover crop
  • Partial budget analysis (examples of dollar amounts of cost and benefit categories of cover crops from local case studies and experts in this field)

Interactive Exercise

Develop a Cost-Benefit Analysis & Budget for a Cover Crop, Windbreak or Carbon Amendment for your Farm

• Step 1: Select one soil health practice to analyze: 1) Windbreak, 2) Cover Crop, 3) Carbon Amendment.
• Step 2: Identify costs categories to use for windbreaks, cover crops, or carbon amendments
• Step 3: Add qualitative costs & benefits for using this soil health practice on your farm (using the examples of cost-benefit analysis)  
• Step 4: Add quantitative costs & benefits for using this soil health practice on your farm (using the examples of cost-benefit analysis)  
• Step 5: Add dollar amounts to the quantitative costs & benefits for using this soil health practice on your farm (using the examples of cost-benefit analysis)  
• Step 6: Develop an annual budget for your cover crop or carbon amendment 

Farmer-to-farmer discussion on Cost-Benefit Analysis Categories

• Which cost savings categories for cover crops or carbon amendments would apply to your farm based on the case study examples?
• Which cost savings categories for cover crops or carbon amendments would apply to your farm that were NOT included in the case study examples?

5:10-5:30pm [20 min] Funding Your Soil Health Practices 

Farm Bill Programming [Zephyr Usinger, Soil Conservationist and Jenna Dunn, District Conservationist] 

Other Funding Sources [Amanda Shaw, Oahu Agriculture and Conservation Association]

5:30-5:45 NRCS PIA Soil Health Management Plan (SHMP) [15 min] [Amy Koch Assistant Director of Soil Science & Jason Hanson, State Agronomists for NRCS PIA & Kauai NRCS Soil Health Lead]

5:45 -5:55 pm [10 min]- Farmer Q&A on Funding Soil Health Practices & Preparing for a NRCS SHMP