Soil health collaborative: evaluating ways to increase the use of soil health practices -- objective 1. Develop opportunities and remedies to support use of practices that improve soil health

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Central Program Planning Coordination and Support awarded a $2.294 million cooperative agreement to University of Wisconsin - Madison on September 12, 2025, for the Soil Health Collaborative program, which evaluates ways to increase the use of soil health practices. The award funds four core objectives: developing opportunities and remedies to support soil health practices; identifying and communicating the benefits and outcomes of soil health practices; developing an assessment framework for soil health metrics and identifying soil health-building practices for both short- and long-term farm and ecosystem resilience; and facilitating demonstration efforts related to soil health. The period of performance runs through September 11, 2027, with place of performance in Madison, Wisconsin. This award is structured under the Agricultural Research Basic and Applied Research program (CFDA 10.001), which supports research and development conducted in cooperation with the Agricultural Research Service's in-house research programs. The cooperative agreement is assistance funding awarded to a nonprofit institution of higher education through peer-reviewed evaluation.

Objective 2: identify and communicate the benefits and outcomes of soil health practices. Objective 3: develop an assessment framework for soil health metrics and identify soil health building practices for both short- and long-term farm and ecosystem resilience. Objective 4: facilitate demonstration efforts related to soil health.