Ruminations 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.
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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
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MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
– 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
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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:
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Music written & performed by Travis McNamara.