The NACD Soil Health Champions Network (SHCN) is made up of more than 300 farmers, ranchers and woodland owners from across the nation who practice good soil health management on their operations and promote the use of soil health management systems in their communities.

The mission of the SHCN is to increase the adoption of soil health systems by farmers and other landowners nationwide.

NACD’s SHCN began in 2015 through an effort to promote soil health education and outreach among America’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners. Today, the Network is comprised of more than 300 landowners and operators who implement conservation practices on their land and champion the benefits of soil health within their communities. Soil Health Champions have working relationships with their local conservation districts and USDA service centers, and are often community leaders and early adopters of conservation practices.

Do you know a Soil Health Champion?

NACD Soil Health Champion Recruitment Package

Extended Sims family
Shanon--red shirt, white cowboy hat
Mellinda-blonde with purple top
Kagan--gray jersey, ball cap
Jentry--girl with black top with blue lettering
April--Shanon's mom in tourquise top
Scott--Shanon's dad--dark green shirt, white cowbay hat

Shanon Sims (39)
Sims Cattle Company, LLC
1991 CR 1 Unit A
McFadden, Wyoming 82083

Office: 307-378-2473
Cell: 307-360-6787
Email: <span class='encoded'>shanonsims[at]union-tel.com</span>

25,984 acres

645 cow/calf pairs, 300 yearlings, 40 bulls, grass, hay

Married to Melinda; two children, Kagan, 14, Jentry, 11.
father Scott, mother April

NACD Soil Health Champions receive:

Membership in an exclusive Network where they can exchange best management practices, tell success stories, and learn how to make improvements in their own operations. NACD believes this network will play a key role in driving a countrywide movement to improve America’s soils.
A quarterly, soil health bulletin with Network news and relevant conservation research and outreach opportunities.
National recognition for their work to advance soil health in the first eResource of every month and in every edition of The Resource. The association also features soil champs on our website (click on the map below to meet our current Soil Health Champions) and showcases their achievements at NACD meetings and events.

Soil Health Champions have two responsibilities to the Network:

Conduct soil health outreach in their communities. Forms of outreach include holding farm tours, hosting field demonstrations, speaking at conferences and meetings, giving media interviews, presenting at seminars or workshops, and manning educational booths at community events.
Report on their outreach activities to NACD. NACD collects and utilizes Soil Health Champion research, stories and testimonials on NACD’s website and in national publications. NACD also rounds up information on Soil Health Champion events and outreach and shares it through social media, on its website and in a quarterly bulletin. By engaging in this network, NACD is able to amplify the voices of conservation-minded producers on a national platform.

In support of the Network, NACD holds educational conference calls, provides technical and promotional resources, and offers scholarships to Champions to attend topical meetings. NACD also manages an exclusive Facebook group in which members can share pictures, videos, articles and updates on their extraordinary work to improve America’s soils.

SHCN Resources

NACD has curated the following book titles, publishers, and authors into lists to provide additional resources for those interested in learning more about soil health or promoting soil health through reading. These resources are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors unless otherwise noted. If you would like to suggest a book, publisher, or author to be added, please email beth-mason[at]nacdnet.org.

Soil Health Reading
General Audience
Children’s Books
Recommended Authors
Recommended Publishers