No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section clarifies in subsection (d) that the Secretary may request services from other agencies within the Department of Agriculture and establishes a training program on soil health management for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and third-party providers. (As background, NRCS delivers technical assistance for conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program, which support producers in adopting practices to conserve soil, water, wildlife, and related resources active in agricultural, forestry, or other uses.) The training program, to be established not later than one year after enactment, must (1) provide education, resources, and technical support on evolving soil health methodologies, science, and practices to help NRCS staff and third-party providers assist producers in implementing soil health management systems (i.e., methods to increase and balance soil health, including microbial biomass and macrofauna, to improve biological functions such as nutrient cycling, pest control, and contaminant degradation); (2) be available in each NRCS region twice every two years through a nationally available online curriculum and in-person workshops developed and delivered via cooperative agreements with entities such as producer cooperatives, nonprofits serving regenerative producers, conservation districts, land-grant institutions, and Long-Term Agroecosystem Research sites (with initial agreements executed within one year); (3) encourage participation by relevant NRCS field staff and third-party providers via completion schedules, including the online curriculum and at least one workshop; (4) provide continuing education on new soil health-related conservation practice standards; and (5) require provision of soil health education materials to producers. The required curriculum includes units on (1) NRCS principles of soil health emphasizing biological function and regional context; (2) transitioning to soil-building management systems, including operations, finance, risks, and opportunities such as reduced input costs; (3) organic production and soil health; (4) diversified systems such as perennial crops, agroforestry, livestock integration, and prescribed grazing; and (5) research on soil biology and regenerative agriculture, including impacts on soil health and water quality. (Thus, the program expands NRCS expertise to promote practices that enhance soil biology and long-term farmland regeneration.)