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/

– 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: 👉 https://savory.global/member

Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast

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Music written & performed by Travis McNamara.