Quivira Coalition’s Soil to Supper Project will support producers to get more meat and other livestock products into regional supply chains while reducing waste, increasing soil health, and building climate resilience.
Are you a rangeland producer who wants to make your land more productive while increasing soil health?
Are you interested in compost and biochar but don’t have the capacity to research how to create and apply it?
Do you want to build your business and marketing strategy for your supply of local, regenerative meat and other commodities?
Soil to Supper Project funds will help 50 producers transform agricultural and wood waste, finish livestock on grass, and help enhance biodiversity and potential carbon sequestration on the land.
Producers will receive financial assistance and technical support from regional experts, and will become part of a network of people supporting this important work. This may happen through the following focus areas, as applicable:
Compost or biochar production
We will help producers transform manure, woody waste, green waste, and other organic amendments into valuable compost and biochar that can be used to improve soil and forage.
Grazing plans
Grazing management experts will help producers create prescribed grazing plans that optimize soil health and forage production for grass-finishing.
Compost or biochar amendment*
We will support amendment of rangelands with compost or biochar aligned with the pasture plans.
Business planning
Producers will receive business-focused planning support and other resources to help sell directly to consumers in regional markets (i.e. how to optimize carcass use).
Marketing
Producers will receive support in marketing grass-finished livestock products through marketing toolkits and will have access to professionals during office hours. Meat producers will additionally benefit from a regional trade campaign that will raise consumer awareness about soil health and benefits of climate-smart products.
In-field workshops*
Producers will network with neighbors and experts in the topics above to share knowledge.
* These focus area components are required to receive funding.
Soil to Supper producers will receive financial assistance, receive technical support from regional experts, and become part of a network of people supporting this important work.
Every ranch/farm in the Soil to Supper project:
- Must manage at least 10 acres of rangeland and apply compost or biochar amendment to a portion of this. The ranch/farm can either produce compost or biochar on site, or purchase from a vendor; $2,000 is available to offset costs of making or purchasing compost or biochar. We will also cover soil sampling costs which is approximately $950.
- Provide information for carbon and cost accounting. The Soil to Supper team will collect soil samples to measure soil organic carbon and will conduct interviews and surveys to collect information needed to assess changes in emissions and sequestration and the costs associated with those changes and provide this data to the USDA for aggregation.
There is a direct financial incentive of $1,925 to complete activities 1 and 2. - Must host an in-field educational event. The producer will receive $500 for hosting.
The ranch/farm will receive personalized technical support from Soil to Supper partners and contractors:
- to make compost or biochar (up to 60 hours) from nuisance wood, agricultural, or food waste
- to add compost or biochar to the operation and monitor the results (up to 200 hours)
- to make a pasture plan to best utilize the compost or biochar amended locations (up to 6h)
- to make a business plan of how best to manage and process the livestock for financial benefit (up to 5 hours)
- to make a marketing plan for how to connect with consumers (up to 15 hours)
This technical support is valued at >$22,000
Additional benefits to the ranch or farm
Marketing: The ranch/farm may also benefit from a trade campaign for the project aimed at meat produced in this process.
Networking: The ranch/farm may participate in the annual Soil to Supper summit (hosted at Quivira’s Regenerate Conference) to share experiences with other participants and build support.
Our team processes applications several times a year, so please submit your application by
June 1, October 1, or February 1 for best consideration.
Take the next step in increasing soil health and building climate resilience.
Soil to Supper
A Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project
1413 Second Street, Suite 1
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
505-820-2544