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Soil Health Leadership Program

Farmers, advisors and conservation professionals looking to sharpen their skills and further Illinois’ stewardship practices are encouraged to apply for ISAP's Soil Health Leadership program. The program, which brings together diverse participants working together to improve agricultural environmental stewardship, is now looking to fill its sixth graduating class.

Accepted applicants will have the opportunity to grow their soil health understanding, allowing them to become valuable resources for the Illinois agriculture community. Working through the training as a group allows participants the opportunity to expand their professional network and build relationships with other professionals and farmers in their region.

For more information, contact hello@ilsustainableag.org

APPLY HERE

Program Details

Read About Past Trainings

Following each in-person session of the 2023-2024 cohort, a training participant wrote a recap blog to share about the content of the training, what they learned that stood out to them, and how they plan to apply those learnings in their work. The 2023-2024 training was supported and funded by the Illinois Soybean Association. Read a recap of a recent Soil Health Training below.

ASHT Cohort Scouts Cover Crop Fields in Fourth Training Session

By Aidan Walton | May 12, 2023

On Wednesday, April 26th, agriculture professionals met in Bloomington, IL for the fourth Advanced Soil Health Training (ASHT) hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP).  Amidst planting season, this…

ASHT Cohort Gathers for Two-Day Cover Crop Training

By Nicole Haverback | May 11, 2023

In February, Illinois agriculture professionals gathered at the Illinois Soybean Association in Bloomington for the third session of the 2022-23 Advanced Soil Health Training (ASHT) hosted by the Illinois Sustainable…

ISAP’s Advanced Soil Health Training #2 Focuses on Nutrient Management Considerations

By Brandon Hall | January 20, 2023

On Wednesday, November 16th a group of professionals from various retailer and ag education backgrounds gathered for the second session of ISAP’s Advanced Soil Health Training at the Piatt County…

Ag Retailers and Educational Professionals Form Cohort of Advanced Soil Health Training

By Marlee Giacometti | November 16, 2022

In August, Illinois agriculture professionals came together for the first session of the 2022-23 Advanced Soil Health Training hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP). ISAP developed the Advanced…

Hear From Past Trainees

“I wanted to gain a larger perspective on soils and how cover crops might enhance soil for myself and my customers. I have a lot of people that ask me about the value of cover crops and what they actually do for them. Since we’ve had this training, I can do a better job of explaining how we can change the structure of the soil and use a more systems approach. I think at least it’s easier for me to talk about it.”

Dean Oswald

Grazing Specialist | 2017 Graduate

“I’m so glad I attended this training. I especially like hearing from other growers, I think that’s where I learn the most. This course helped me to see how to measure things environmentally.”

Stephanie Porter

Agronomist | 2019 Graduate

"The Soil Health Leadership Program presented an opportunity that would allow me to sharpen my skills and knowledge focusing on my passion for soil and soil health. When you tie all the opportunities this program provides, from the participants and in-field visits and demos with the diverse lineup of presenters, I believe this program is an amazing opportunity for anyone interested in this sector of the industry."

Brandon Hall

Agronomist | 2023 Graduate

Resources

Access a variety of soil health and in-field management resources on our Learn page.

Advanced Soil Health Training graduates and trainees can access course materials here.