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Hello! We are Courtney Cosdon (University of Idaho Extension/Natural Resources Conservation Service) and Tasha Harder (NRCS Idaho), bringing you Idaho soil health news and information. In this newsletter, we are sharing resources to encourage the use of soil health practices and working to involve more of our community in soil health events and discussions.
Jemila Chellappa, University of Idaho Extension
Dr. Jemila Chellappa serves as an Area Extension Educator at the University of Idaho, Southern Districts, where she is dedicated to enhancing cropping systems through innovative education and applied research. She holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (2014-2018) in Coimbatore, India. Her work focuses on promoting soil health and sustainable farming practices, particularly through the implementation of integrated crop and livestock systems to boost farm productivity and improve soil resilience in Idaho. With a deep expertise in soil fertility, nutrient management, water use efficiency, and precision agriculture, Dr. Chellappa collaborates with researchers and extension agents to tackle local agricultural challenges. She is committed to providing practical, science-based methodologies that empower producers to make informed decisions, fostering the development of sustainable and resilient cropping systems. In her spare time, Dr. Chellappa enjoys sketching, reading, organizing and planning things for the week. Soil is not just dirt; it is the foundation for everything. She passionately advocates for its benefits wherever she goes, including at home with her husband, a fellow soil scientist. Together, as enthusiastic soil nerds, they emphasize the importance of soil in everyday life.
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Early December – Field Day Wrap-up with Blake Matthews: If you have followed along this season to this series of field days with Blake Matthews and Jared Cook, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to discuss the culmination of the season. Details to come.
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December 16-18 – Far West Agribusiness Conference: Register at their website.
 Brad McIntyre, guests and the mobile chicken coops.
Treasure Valley Integrated Crop-Livestock System Field Day & Farm Tour
By Dr. Jemila Chellappa
On September 19, the Treasure Valley Field Day took place at McIntyre Farms in Caldwell, ID focused on advancing integrated crop-livestock systems in Idaho agriculture. The event attracted a diverse audience from Southern Idaho eager to explore innovative practices that align with sustainable farming principles. The day featured a combination of presentations and hands-on demonstrations, emphasizing the importance of integrating livestock as a vital fifth principle of soil health lead by Dr. Jemila Chellappa, Area Cropping System Educator, University of Idaho Extension, Southern Districts. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in three interactive sessions, each showcasing different aspects of the integrated system. One standout session was led by Brad McIntyre, Owner of McIntyre Farms who shared his journey of incorporating livestock into his crop rotation. Brad discussed the benefits of grazing cover crops, highlighting how it enhances soil health by improving organic matter and microbial activity. “By using livestock as a tool rather than just an endpoint, we can close the nutrient loop and improve soil structure,” he remarked.
Another engaging presentation came from Dr. Udayakumar "Uday" Sekaran, Soil Fertility and Irrigation Specialist at Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University. Uday explored the economic advantages of integrating livestock, demonstrating how reduced fertilizer costs and improved soil fertility can lead to increased profitability. He provided case studies from various farms across the regions of the U.S. that have successfully adopted these practices. Throughout the day, participants were encouraged to share their experiences and challenges during dedicated discussion periods. Many producers echoed sentiments from earlier events, noting that sharing both successes and failures is crucial to learning and growth in the agricultural community.
The farm tour portion of the event allowed attendees to see integrated crop-livestock systems in action. Participants observed firsthand how different livestock species contribute to soil health and farm productivity. Participants noted the visible improvements in soil quality and biodiversity. This reinforced the idea that livestock integration is not just beneficial, but essential for a resilient farming system.
As the day concluded, attendees left with a wealth of knowledge and practical strategies for implementing integrated crop-livestock practices on their own farms. The consensus was clear: integrating livestock into Idaho’s agricultural systems is a forward-thinking approach that enhances soil health, increases farm sustainability, and fosters a more robust agricultural economy.
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Soil Health and Potatoes Field Day with Ladd Wahlen, August 28
- Ladd experimented this year with a couple small field test strips in his low-till potato field. This included planting a buckwheat companion crop and applying compost extract to potato seed prior to planting.
- Biological testing revealed that the soil in the companion crop plot had more bacteria feeding nematodes than the control.
- In the compost extract trial, there was an increase in soil fungal and protozoa population.
- More information on this in our next newsletter!
Impromptu Field Days with Blake Matthews and Jared Cook, 2024 season
- This season Blake strip tilled his sugarbeets. Prior to beets, he seeded a cover crop and applied compost. With the menagerie of soil benefitting management practices Blake uses, he only needed to apply 25 units of N and 4 units of P this season, with no fungicides or insecticides.
- Blake remarked that he isn’t worried about Cercospera Leaf Spot in his beets and that they trust their soil. Healthier soil can decreases disease pressure and grow healthier plants.
- Blake and Jared have so much to share and have been very generous with their time and knowledge! Come learn from them at our wrap-up event in December!
Impromptu field days are quick, educational field visits to see and discuss a soil health practice that a producer is trying on their land. If you would like to host an impromptu field day and have your neighbors out to your place for a couple hours, please contact Courtney Cosdon ccosdon@uidaho.edu, (208) 364-4692
Get Involved
Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Loan Program
The Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program offers low interest conservation loans to farmers, ranchers and ag landowners. The Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission manages the program and finances a variety of projects including, but not limited to, sprinkler irrigation systems, no-till drills, animal feeding operations, livestock water systems and fencing. Interest rates are currently as low as 3%. Call the loan officer at 208-332-1793 to discuss your project or to get more information. Or check out their website athttps://swc.idaho.gov.
Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnership (IAMP-Idaho) Grant
The University of Idaho has secured a $55 million USDA-NRCS grant to help farmers adopt climate smart practices on Idaho’s major commodity crops including potatoes, barley, beef, chickpeas, hops, sugar beets and wheat. Do you grow any of these crops? Are you interested in incorporating practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, interseeding, nutrient management for reduced nitrogen applications, biochar or grazing cattle on grounds managed using these practices? Would you like to have funding to help with the costs and risks of adoption? If so, you may be interested in this program.
Here's what you can do to get started:
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Stay tuned to the IAMP-Idaho Website
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Talk to representatives of any of the implementing groups. These include: your local Soil and Water Conservation district representative, The Nature Conservancy, Nez Perce or Coeur d’Alene Tribal representative, or Desert Mountain Grass fed Beef.
Early adopters and long-time practitioners of one or more of these practices are encouraged to apply. Both smaller and larger farms are welcome.
***Round 1 of producer enrollment has closed. We anticipate future enrollment opportunities later this year.
NRCS Programs Dates
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps landowners build upon conservation efforts already in place, while increasing resilience of the operation. CSP pays landowners for conservation performance. Call your local NRCS office to learn more!
- CSP signup deadline: February 28, 2025
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides technical and financial assistance, to producers who want to address resources concerns and implement conservation practices on their land. Call your local NRCS field office to schedule a meeting.
- Next EQIP signup deadline: April 4, 2025
Older editions of the Soil Health Minute can be found on the University of Idaho Soil Health website, under the News & Events tab.
Heglar Creek Farms, ID – Soil Health Case Study
American Farmland Trust (AFT) completed a second soil health economic case study here in Idaho. This case study features Heglar Creek Farms in Cassia County, and it has been calculated that Kurt Heward has achieved a whopping 309% return on investment. Keep an eye out for an invitation this Fall from Regenerative Agriculture Network of Idaho (RANI) to learn more about the study results.
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The Idaho NRCS Soil Health web page has a collection of soil health maps that display a statewide view of soil conditions or susceptibility to degradation based on the soil properties. These maps were developed using NRCS soil survey data.
The ratings on the Organic Matter Depletion map are based on properties related to climate (temperature, annual precipitation), landscape position, and clay content (which tends to favor organic matter accumulation). A rating of “organic matter depletion high” indicates the soil and site have features that are very conducive to the depletion of organic matter, and management practices should be adjusted to prevent serious losses.
Map credit: Shanna Bernal-Fields (NRCS)
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NRCS Idaho
9173 W Barnes Dr, Suite C
Boise, ID 83709
Phone: 208-378-5700
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