Lessons Learned (via Nerds For Earth)

• Coalition and consensus building was at the heart of the short and successful campaign to pass the Healthy Soil Act. The Healthy Soil Working Group brought together an extensive coalition of over 100 food and agriculture related organizations, as well as environmental groups and dozens of farms and ranches. With this supportive network, the bill was introduced in January 2019, received bipartisan support in the house and unanimous backing in the senate, and was signed into law by the governor on April 2, 2019.
• Focusing on the many benefits of healthy soils in terms of water availability and quality, ecological benefits, farm economies, and revival of rural communities and emphasizing the voluntary approach was vital in solidifying support for the bill.
• Draft language related to climate change such as mention of “greenhouse gases” or “carbon” was removed which helped to overcome initial opposition to the bill from the NM Farm and Livestock Bureau and other organizations. A listing of recommended practices such as no-till also proved too sensitive and was dropped during the amendment process.
• Building trust with partners was critical to the success of the bill. This came from adapting terminology as well as commitment and time dedicated to building consensus.
• Support from the NM Association of Conservation Districts and NM Farm and Livestock Bureau was critical to achieving unanimous passage of the bill.
• New Mexico has a diverse farming and ranching community. To ensure equity, Native American tribes, acequias, and Land Grants are explicitly named as eligible entities to receive funding through the Healthy Soil Program. Projects in underserved communities, or serving veterans or young farmers receive priority.
• The NM Healthy Soil Act is focused on soil health principles as opposed to listing a prescribed set of specific practices. This approach protects the law from the need to be amended continually to include new practices into the canon in order to reflect emerging science and application.
• Focusing on the soil health principles presents a broadly accepted, adaptive, supportive, and thorough approach to stewardship. Empowering producers to make management decisions guided by these principles and based on their own observations takes into account each farm’s unique situation, acknowledges producers’ self-determination, and promotes deeper learning and lasting commitments.

Media:

• Healthy Soils Legislation Helps Green New Deal (Green Fire Times)
• To address the climate crisis, state legislatures are pushing dozens of bills on soil health (The New Food Economy)
• The New Mexico Healthy Soil Act (Green Fire Times)
• 2019 a big year for environmental legislation (NM Political Report)

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