inaugural Newsletter: Got Soil Health?

Read our Monthly Florida Soil Health Coalition Email that was sent out August, 2025

August, 2025

🌱 Welcome to the Inaugural Florida Soil Health Coalition Newsletter!

Imagine a world where farmers and ranchers cultivate nutrient-dense food in thriving soil. Picture diverse fields filled with flavorful vegetables, fruits, and rich pasture grass for livestock, alongside vibrant forests and clear rivers and springs. In this vision, farms are profitable, support multi-generational families, and enrich surrounding communities.

🌻 Who Are We?

The Florida Soil Health Coalition is a farmer-led initiative focused on education and mentorship to promote soil health practices. We envision a regenerative future where healthy soil fosters thriving ecosystems and vibrant communities by:

• Promoting cooperation among farmers to enhance soil health and profitability.

• Strengthening partnerships between farmers, ranchers, soil scientists, conservationists, and consumers.

• Improving water infiltration and retention to reduce runoff and enhance water quality.

• Educating consumers about farmers' regenerative journeys, leading to nutrient-dense food and better health.

• Increasing resilience, sustainability, crop yield, and profitability for Florida's family farms.

☀️ Featured Supporter: Dr. Jonathan Lundgren

This month, we spotlight Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, a renowned scientist, entomologist, agroecologist, and CEO of Blue Dasher Farm and the Ecdysis Foundation

Jonathan is leading efforts to transition farms to regenerative practices globally, and has supported our mission in Florida through his team’s work with Florida’s citrus and blueberry farmers. Check out his short webinar on the challenges and promise of regenerative farming with the 1000 Farms Study, or watch Dr. Lundgren’s short TED Talk from March, 2025.

🐝 Join us!

As we build a coalition that makes a real impact in Florida, here are the ideas we have so far, to kickstart our efforts:

• Field Days at Regenerative Farms: Experience firsthand the benefits of regenerative practices.

• Peer-to-Peer Farmer Mentoring: Connect and learn from each other.

• Education on Soil Health Practices: Webinars and workshops to empower farmers.

• Community Message Board: Raise awareness about soil health.

• Directory of Local Farms & Markets: Support local regeneratively raised food.

🌿 What's Next?

• The Florida Soil Health Coalition will host a virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 2 @ 5:30 PM via Zoom. Meeting ID: [...]

• Monthly webinars will start in October. We welcome your input and creative ideas! If you’re interested in contributing your time and talents to help organize and grow the Florida Soil Health Coalition, please reach out to us at FloridaSoilHealth@gmail.com.

🗓️ Save the Date:

The Southern Cover Crops Council will hold its annual Conference in Gainesville, Florida this year on February 25-26, 2026, with the theme “Unlocking the Secrets of Cover Cropping in the South.” Co-hosted by the University of Florida’s IFAS Team, you can find out more here: Cover Crops Conference.

To our health!

Lauren Jorgensen*

Founder , Florida Soil Health Coalition

* Lauren and her husband Frank Tobias own & operate Starlight Farm & Preserve in Suwannee County, raising grassfed beef cattle. While not soil health experts, they are graduates of the Soil Health Academy and are dedicated to improving Florida’s soil health, farm nutrition, human health, and the well-being of all life in their environment.

floridasoilhealth.org

Florida Soil Health Coalition

The Florida Soil Health Coalition is a new, small self-funded working group with a big reach. We represent a network of innovative farmers, scientists, environmentalists and advocates. Our purpose as a coalition is to foster education, communication and collaboration to catalyze relationships that regenerate healthy soils and the communities that depend on them.

Regenerating Soils & Communities Copyright (C) 2025 Florida Soil Health Coalition. All rights reserved.

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