“The biggest asset a grower has is the land that he farms,” says Nathan Fields, vice president of production and sustainability at the National Corn Growers Association.

From the Farm Bill Conservation Title to collaborative efforts among diverse groups and individuals, Fields supports anything that results in improved soil health.

“Making sure that we’re taking care of that resource in the context of conservation measures has been something that growers have been engaged in for a long time,” he says, adding that commitment to soil health needs to continue.

“Now,” he says, “we’re really beginning to understand a lot more of what those long-term benefits are.”