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STAR Monthly News – December 2023

National STAR wishes you joy, warmth, and laughter this holiday season. Thank you for being a cherished part of our growing community. Happy holidays!

Message from Caroline Wade, STAR ED

The end of the year is a time for reflection, celebration, learning, and hope for the future. As we look back at our work in 2023, STAR is celebrating the progress we’ve made in establishing a new national organization and the partners who have made that progress possible. National STAR formally launched this year and in six short months pulled together a strong, collaborative, and proven team of passionate staff and partners who have hit the ground running (read more about the newest additions in the articles below).

Current STAR Affiliates in Colorado, Illinois, and Washington made significant strides this year in expanding their work and adding capacity. In our last newsletter, we highlighted the impressive work of Colorado STAR and this month the newsletter spotlight is on the development of Washington STAR and on their new team members. Next month we’ll focus on the many exciting new developments from Illinois STAR. Aspiring foundational work is underway in Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico, and Utah and we look forward to supporting them as they evolve in 2024.

We’ve been busy refining the STAR framework, tools, and strategies to offer more support and resources for producers and conservation partners to best fit their needs. We know from the work of current STAR Affiliates that a successful path must be locally led, producer focused, scientifically sound, and flexible enough to accommodate the risks that come with change, the trials and errors. We continue to celebrate producer success but also the process of learning which encourages incremental steps forward. We are grateful for the hard work and stewardship of STAR farmers and ranchers and the enthusiastic support of stakeholders and funders in Affiliate states and all across the US that have been promoting and encouraging STAR’s vision and expansion. The STAR team is making plans for 2024 and there will be more to come. We are ending this year feeling energized and excited for the future of STAR and the developing opportunities for farmers and ranchers. We hope you will join us on this journey!

STAR Affiliate Updates

Spotlight on Washington STAR and WASHI Soil Health Initiative

STAR launched in Washington in 2023 as part of the ongoing work of the Washington Soil Health Initiative (WaSHI). WaSHI, a tri-agency partnership between the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the State Conservation Commission, and Washington State University, promotes soil health through research, technical support, outreach and education, incentives, and policy support. Core WaSHI projects include a statewide soil sampling effort called the State of the Soils Assessment; a network of long-term agroecological research and extension sites; a grant program called Sustainable Farms and Fields that funds the reduction of agricultural greenhouse gases and increased carbon sequestration; and SoilCon, an annual multi-day event that brings together researchers, producers, and stakeholders to discuss soil health practices and innovations. These projects were informed by the findings of an initial statewide needs assessment, published as the Soil Health Roadmap. As part of this needs assessment, growers also asked WaSHI to help generate market-based, economic value for their conservation practices. WaSHI sought out STAR in direct response to those requests. STAR was chosen for its scientific credibility, its consistent scale for evaluating progress across regions and systems, and its potential to unite soil health champions in Washington with those across the country. Washington STAR will open for grower enrollment at WSDA in Summer 2024.

Register for SoilCon

SoilCon is an incredible resource for those interested in improving soil health across the globe. Over the past three years, the event has brought together 84 experts from across the country to share their expertise on a range of topics, including long-term research, soil biology, and Native American perspectives on soil health. This year’s SoilCon brings the best of both worlds—virtual and hybrid events. Whether you prefer the convenience of online learning or the enriching experience of in-person gatherings, SoilCon has you covered through a network of events happening across Washington state. Learn more and register.

This year’s events include:

• SoilCon: Global Perspectives; Tuesday, February 6th
• SoilCon: Diversified Organic; Thursday, February 8th
• SoilCon: Irrigated Perennials; Tuesday, February 13th
• SoilCon: NW Washington Annuals; Thursday, February 15th
• SoilCon: Dryland; Tuesday, February 20th

Spotlight on WASHINGTON STAR staff

Dani Gelardi, Senior Soil Scientist and Climate Coordinator, Washington State Department of Agriculture: Dani Gelardi is the Senior Soil Scientist and Climate Coordinator at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, where she leads soil and climate efforts for the agency including the Washington Soil Health Initiative. She is also Adjunct Faculty at Washington State University in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Dani received her Ph.D. and M.S. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from the University of California, Davis, as a Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellow, and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research program encompasses soil health measurements, biochar, conservation practice adoption, and carbon accounting in agricultural lands.

Lauren Quackenbush, Soil Health Economic Development Coordinator, Washington State Department of Agriculture: Lauren Quackenbush is the Soil Health Economic Development Coordinator, and lead STAR administrator, at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. She joined the WSDA in September of 2023 with fifteen years’ experience in soils and agriculture and a soil science degree from Cal Poly Humboldt. She’s a Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS), and licensed agricultural Pest Control Advisor (PCA). Lauren owned and operated a flower and vegetable farm; and worked as a soil scientist, agricultural consultant, and IPM specialist. For the last five years, she’s worked in the Napa and Sonoma wine industry, as an Operations Manager for a vineyard management company, and as a Grower Representative for a winery collection. As the STAR administrator in Washington, Lauren looks forward to leveraging her experience and expertise to foster connections between farmers, ranchers, and industry groups. She’s excited to develop accessible new sources of financial and professional support for Washington producers.

National STAR News

STAR Launches Our Website

STAR is pleased to announce that we’ve launched a full organizational website. Take a look to learn more about how STAR was founded; our team; STAR Affiliates in Washington, Colorado, and Illinois; how to start an Affiliate; the resources we offer; and how to get in touch. We’ll keep adding news and information to our website as our program – and Affiliate programs – grows.

Walton Family Foundation Provides STAR Support to Expand in the Mississippi River Basin

We are proud to announce that Walton Family Foundation has provided STAR a grant to support and expand STAR across the Mississippi River Basin. National STAR will continue to guide development of STAR Affiliates in Iowa and Missouri and engage with stakeholders in Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, and Kansas to explore how STAR could help amplify and connect conservation efforts and provide a more producer-focused, streamlined, and effective mechanism for guiding conservation adoption and connecting producers to a wide variety of incentive programs and technical support. Building from the lessons learned through the successful implementation of STAR Affiliates in Illinois and Colorado, STAR will support development of state-specific field forms and scoring systems and customized Conservation Improvement Plans to empower producers and connect them with the technical, economic, and financial resources critical for successful and sustained shifts to more conservation focused production systems.

LOR Foundation Provides STAR Support to Expand in New Mexico and Wyoming

The LOR Foundation is supporting STAR develop STAR Affiliates in New Mexico and Wyoming through a one-year grant in 2024. STAR will be working with state level partners and stakeholders to evaluate capacity, challenges, and opportunities to tailor the STAR framework to best meet the needs of New Mexico and Wyoming farmers and ranchers. National STAR will host local stakeholder convenings in these states with a focus on producer-led conversations to inform the establishment of New Mexico and Wyoming STAR Affiliates. In New Mexico, STAR’s signature grassroots, locally led science process will be initiated to develop state-specific field forms and scoring systems for evaluating soil health across priority cropland and grazing land production systems. STAR will begin automation of these tools in the STAR WebApp to prepare for a launch of New Mexico STAR enrollment for producers in 2025.

STAR’s goals in these two states are to provide producers with a clear roadmap for soil health system adoption through the STAR rating and Conservation Improvement Plan and to expand opportunities for them to earn financial incentives for soil health management practices that address water-related challenges through pay-for-performance programs. Soil health practices can have a significant impact on reducing agricultural water – especially in water-limited western states. Although farmers and ranchers see the value in soil health practice implementation, a lack of sufficient information, technical support, and funding to incentivize practice change often constrains wider adoption. The LOR Foundation support provides STAR a timely opportunity to engage with local stakeholders to amplify soil health efforts by developing tools and opportunities to scale up funding for innovative soil health practice implementation – and with that funding, incentivize larger scale practice adoption.

Announcing, Jake Deutmeyer, STAR Program Director

As we continue to expand our program and offerings, we are excited to introduce Jake Deutmeyer who joins STAR as the Program Director and brings a unique blend of farming and business experience from around the globe to STAR. While he grew up on his family’s dairy farm near Dyersville, Iowa, he worked over 5 years in the spice industry where he procured spices and herbs sold directly to consumers or used in flavorings. As a Commodity Manager at Frontier Coop in Norway, Iowa, he helped build capacity in fast growing organic supply chains by developing new sources from small scale farmers in Spain, Guatemala, Nicaragua, India, and Sri Lanka. He took his knowledge of sourcing and supply chain impacts and worked nearly 2 years as a Senior Project Manager with Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) where he helped lead 12 pilots on farms across the United States through regenerative practice changes generating Scope 3 Insets for food and beverage companies.

Introducing Our New Webapp Development Team

We had a number of outstanding responses to the RFP for Phase II Progressive Web Application Design & Development. This work will provide the technical services needed to enhance the design and expand development of STAR’s progressive web application to meet the needs of a national scale program to help landowners implement conservation on their land in a way that keeps it productive and profitable.

We are pleased to announce that we’ve created a dream team of webapp developers – including four companies and organizations that are leaders in the field. Our team includes Houston Engineering, Inc. and Heartland Science and Technology who will build the application, Wave Interactive who will lead the web application design and user interface, and PLANT Group who will coordinate this project.

Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI) is a full service, multidisciplinary consulting firm with offices across the Upper Midwest that provides software development, GIS, engineering, surveying, environmental, and planning services. HEI has a long history serving agricultural clients and has a firm understanding of American agriculture.

Heartland Science and Technology is a non-profit organization offering full-service technology strategic planning, development, deployment, and management services. Heartland’s trusted technical team has built custom solutions in diverse domains such as sustainable agriculture, cybersecurity, and resilient transportation systems.

Wave Interactive is a team of dedicated Strategists, Designers and Engineers who work to improve users’ experience on the web. Wave Interactive has worked with many different national and international brands over many years on various web-based projects.

PLANT Group is a climate tech company developing software solutions for decarbonizing the planet, while connecting humans and nature. PLANT Group will provide agile project management, product development, UI/UX research, and data science services to support app development.

Signal Group Joins as STAR’s Communications Team

Signal Group is joining STAR after winning the Communications and Marketing Development RFP contract that STAR put out this fall. Over the next few months, Signal Group will be working closely with STAR to develop and synthesize our messaging, communications strategies, and branding for the national STAR organization and provide resources for STAR Affiliates. Signal Group is a fully integrated, bipartisan strategic communications, digital, and public affairs firm that supports clients across a wide range of sectors, including food, agriculture, and conservation. Their team of experts, led by a former communications advisor for the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, bring an in-depth understanding of agriculture conservation issues.

See STAR Soon at…

Soil Health in the West Conference 2024

The Soil Health in the West Conference, February 6 – 8 in St. George, Utah, brings together world experts and regional soil health practitioners under one roof for a multi-day learning and networking opportunity unlike any other in the Western United States. Twenty-one speakers will cover topics from grazing with soil health to soil health impact on water availability and everything in between. Three members of the STAR team – Caroline Wade, Jake Deutmeyer, and STAR contractor Max Neumeyer will attend. Read more and register.

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting

The STAR team will be attending the 78th NACD Annual Meeting in San Diego, California on February 10-14, 2024. NACD’s mission is to promote responsible management and conservation of natural resources on all lands by representing locally-led conservation districts and their associations through grassroots advocacy, education and partnerships. Come and meet the STAR team at our booth – we’ll have national STAR staff attending – including Caroline Wade, Jake Deutmeyer, and Amanda Raster; STAR Co-founder and Board Chair Steve Stierwalt; as well as Affiliate STAR staff from the Colorado, Illinois, and Washington.