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Growing good things takes time
Plot 11840 Farm FoundationApr 2026
Plot 2Piumi MadhuwanthiApr 2026
Plot 3Sledge TaylorApr 2026
Plot 4Cody MenefeeApr 2026
Plot 5Saurav DasJul 2026
Plot 6Ed LiegelJul 2026
Plot 7Michael McDonaldAug 2026
Plot 8Green Cover - Keith BernsAug 2026
Plot 9Deepak GhimireAug 2026
Plot 10Katherine AAug 2026The Founding Circle · Closed August 31, 2026
The farmers, researchers, and organizations who carried Soil Health Exchange through its first independent chapter. Their place here is permanent.
Planted April–August 2026 · the field never reopens
Founding member
Plot 1April 2026
Led by U.S. Air Force veteran Matt Adler, 1840 Farm Foundation helps small producers turn conservation goals into practical action—from soil testing and cover crops to navigating NRCS programs.
New Mexico State University · New Mexico
Plot 2April 2026
Graduate research assistant in Plant and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University, studying soil health, conservation tillage, organic amendments, and greenhouse-gas dynamics in dryland cropping systems.
Mississippi
Plot 3April 2026
“The lessons of taking care of the land, the people that worked with us, the animals and even of the wildlife on the land were more of a lesson of responsibility than of taking care of the environment.”
A fifth-generation Mississippi farmer and owner of Buckeye Farms, Sledge Taylor has used cover crops since 1979 and decades of reduced tillage while serving in national cotton leadership roles.
Founding member
Plot 4April 2026
A technologist and pasture-raised livestock advocate, Cody Menefee explores how rotational grazing, virtual fencing, drones, and AI can make regenerative livestock systems easier to scale.
Founding member
Plot 5July 2026
Soil scientist specializing in soil health, nutrient cycling, and sustainable agriculture; founder of Soil Health Exchange and OpenAgData.
Crop Consultant · Wisconsin
Plot 6July 2026
“I believe in passing on practical in-field knowledge and/or experiences to the next generation of agriculturists.”
An independent crop consultant in southwestern Wisconsin, Ed brings more than four decades of field experience in nutrient management, soil testing, crop scouting, and practical fertility decisions.
Indigo Ridge Farms and the NE Soil Health Coalition · Palmyra, NE
Plot 7August 2026
I live and farm with my north of Palmyra, NE. We want to learn and improve our stewardship steps with others.
Green Cover · Bladen, NE
Plot 8August 2026
“We believe that if people really understand how the plants, the soil, and the biology all work together in diverse communities as God created them to, the adoption of soil health and regenerative agriculture practices will naturally follow.”
Green Cover is a cover crop seed company dedicated to providing the custom seed mixes to fit any cover crop situation in any area of the country with the use of high quality seed and vital educational content.
Missouri
Plot 9August 2026
I’m an agronomist and researcher with a research background in soil and water sciences, specializing in nutrient management, precision agriculture, and sustainable crop production.
Northwestern University
Plot 10August 2026
“Open soil knowledge gives those who need it most, farmers, researchers, policy makers, the public, etc access to information that can help them make a difference and stay informed. The more information we all have access to, the better collaboration can happen.”
3rd year PhD Candidate researching the intersection of sustainable agriculture, carbon removal and capture, and isotope geochemistry to improve our understanding of how to protect and restore our natural systems for the future.
The story behind the circle
2023
SHE began in September 2023 through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s CropWatch. The idea was to connect questions arising on farms with the knowledge held by researchers and specialists—in a form someone could actually use.
2026
Rebuilding SHE independently meant protecting the public mission while learning whether people would find it, trust it, and help carry the quiet work behind every answer, tool, and connection.
10
The name Founding Hundred described the hope. When the window closed, ten people and organizations had stepped forward. Those ten—not an empty target—are the Founding Circle SHE will remember.
What they helped begin
Their support helped SHE remain independent, keep practical knowledge accessible, and begin asking a larger question: how can a farm find not only information, but the right experience, person, and support for the decision in front of it?
The next chapter will be built carefully. The Founding Circle will remain a small place to share what is taking shape, listen before building, and invite participation where someone’s experience can genuinely help.
Permanent recognition
These ten names remain part of the history of Soil Health Exchange. Future participants may help shape what comes next, but the founding chapter is complete.