Founding Circle & Community Partner

1840 Farm Foundation

Practical conservation support, rooted in the farm.

Led by U.S. Air Force veteran Matt Adler, 1840 Farm Foundation is a central Missouri nonprofit helping small producers turn conservation goals into practical action. Its work connects soil health, regenerative grazing, farmer-to-farmer learning, and conservation program navigation.

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Serving Central Missouri

Practical support for the land

When 1840 Farm Foundation can help

Conservation program navigation

Practical help understanding NRCS conservation programs and preparing the records and applications that connect farm goals with conservation planning.

A reason to connect: You want to understand the next steps in a conservation application.

Soil health & grazing

Field experience with soil testing, cover crops, and regenerative grazing, connected to work at Elm Spring Farm in central Missouri.

A reason to connect: You are working through a soil health or pasture-management decision.

Farmer-to-farmer learning

Peer-led learning that brings producers, veterans, and land stewards together around practical experience and the work of caring for land.

A reason to connect: You want to connect a farming question with experience from the field.

Who they work with

Small producers, farmers and ranchers, veterans interested in agriculture, land stewards.

Where they work

Based in central Missouri, with work connected to Elm Spring Farm. Contact the foundation to discuss how its experience fits your location and project.

The practitioner behind the work

Matthew Adler

Graduate Research Assistant | Regenerative Grazing Systems Elm Spring Farm | 1840 Farmhouse Foundation

Matthew Adler is a Graduate Research Assistant at Lincoln University of Missouri and the operator of Elm Spring Farm in central Missouri, where he runs a working research and demonstration site focused on regenerative grazing, small ruminants, and rebuilding soil function. Before agriculture, Matthew completed an MBA and served in nuclear weapons operations with the Department of Defense and Department of Energy — a background that shaped how he approaches complex systems, risk, and execution. He now applies that operational mindset to on-farm research, building low-cost monitoring systems that give producers real data on grazing pressure, regrowth, and overall performance. His work centers on measurement, not intuition. Resilient systems, not hopeful ones. Focus: Adaptive Grazing, Small Ruminant Systems, Forage Management, Pasture Monitoring

Explore Matthew Adler’s expert profile →

Working with Soil Health Exchange

Practical knowledge, shared.

A Founding Circle member since April 2026, 1840 Farm Foundation brings small-producer experience to SHE’s open knowledge exchange.

Explore related resources from Soil Health Exchange, or connect with 1840 Farm Foundation to discuss a field project.

Meet the SHE Founding Circle →Read Matt Adler’s virtual fencing article →Explore SHE’s Farmer Mentors →

This is a complimentary partner feature recognizing our collaboration.

Have a project or question about their work? Tell 1840 Farm Foundation what you are working on, where you are based, and the support you are looking for.

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