Marking 10 years, Soil Health Institute celebrates ASA Presidential Award, looks to new era

MORRISVILLE, N.C., Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Soil Health Institute marks its tenth year as a global non-profit dedicated to safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils, the organization has been honored with the Presidential Award from the American Society of Agronomy.

The award recognizes "individuals or teams who have influenced agronomic sciences or crop production practices so greatly that the impact of their efforts will be enduring on future science," the society said. 

The award was given at CANVAS — the international annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America — in Salt Lake City Nov. 10.

Founded in 2015, the Soil Health Institute creates and translates soil health knowledge to empower farmers and ranchers to grow quality food, fiber, and fuel using regenerative soil health systems. These systems sustain farms and rural communities, promote climate resilience and a clean environment, and improve human health and well-being. With more than 30 employees working remotely and at its headquarters in North Carolina, SHI has expanded its footprint across North America and beyond.

As SHI enters its second decade, the organization will also transition to new leadership, with its second CEO and President expected to be announced in December.

Under the guidance of founding CEO and President, Dr. C. Wayne Honeycutt, SHI's accomplishments include:

• Demonstrating the business case for adopting soil health practices on over 160 farms
• Identifying cost-effective, widely applicable measurements of soil health now supported by USDA in all 50 states
• Establishing soil health benchmarks on more than 19 million acres, showing farmers how healthy their soils can become and how much more water they can store once improved
• Delivering education programs across 35 states and three provinces to support farmers on their adoption journey

For more on the Soil Health Institute's programs and future direction, register for SHI's free virtual 10^th Anniversary Meeting Dec. 3-4.

The Soil Health Institute's funders include Cargill, Cotton Incorporated, Earth Optics, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, General Mills, the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Indigo, Land O'Lakes, Levi Strauss & Co., McCain Foods, the McKnight Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Patagonia, Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, RÙADH, Unilever, the United States Climate Alliance, UPL, the United Soybean Board, USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, VF Foundation, Walmart Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Wells Fargo, Wrangler, and Yard Stick.

About the Soil Health Institute

The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission of safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils through scientific research and advancement. Our vision is a world where farmers and ranchers grow quality food, fiber, and fuel using soil health systems that sustain farms and rural communities, promote a stable climate and clean environment, and improve human health and well-being. By bringing together leaders in science and industry, SHI conducts research and empowers farmers and landowners to adopt soil health systems that contribute economic and environmental benefits to agriculture and society. Find out more at www.soilhealthinstitute.org or on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Media Contact: Alisson Clark, Communications Director, (919) 504-2369

SOURCE Soil Health Institute