It Starts with Good Soil

I love a good coffee and catch-up. In person or virtually, I’ve found many of my career passions have been ignited over a cup of coffee. I decided I was going to dive deep into soil health, while having a coffee with my mom. She asked what I was working on and I explained an anomaly I was seeing in the marketplace. Garments labeled with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) certifications were gaining popularity at big box stores. I was familiar with the BCI standard, as a good first step for responsible cotton farming, best utilized in regions where yield is king and conservation is often deprioritized. I’d read that many US farmers were uninterested in pursuing BCI certification because they felt their farming practices already exceeded the BCI standard, with respect to soil health and water conservation. The US farmers argued they didn’t want to pay a not insignificant fee to certify to a lesser standard. An interesting problem, no doubt. 

I explained to my mom that I wanted to understand US cotton farming practices, to understand for myself how they differed from the BCI standard. I’d also been following the developing US Cotton Trust Protocol, which as of 2024 has enrolled 25% of US cotton acreage. I wanted to talk with cotton farmers about this program and why they would or would not want to enroll. 

My mom suggested I start with wheat. Southeast Kansas is not known for cotton production, but there is a lot of farming. My mom grew up riding seed drills and combines on her family farm, where they still grow wheat, soy, and corn. The seasons, equipment, and processes are not the same as cotton - but soil health is a concern for all farmers - so it was a great place to start.