The Soil CARE Act directs the USDA to create a training program that teaches farmers, agricultural advisors, and government workers about healthy soil management practices. The focus is on biological soil health—basically, keeping the living organisms in soil (like microbes and beneficial insects) balanced and thriving, which helps soil do its job better: hold its structure together, recycle nutrients naturally, fight off pests and diseases, and even clean up contaminated land.

The training program will be offered at least twice every two years in each region across the country, with both online courses and in-person workshops so people can learn in whatever way works best for them. The USDA will partner with organizations that already specialize in soil health to develop and teach these courses, ensuring the training reflects the latest science and real-world experience. The curriculum will cover specific topics like soil health fundamentals and diverse farming systems that work with nature rather than against it.

Essentially, this bill is an investment in education to help American farmers understand and adopt practices that regenerate their soil—making their land healthier, more productive, and more sustainable over time. The USDA will review and update the training materials every two years to keep pace with new research and techniques.

Soil CARE Act of 2023

Merkley, Jeff

Soil Conservation And Regeneration Education Act of 2023 or the Soil CARE Act of 2023This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a training program for biological soil health management in Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs.Under the bill, biological soil health management means land management methods used to increase and balance soil biology, such as microbial biomass and macrofauna, for the purpose of improving biological functions, including forming and stabilizing soil structure, cycling nutrients, controlling pests and disease, and degrading or detoxifying contaminants.The training program must (1) provide education, resources, and technical support to USDA personnel and third-party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and practices for improving soil health; and (2) assist USDA personnel and third-party providers in supporting agricultural producers in understanding and implementing biological soil health management systems that regenerate farmland.The training program must be available twice every two years in each NRCS region and include both an online curriculum and in-person training workshops.The training program must be developed and delivered through cooperative agreements with entities with biological soil health management systems expertise and experience working with and training producers.The bill includes minimum curriculum requirements for the training program, including specific units on soil health and diversified production systems.USDA must review and update the training program curriculum every two years.