Cargill Partners with CTIC on ‘Success From the Ground Up’ Farmer Networks; Nominations Open Through June 15

CTIC News
DCB-Indiana Diverse Farm Tour

CTIC is proud to partner with Cargill and its Success From the Ground Up program to increase farmer-led outreach on soil health in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. Through Success from the Ground Up, Cargill provides financial support to soil health organizations focused on providing access to training and technical information that can help remove barriers for row crop farmers who want to rebuild the health of their soils, plant cover crops, and make better use of their water. 

To maximize impact and coordination at the field level, CTIC invites our member organizations and other partners to join with us in the creation and support of the four farmer peer networks. Each peer network will be led by one or more farmer-leaders, will host a field day during summer 2026, and a winter workshop for year-round engagement and sharing of practical knowledge, lessons learned, new innovations, and removing barriers for continuous improvement.  

“We appreciate the support from Cargill and look forward to partnering with farmer leaders, CTIC members, and other aligned organizations to jump-start these farmer networks,” said Ryan Heiniger, CTIC Executive Director. “As someone who has directly organized field days on our operation in Iowa, these are worthwhile events and can make a huge difference for other farmers wanting to learn and hear directly from farmers.”

CTIC is seeking farmer nominations by June 15 and will review applications on an ongoing basis. Farmers with a passion for conservation agriculture are encouraged to apply and to consider teaming up with a local counterpart to jointly create the network. The application process should take 3-5 minutes. Through the generous Cargill grant, CTIC will provide funding to cover costs for the summer field day and winter workshops. 

Success From The Ground Up is made possible by the generous support of Cargill.
Learn more at Cargill RegenConnect.

Related News

Taking Care of Crops by Taking Care of the Land: The Leggett Farming Partnership, Conservation in Action Tour Farm Stop Host

There’s always something going on at Leggett Farming Partnership. “We farm about 13 months out of the year,” Sue Leggett jokes. “We are very busy people, but we’re always looking for ways to innovate and be better and be progressive.” Sue and her husband, Brent, own and operate Leggett Farming Partnership. They grow sweet potatoes,…

Systems Working for the Soil: Z3 Agriculture, Conservation in Action Tour Farm Stop Host

Zeb Winslow’s experience in timing and asset utilization drives not only his farm and equipment decisions, but it also drives his soil decisions.

“The most expensive thing that you will rent or buy over the course of your farming career is sitting dormant for 75-80 percent of the year,” Winslow says. “It should be doing something. The soils weren’t designed to lay empty for that amount of time.”

Speakers and Stations Added for Conservation in Action Tour

Regenerative farmers to provide perspectives on circular production systems that scale.   This year’s Conservation in Action Tour will feature 10+ innovative farmers, each presenting their own station to broaden perspectives for attendees interested in diverse rotations, profitability of conservation practices, market development opportunities, conservation financing, nutrient management, technology, and data benchmarking and monetization. The 19th annual…