CTIC Hires Catie Geib as New Soil Health Specialist in Wisconsin and Announces Cover Crop Webinar Series

CTIC Hires Catie Geib as New Soil Health Specialist in Wisconsin and Announces Cover Crop Webinar Series

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, September 6, 2023 –Soil health specialist Catie Geib has joined the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), a 41-year-old conservation agriculture non-profit, to provide technical support to Wisconsin farmers under the Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) program.

The Farmers for Soil Health program provides payments for new and existing cover crop users. CTIC will provide technical assistance to farmers participating in FSH in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota, and is partnering with the state soybean associations in all three states to promote the program. Registration for the FSH program is now open and farmers can enroll any time using the DTN enrollment form. CTIC's goal is to enroll 30,000 acres of cover crops in Wisconsin for the Farmers for Soil Health program.

Catie Geib is the former My Wisconsin Woods Coordinator at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, where she collaborated closely with Wisconsin landowners to foster sustainable land management practices on forested properties. Hailing from Northern California, Catie's upbringing on a multi-generational ranch instilled a profound connection to the land. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in soil science from Montana State University.

“I am excited to join CTIC and contribute to their mission of advancing soil health and sustainable agricultural practices, something near to my heart," said Geib. "I am so eager to connect Wisconsin farmers with the FSH program, as it offers valuable support, both economically and ecologically. This makes it a fantastic addition to assist producers and enhance the agricultural landscape in our state."

“The Wisconsin Soybean Association is proud to support the Farmers for Soil Health program and partner with the Conservation Technology Information Center to increase technical support to Wisconsin farmers interested in cover crops. We look forward to working with CTIC’s Soil Health Specialist Catie Geib. I encourage Wisconsin soybean farmers to see if this program is a good fit for their farm and sustainability goals,” said Sara Stelter, President of Wisconsin Soybean Association.

To introduce attendees to the Farmers for Soil Health platform and walk through the enrollment process, CTIC will be hosting an introductory webinar on September 21 at 10am CDT. The free webinar will also include presentations from Jamie Johnson, a farmer from Frankfort, South Dakota and district director for the South Dakota Soybean Association, as well as CTIC Soil Health Specialists. This will be a webinar series, future webinars in this series will focus on specific aspects of cover crops in the region. Register for the webinar here.

FSH is a collaboration between the National Corn Growers Association, the National Pork Board and the United Soybean Board. It is also supported by DTN, the American Soybean Association, National Association of Conservation Districts, the Soil Health Institute, The Sustainability Consortium, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, University of Missouri Center for Regenerative and the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA. FSH is being funded by Climate Smart Commodity grants from USDA.

CTIC is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and provides information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable. The organization was founded in 1982 to support the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems.