Soil Health Institute

What Soil Health Institute does

The Soil Health Institute (SHI) is a 501(c)(3) global non-profit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Its mission is to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils through scientific research and advancement. SHI serves farmers, ranchers, certified crop advisors, extension agents, NRCS staff, corporate sustainability teams, policymakers, and conservation organizations, with working programs across North America including the United States and Canada and growing international reach (its 10th Anniversary Meeting drew attendees from 75 countries).

SHI's core technology portfolio includes the Drought Resilience Calculator, a free web-based decision support tool that simulates the soil water cycle using historical weather data and quantifies changes in evaporation, transpiration, and plant-available water; the Slakes smartphone app, which uses computer vision to evaluate soil aggregate stability in the field; the North American Soil Health Measurements initiative, which has standardized three measurement protocols (soil organic carbon, carbon mineralization, aggregate stability) across commercial laboratories; and a developing farmer-facing data portal. These tools are supported by regional soil health benchmarking reports across multiple U.S. regions and Canada, partial-budget economic analyses conducted with 150+ farmers across 23 states, and crop-system-specific fact sheets.

SHI's revenue model is non-profit and grant-dependent. The organization is sustained through tax-deductible donations (via give.soilhealthinstitute.org), the Dr. Wayne Honeycutt Endowment for Soil Health, and grants from corporate partners (Cargill, General Mills, Walmart Foundation, Wells Fargo, McCain Foods, Levi Strauss & Co., Wrangler, Patagonia, UPL, United Soybean Board) and philanthropic foundations (Walton Family Foundation, McKnight, FFAR, NFWF, Noble, Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation, Greenbelt Foundation, Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, VF Foundation), with additional research funding from USDA ARS, USDA NRCS, and the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E. Major multi-stakeholder programs include the $25 million Farmers for Soil Health initiative across 20 states, the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund, the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration Project with DMI, and the McCain Regional Conservation Partnerships Program for potato systems. Distribution is free and digital-first (website, web tools, mobile app, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, email newsletter) complemented by a network of regional soil health educators and technical specialists embedded across U.S. agricultural states.

Name

Soil Health Institute

Legal name

Soil Health Institute

Website

https://soilhealthinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soil Health Institute is a 501(c)(3) global non-profit that advances regenerative agriculture through standardized soil health measurements, free farmer-facing tools, regional benchmarking, and education programs serving farmers, advisors, corporations, and policymakers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Soil Health Research and Education

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Soil Health & Biological Testing Services (Microbial Activity, Organic Matter, Respiration) (AFACAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Testing & Nutrient Analysis Services (AFACAKAA), Nutrient Management & Fertility Optimization Analytics (AFABAMAJ), Soil & Field Mapping Analytics (EC Mapping, Zone Delineation) (AFABAMAH), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB), Irrigation & Water Use Efficiency Agronomy (AFACABAF), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

Keywords

• Soil health research
• Regenerative agriculture education
• Soil measurement science
• Agricultural conservation programs
• Farmer education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Soil Health Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The website includes a donation portal and an endowment fund (Dr. Wayne Honeycutt Endowment for Soil Health). Donations are tax-deductible.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: SHI receives grant funding from corporations, foundations, and government agencies to support specific soil health research, education, and program initiatives. Examples include a $300,000 grant from Wells Fargo for Iowa's Des Moines Lobe region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Soil Health Institute conducts scientific research on soil health measurement standards and regenerative agricultural practices, then translates findings into free educational resources, digital tools, and farmer programs. Core deliverables include standardized soil health measurement protocols, region-specific benchmarking studies, the Drought Resilience Calculator web tool, the Slakes smartphone app, economic analysis tools, and large-scale farmer education initiatives such as Farmers for Soil Health, the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund, and the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project.

Product overview

The Soil Health Institute operates as a nonprofit research and education organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products and initiatives focused on advancing soil health science and adoption. The core offerings include the Drought Resilience Calculator (a web-based decision support tool), the Slakes smartphone app for aggregate stability testing, and the North American Soil Health Measurements initiative establishing standardized soil health indicators. These are complemented by regional soil health benchmarking reports, economic analysis tools, and fact sheets. Major initiatives include Farmers for Soil Health (cover crop adoption program), the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund, and the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project. The organization translates science into actionable resources through farmer education programs, technical specialists, and a network of farmer mentors across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drought Resilience Calculator: A web-based tool that helps farmers and advisors assess how soil health management practices can improve water availability and crop resilience against drought conditions.
• Slakes App

Products and services

• Drought Resilience Calculator A free web-based decision support tool that simulates the soil water cycle using historical weather data to quantify how soil health management practices change evaporation, transpiration, and plant available water, helping farmers and advisors assess drought resilience.
• Slakes App A free smartphone application that uses computer-vision image analysis to test soil aggregate stability in the field, providing farmers and advisors with a quick indicator of soil health, erosion resistance, and water infiltration.
• Regional Soil Health Reports Region-specific publications providing soil health benchmarks and management practices for agricultural regions including the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Canada), Southern Coastal Plain, Gulf Coast, Driftless Region, Texas, and others.
• Fact Sheets and Economic Analysis Tools Crop-specific and region-specific fact sheets and economic analysis tools covering profitability analysis, drought resilience, and economic outcomes of soil health management for farmers and advisors.
• North American Soil Health Measurements Protocol A standardized protocol of three measurements (soil organic carbon, carbon mineralization, and aggregate stability) recommended for broad application across North America with measurement protocols standardized across commercial laboratories.
• U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund A multi-organization initiative advancing soil health across the U.S. Cotton Belt through soil health benchmarking, farmer education, and economic analysis with Cotton Incorporated, Wrangler, Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cover crops can reduce erosion by nearly 60% when planted after potato harvest in Eastern Canada
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA NRCS is a key technical and funding partner supporting SHI's soil health measurement standards, farmer programs, and conservation initiatives. SHI works with NRCS staff nationally as technical specialists.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA ARS collaborates with SHI on soil health research and measurement standardization, contributing scientific expertise and research capacity.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature Conservancy partners with SHI on conservation and soil health initiatives, leveraging shared goals around environmental sustainability in agriculture.
• American Society of AgronomycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAF hosts SHI's measurement standards and scientific workforce. SHI was awarded the ASA Presidential Award in 2025 for its influence on agronomic sciences.
• US Cotton Trust ProtocolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Cotton Trust Protocol collaborates with SHI on soil health benchmarking and sustainability measurement within the U.S. cotton industry.
• Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField to Market works with SHI on sustainable agriculture indicators and soil health metrics within the broader sustainability measurement framework.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSARE collaborates with SHI on soil health research, education, and extension programs across the U.S.
• Dairy Management Inc. / Innovation Center for U.S. DairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMI partners with SHI on the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration Project, advancing soil health in dairy production systems.
• Rodale InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRodale Institute collaborates with SHI on soil health research, including the long-term Farming Systems Trial which is part of SHI's North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements.
• Greenbelt FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Greenbelt Foundation collaborated with SHI to release a Regional Soil Health Report for the Greater Golden Horseshoe region in Canada, presenting benchmarks and management practices for improving soil health.
• US Climate AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Climate Alliance partners with SHI on climate-smart agriculture and soil health as part of state-level climate commitments.
• University of Missouri Center for Regenerative AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHI leads the FSH education team alongside the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture, collaborating with technical assistance leads in each state for the Farmers for Soil Health initiative covering 20 states.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with major agriculture and soil health programs. Operates at significantly larger scale than SHI but shares the mission of advancing sustainable agriculture and soil health outcomes; existing SHI partner, so a natural comparable.

Direct peers

• Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture: Multi-stakeholder alliance developing sustainability metrics and benchmarking tools for U.S. commodity agriculture. Highly comparable to SHI's measurement and benchmarking work; both target standardized soil health and sustainability indicators across U.S. cropping systems.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program that funds and promotes sustainable agriculture research and farmer education across the U.S. Direct comparable to SHI's soil health research and farmer-facing education mission; existing SHI partner and overlapping educator networks.
• Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR): Public-private nonprofit that funds agricultural research and innovation, including soil health and regenerative agriculture grants. Comparable as a research-grant-making nonprofit operating in the soil health space; existing SHI partner and co-funder of multiple SHI programs.
• Rodale Institute: Nonprofit research and education organization focused on regenerative organic agriculture through long-term trials like the Farming Systems Trial. Directly comparable to SHI for soil health research, measurement science, and farmer-facing education; SHI already collaborates with Rodale on the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements.
• Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC): Nonprofit information center that promotes conservation farming practices including cover crops and reduced tillage. Directly comparable to SHI in mission scope—promoting adoption of soil health and conservation practices with farmer-outreach orientation.
• American Farmland Trust: Nonprofit focused on protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. Shares SHI's farmer-education orientation and soil health advocacy across U.S. agricultural regions; both target farmer adoption of regenerative and conservation practices.

Emerging players

• Indigo Ag: Commercial agtech company with major soil-carbon, microbial, and regenerative agriculture programs (hired former SHI scientist Cara Mathers). For-profit counterpart offering agronomic and carbon-market services that overlap with SHI's measurement science and farmer sustainability offerings.
• Soil Science Society of America: Professional scientific society that advances soil science through publications, certification, and conferences. Comparable to SHI for soil science authority and standards—SHI's recommended measurements are hosted in collaboration with ASA, and ASA awarded SHI the Presidential Award in 2025.
• Kiss the Ground: Nonprofit focused on regenerative agriculture awareness, education, and advocacy with strong storytelling and farmer-outreach orientation. Comparable to SHI for soil health education and advocacy; smaller scope but aligned mission and overlapping influencer networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeBuJZT0GiS-iVxaPNfqkww
• Facebookfacebook.com/soilhealthinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soil-health-institute
• Xx.com/soil_institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soil Health Institute