The New York Soil Health Challenge is recruiting 100 farmers for a three-year statewide study that will benchmark soil health across every major production system in the state.

Organised by Cornell University's Soil Health Laboratory in partnership with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the programme supplies each participating farm with free comprehensive soil testing — normally priced at $120 per sample — plus agronomic support from Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.

Enrollment opened this month and runs through the end of the year, with the first round of soil sampling scheduled for spring 2026.

"We want to build a statewide baseline of soil health data that reflects how New York farms actually operate," said Dr. Aaron Ristow, the programme's coordinator. "Every farm that joins is contributing to a dataset that will guide soil management recommendations for the next decade."

The study targets a deliberately broad cross-section: dairy operations in the Mohawk Valley, vegetable growers on Long Island, cash grain farms in the Finger Lakes, and livestock producers in the North Country. Organisers say the 100 slots will be allocated to ensure representation across soil types, farm sizes and management systems.

Each participant receives the Cornell Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health, which measures more than a dozen physical, chemical and biological indicators, including aggregate stability, active carbon, organic matter and root health. Farmers also get a management plan tailored to their results and a $100 stipend per year to offset sampling costs.

The challenge builds on two decades of soil health research at Cornell, where the Soil Health Laboratory has processed more than 40,000 samples since 2001. That dataset underpins the state's soil health scoring framework, which growers use to interpret test results against regional benchmarks.

"Farmers often ask us what a good number looks like for their soil type," said Ristow. "This study will sharpen those benchmarks considerably, especially for systems like reduced tillage vegetables and managed grazing that are underrepresented in our current database."

Participants commit to three annual sampling cycles on the same fields, allowing researchers to track how management changes — cover cropping, reduced tillage, manure application — shift soil indicators over time. Farmers who adopt at least one new soil health practice during the study period qualify for a 50 percent discount on cover crop seed through participating seed dealers.

The programme also carries a policy dimension. Data from the challenge will inform the state's agricultural environmental stewardship initiatives and could shape future incentive structures under New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets targets for agricultural carbon sequestration.

"Soil health is where farm profitability and climate policy intersect," Ristow said. "The better our data, the better our programmes serve the farmers who need them."

Farmers can apply online through the New York Soil Health Initiative website or through their county Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Organisers expect slots to fill quickly and will maintain a waitlist for the 2027 sampling cycle.

For growers weighing whether to join, the calculus is straightforward: free testing worth roughly $360 over three years, professional agronomic interpretation, and early access to the benchmark data that will shape New York soil management guidance for years to come.