New Mexico Healthy Soil Program
July 1, 2026
New Mexico has been a leader in soil health for years. In 2019, the New Mexico State Legislature passed the Healthy Soil Act, creating programs and enhancing resources for farmers, ranchers, and landowners to invest in their soil health with expert technical assistance from local professionals. Through the Act, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) works in partnership with other organizations to improve soil health, collect data, and determine new and innovative ways to improve soil health. Continuing to champion soil health will result in healthier crops and livestock production, and increase New Mexico’s food security.
The New Mexico Healthy Soil program is a grant program that prioritizes the five principles of soil health:
- keeping soil covered
- minimizing soil disturbance on cropland and minimizing external inputs
- maximizing biodiversity
- maintaining a living root, and
- integrating animals into land management, including grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects or keystone species, such as earthworms
Every year, NMDA awards grants based on one or more of these principles. The next application cycle opens January 2027. NMDA encourages each potential applicant to begin working on their project idea in Fall 2026. Projects selected for funding will happen between July 2027 and September 2028.
To stay up to date on changes to the New Mexico Healthy Soil program, you can sign up to join the weekly update list here.
The New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group is a key partner in advocating for and educating farmers, ranchers, and community members on soil health practices within the state. Recent blog posts have included helpful insights into composting and the benefits of implementing soil health practices to mitigate rising input costs, including fertilizer. The working group offers field days, farmer and rancher stories, and scientific findings about soil health practices.