Dr. Jim Jordahl evaluates monetizing soil health from a land valuation perspective. Dr. Jordahl has more than 30 years of experience in farming operations, soil science, engineering, environmental science, and project management. Dr. Jordahl currently works with the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to increase the pace and scale of farmer-led efforts to improve water quality.
Dr. Jordahl said the date for a widely-accepted soil health metric is rapidly approaching. When that metric is accepted, a number of economic incentives will become apparent in the agricultural real estate marketplace. A metric on soil health that properly indicates increased agricultural productivity of a piece of property could encourage landowners to adopt and/or pressure property managers into adopting better soil health practices.