Piloting Midwestern Soil Health Appraisals

Soil Health-focused Land Valuation Market Research in Illinois

Delta analyzed Illinois’ farmland real estate market in Illinois to institutionalize Soil Health as a factor in the land appraisal process in Illinois.

Institutionalizing Soil Health Land Valuation in Michigan

Delta engaged landowners, land managers, and farmers to implement conservation practices in Southeastern Michigan, thus improving environmental outcomes, while exploring soil health as a core component of the land valuation and appraisal process of Michigan's working lands.

Conservation Hotspot Analysis in Illinois

To assess conservation adoption in Illinois and identify key factors that lead to higher adoption rates, Delta Institute (Delta) and the Environmental Working Group partnered to identify conservation hotspots. We utilized publicly available data to identify where conservation practices are being adopted. Where we had datasets that covered extended time ranges, we also assessed the longevity of conservation behavior. Additionally, an interactive map was created to facilitate further exploration of the data.

Examining the State of Land Stewardship in Illinois

Traditionally, conservation land trusts have protected land, often restored it, and later transferred it to government entities for long-term ownership, which effectively transfers the responsibility of land stewardship to those governmental entities. The project consisted of three phases, each aimed at considering the new approaches to conservation finance and building capacity to enable and enhance land stewardship.

Soil Wealth: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture

Delta Institute released Soil Wealth: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture across Asset Classes, the most comprehensive look to date at investment opportunities in regenerative agriculture. The report provides an in-depth analysis not only of investments in farmland, but also of investment opportunities across asset classes that support regenerative agricultural value chains and food systems.

Land Tenure and Conservation in Agriculture

Agricultural land management decisions are situated within a complex and interconnected system, influenced by a suite of social and economic factors, many of which are difficult to control. Landowners can, but often don’t, take it upon themselves to drive stewardship of their land. This report focuses on land ownership and tenure as levers to increase conservation and rebuild soil health in the Midwest, where over 50% of the agricultural land is leased.