From Carbon Storage to Nutrient Reduction: New Models for Soil Health Incentives

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS NETWORK

Date: November 10, 2026
Time: 8:00 am to 10:00 am
Cost: $25 for professionals in-person, free for students and all livestream attendees
Posted By: Environmental Professionals Network
Location: Franklin
Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center: 22001 Fred Taylor Dr. Columbus, OH 43210
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Topics: Food Systems,

Soil Health,

Water Quality & Contamination

Event Description

Celebrate Ohio Soil Health Week by joining the Environmental Professionals Network for a breakfast program exploring how Ohio-based regional farmer collaboratives are advancing soil health, water quality, and climate resilience. Featuring leaders from two Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) initiatives, this event will examine how outcome-based conservation approaches are creating new opportunities to reward farmers for the environmental benefits generated by healthy soils. Attendees will gain insights into the growing role of soil health incentives and conservation finance in supporting sustainable agricultural systems and delivering measurable environmental outcomes.

Agenda

7:15 a.m. Doors open at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center; Coffee is served.

7:40 a.m. Breakfast buffet available.

8:00 a.m. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees. Steven Lower, PhD, Director, Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) provides welcome remarks.

8:10 a.m. A showcase of funding models for farmers to implement soil health practices.

8:25 a.m. Overview of RCPP 2794: Financing Soil Carbon Storage in Ohio’s Miami Valley, with presentations from Joe Campbell, PhD and Mama O Carter-Daboiku.

8:50 a.m. Overview of Pilot Watershed Project, with presentations from Jay Martin, PhD and Robyn Wilson, PhD to explain the purpose of the Pilot Watershed Project and how the project can serve as a roadmap towards a 40% nutrient loading reduction goal in the Western Basin of Lake Erie.

9:15 a.m. Moderated panel discussion with Campbell, Carter-Daboiku, Martin, and Wilson.

9:35 a.m. Audience Q & A session for both in-person and virtual attendees.

9:50 a.m. Harrison Fried, PhD, Program Director, Environmental Professionals Network, provides closing remarks.

Accessibility

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs.

Speakers

Joe Campbell

PhD, Co-Founder, one.two.five Benefit Corporation

Dr. Joseph Campbell is a community development specialist, rural sociologist, educator, and co-founder of one.two.five Benefit Corporation. He has conducted research and evaluation projects across the United States on behalf of the USDA, EPA, Ohio State University Extension, the American Society of Agronomy, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations. His work focuses on agriculture, environmental stewardship, conservation, and community development. Dr. Campbell has led multidisciplinary research teams in both rural and urban agricultural settings and contributed to the development of social indicators tools and research methods designed to improve stakeholder engagement and farmer participation. He served as a 2016-2017 U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania, where he taught rural sociology and development. He holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.S. and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Dr. Campbell also serves as a Senior Lecturer in Ohio State's School of Environment and Natural Resources. He helps coordinate RCPP 2794, which builds a payment model for agricultural producers to promote soil organic carbon storage.

"Mama O" Omopé Carter Daboiku

Community Member, RCPP 2794

Omopé Carter-Daboiku, known as Mama O, is a cultural geographer, educator, writer, and award-winning storyteller based in Dayton, Ohio. Originally from Ironton, Ohio, she brings decades of experience using storytelling and education to build connections around place, culture, and community. In recent years, her work in West Dayton has focused on restoring agriculture as an African-American heritage practice. She brings a community-centered perspective to conversations about agriculture and land stewardship, and she is involved with the RCPP 2794 soil organic carbon project.

Jay Martin, PhD

Professor of Ecological Engineering, Ohio State University Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE)

Jay Martin, PhD,is a Distinguished Professor of Ecological Engineering at Ohio State University, where his research focuses on watershed management, water quality, and sustainable agricultural systems. His interdisciplinary work explores how management practices on agricultural lands can improve water quality in downstream ecosystems. Jay leads the Pilot Watershed Project in Northwest Ohio, which is testing how widespread adoption of conservation practices within a small watershed can reduce phosphorus runoff and inform future conservation efforts across the Western Lake Erie Basin. He holds a BS from Purdue University, an MS from the University of Florida, and a PhD from Louisiana State University.

Robyn Wilson, PhD

Professor and Associate Director of Research and Graduate Education, Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR)

Robyn Wilson, PhD, is Professor of Risk Analysis and Decision Science and Associate Director of Research and Graduate Education in Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources. Her research examines how people make decisions under risk, with a particular focus on what motivates and constrains land use and land management decisions. Robyn has served on numerous national scientific advisory bodies, including the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board and Board of Scientific Counselors, as well as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Board on Environmental Change and Society. As part of the Pilot Watershed Project, Robyn studies farmer decision-making and how strategies that encourage cooperation, build community, and reduce barriers can support sustained adoption of conservation practices in Northwest Ohio. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies with Honors from Denison University and MS and PhD degrees in Environment and Natural Resources from The Ohio State University.