Fertile Soils Fund Inc.

“Brad pray operations father thomas pray executive d son”

“The organization provided a complete copy of the final draft of form 990 to all members of the board of directors via secure electronic delivery prior to its filing with the irs. Board members were given a designated review period to examine the return and submit any inquiries or suggested revisions to the executive director and the organization's tax preparer. The final version was officially authorized for filing after all board questions were addressed and resolved.”

“The organization monitors compliance with its conflict of interest policy by requiring annual disclosure statements from all directors and officers. The board reviews all potential related-party transactions, such as those described in article x of the bylaws, to ensure they are conducted at arm's length and provide no prohibited private inurement. Any individual with a potential conflict is required to make their interest known to the board, and the board ensures that transactions are approved only if they meet internal revenue regulations regarding economic benefits and the statutory duties of loyalty and care.”

“The executive director is a volunteer. Compensation for separate professional services is approved by the independent board based on comparability data and documented in meeting minutes.”

“The organization makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request. These documents are maintained at the organization's principal office and can be provided via mail or electronic delivery to any interested party. Additionally, the organization's form 990 is available for public inspection through recognized third-party transparency platforms.”

“We help partner farmers afford balanced, pollution-mitigated fertilizer (additional to what is needed for the current year's crop yield), turning last year's residues into deep resistant soil organic carbon for healthier, more secure farm soils (therefore food supply) and planet. We aim to positively change american farming, turning this research-backed strategy into widely acknowledged best practice.”

“We applied our research-based model at eight program sites (partner farmer fields), totaling 382 acres. Total program expenses include 17,368 for direct fertilizer procurement and 7,200 for design and coordination by our executive director, acting in the capacity of lead scientist and scientific project supervisor (or similar contracted work). Nutrient ratios were calculated to ensure they balanced with the amount of residue from the previous harvest-therefore not polluting-and were converted into microbial biomass and thus deep resistant soil organic carbon (soc). We calculated an addition of 114 tons of soc total added to the program sites (equaling 419 tons of co2 kept from returning to the atmosphere). We also calculated, from information given by our partner farmers and their agronomists that these nutrients were in addition to what the farmer paid to ensure that year's crop yield. Fsf paid for additional fertilizer that our partner farmers couldn't afford and would not have been purchased by them (or by other similar farmers). Our fertilizer purchases led directly to soil building and were not incorporated by plants into grain. We purchased fertilizer directly from local agricultural co-ops and fertilizer supply companies for delivery to our partner farmers, thus ensuring fiscal transparency and providing superior governance over traditional reimbursement programs. Purchase and application of such low-margin commodities preferentially benefits local labor, aiding the rural economies we worked in.”

“While our research-proven model allowed calculations of yearly gains in deep resistant soil organic carbon (soc) based on verified crop yields and fertilizer purchases, measuring and getting final verification of such gains required soil samples taken in the first years of our work (and will again after three to six years). Even though it has a large effect on how well soil holds water and nutrients, soc is such a small percentage of mostly mineral agricultural soil that it takes several years to add amounts that can be measured. Our soil-testing program laid the foundation for what we aim to be the most far-reaching accomplishment of fsf. Laboratory experiments or agricultural field trials, no matter how well done or published in several journal articles, do not directly change agricultural practices. Widespread acknowledgement of balancing nutrient ratios with residue-above plant yield requirements-as best practice for increasing soc in north american agriculture requires measured proof on dozens of commercial-scale farms. Once we have established and shared that evidence, the calculable financial benefit of healthier, water and nutrient-holding soil will influence other nonprofits and government agricultural entities (as well as some large commercial producers with multi-year budgets) to support similar programs. Our activities were big steps in making american agriculture and our food security stronger.”

“Consultation-thomas 7,200 0 0”