On April 7, 2018 at the 2nd Annual Next Generation Land Stewardship Conference, Wrangler announced our first-ever soil health scholarship for students interested in pursuing college degrees related to agriculture, soil science, or environmental science.

2nd Annual Soil Health Conference
For the second year in a row, Wrangler co-hosted the conference with the FFA, and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Cold rain didn't keep the students and families away. Seventy-five attendees from all over North Carolina joined us at the Gateway University Research Park and North Carolina A&T’s research farm in Greensboro.

The morning kicked off with a soil health primer from David Lamm of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Attendees then learned about cover crops from world-renowned specialist, Steve Groff, followed by a discussion of possible careers in soil health with Rachel Vann of NC State University. Before breaking for lunch, Wrangler's Director of Sustainability, Roian Atwood introduced our healthy soils science paper, and David Lamm returned to present the Rainfall Simulator.

In the afternoon, everyone headed to NC A&T's research farm to see soil health practices up close. Students split into small groups to spend time with Daniel Cooper, the crop coordinator at NC A&T, who exhibited the machinery needed for soil health management practices; Charles Raczkowski, a former NC A&T professor, who came out of retirement to talk about soil science; Matthew Todd, a research technician at NC A&T, who shared his research around the emerging North Carolina hemp industry; and Steve Groff, who used NC A&T's cover crop field to show soil health practices at work.

We'd like to thank all attendees for braving the rain and joining us!

Commitment to U.S. Cotton
The scholarship and land stewardship conference are part of Wrangler's ongoing work to promote sustainable U.S. cotton production in the U.S. through a focus on soil health. About 50 percent of the cotton in Wrangler’s products is grown domestically, and the brand is committed to working with U.S. growers to maintain the profitability of the industry, while improving its resilience and reducing environmental impacts. Read more about our work here.

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