North Dakota's Overbys Named Soil Health Champions by NACD

A 380-plus member network, founded in 2015, has added Paul and Diane Overby of Wolford, North Dakota, to its roster of Soil Health Champions. The National Association of Conservation Districts bestowed the recognition after the Rolette County Soil Conservation District nominated the couple for their use of soil health practices and their promotion of those principles to other farmers.

The Overbys are only the sixth North Dakota operation recognized since the Soil Health Champions Network began. Paul Overby said he wants the award to draw more North Dakota farmers into the network, where members speak and work with peers at local and national levels to raise awareness of soil health.

"There's some up and coming younger guys who I'd really like to see get this recognition," he said.

What does a champion's operation look like?

The Overbys have farmed no-till since 2006. Paul Overby had worked on soil biology and soil health practices earlier, but the switch to no-till came down to labor. Variable rate nutrient management followed, which he called "an economic thing." The decisions track input costs as much as agronomy.

Their rotation spans canola, field peas, flax, millet, oats, spring wheat, winter camelina, soybeans and sunflowers, plus cover crops. A nephew rents 50 acres of pastureland managed under a rotational grazing plan. The couple has added buffers to wetlands, covered all low-productive soils with permanent vegetation, and recently adopted "prairie strips" as field buffers.

How did the practices perform in 2026?

Paul Overby described the 2026 season as "fair to middling." Planting ran late, July turned hot and dry, and September rains delayed harvest. Wheat showed some quality issues. He planned to seed cover crops immediately after the winter camelina harvest in July, but drought pushed that job to nearly September. Yields were decent, he said, though "nothing earth shattering."

The longer record is stronger. In 2021, a severe drought year in northern North Dakota, his yields ran "across the board" above county averages. In wetter years, rain soaks into high spots better, and low spots show less ponding and fewer drowned-out acres.

"So it benefits both in the wet and dry cycle," he said.

The Overbys have hosted field days on their farm, and Paul has spoken on soil health at events in North Dakota and in Manitoba.

What does the recognition change?

The honor brings a platform, not a paycheck. David Hill, president of the Rolette County Soil Conservation District, said in a statement: "Paul richly deserves this honor. He is a great advocate for helping farmers to increase adoption of soil health practices."

Paul Overby said nobody has asked him to speak since the designation. "But that's OK. I'm busy right now," he said. He expects the network to keep expanding in North Dakota, where younger farmers adopting no-till, cover crops and rotational grazing are the next candidates for the recognition he now holds.