EverSoil™ Scorecard - Soil Data - The Science Behind Our Certification

Executive Summary

The EverSoil™ Scorecard delivers a comprehensive assessment of soil health, resilience, and productivity that goes far beyond traditional soil testing. Powered by Land EKG® protocols and independently verified by SnapLands, our scorecard transforms soil data into actionable intelligence that drives both agricultural success and market premiums.

I. The EverSoil™ Advantage: Soil as a Verifiable Asset

The EverSoil™ Scorecard positions soil as both a soil health & nutritional asset and a verifiable financial asset. This dual approach provides ranchers with:

• Documentation needed for premium markets • Access to carbon credit programs
• Measurable land value enhancement • Independent verification that builds buyer confidence

When buyers see EverSoil certification, they know they're investing in operations with proven, independently verified soil health improvements.

II. Six Core Metrics: Comprehensive Yet Practical

Our certification system focuses on six scientifically validated metrics that capture the essential functions of healthy agricultural soils, organized into two complementary assessment areas:

A. Quantitative Certification Foundation (Metrics 1-3)

1. Resilience

Primary Focus: Overall vitality and productivity of working lands through active management practices

Key Benefits: • Enables adaptation to changing conditions • Demonstrates soil health principles in action • Respects local cultural and operational goals • Provides long-term soil health assurances with measurable outcomes

By weighting Resilience as the primary factor, EverSoil certification prioritizes practices and principles in action—our competitive advantage in premium markets.

2. Carbon

Primary Focus: Carbon pools and soil organic matter (SOM) throughout the soil profile

Key Benefits: • Provides quantifiable measures of carbon sequestration • Documents biological soil wealth • Connects directly to carbon credit opportunities • Establishes foundation of soil fertility

3. Biodiversity

Primary Focus: Microbial health index capturing unseen soil vitality

Key Benefits: • Comprehensive assessment of soil biological communities • Measures functional diversity of soil organisms • Evaluates the invisible workforce driving nutrient cycling • Assesses natural disease suppression and soil structure formation

B. Applied Practice Verification (Metrics 4-6)

4. Water Cycling

Primary Focus: Ongoing carbon capture through productive cover of diverse plant material

Key Benefits: • Drives water retention across the landscape • Improves hydrologic balance • Demonstrates drought resilience • Enhances flood prevention capabilities

5. Biotic Efficiency

Primary Focus: Diversity of active plant activity over time

Key Benefits: • Demonstrates continuous biological productivity • Shows year-round ecological function • Proves regenerative practices maintain constant biological activity • Builds soil health through sustained plant diversity

6. Mineral Stability

Primary Focus: Protective biological litter and ground cover against erosion

Key Benefits: • Shows effective soil protection • Demonstrates organic matter management • Proves topsoil conservation • Documents successful erosion prevention

III. The Power of Independent Verification

Standardized Protocols

All EverSoil™ assessments use standardized Land EKG® protocols with independent verification by SnapLands. This third-party validation ensures:

• Credibility: Results are scientifically sound and defensible • Consistency: Standards are applied uniformly across all operations • Trust: Premium market buyers can rely on certification claims • Transparency: No marketing promises—only verified results

Data Sovereignty and Producer Control

• Results remain privately owned by producers • Data shared only with explicit producer consent • Ranchers maintain control over valuable soil health information • Optional sharing with premium buyers, carbon programs, or conservation initiatives

Continuous Improvement Through Annual Monitoring

• Annual assessments support adaptive management • Multi-year trend reporting with certified specialists • Ongoing guidance helps fine-tune practices • Documents continuous improvement for enhanced market value

IV. Strategic Certification Approach

Phase 1: Fast-Track Market Entry

Metrics 1-3 (Resilience, Carbon, Biodiversity) • Provides quantitative foundation for immediate certification • Enables access to premium markets • Allows ranchers to begin capturing premium pricing • Creates pathway to comprehensive certification

Phase 2: Comprehensive Verification

Metrics 4-6 (Water Cycling, Biotic Efficiency, Mineral Stability) • Demonstrates applied regenerative practices • Ensures long-term compliance and continuous improvement • Supports complete soil health story for premium markets • Maintains rigorous standards that create market differentiation

This dual approach enables rapid market entry while maintaining the rigorous standards that make EverSoil certification meaningful to both producers and buyers.

V. Market Applications and Benefits

For Ranchers

EverSoil certification provides: • Guidance for management decisions that build measurable land wealth • Access to premium markets and pricing • Carbon credit opportunities • Enhanced land values through documented soil improvements • Third-party verification of regenerative practices

For Consumers and Companies

EverSoil delivers: • Transparent, verifiable metrics for sustainability goals • Independently verified claims that can't be challenged • Support for soil stewardship and climate commitments • Confidence in carbon and regenerative sourcing

For Supply Chain Partners

The scorecard provides: • Documentation needed to support sustainability claims • Verification for carbon reduction goals • Support for regenerative sourcing initiatives • Risk reduction through verified supplier practices

VI. Scientific Foundation

Sampling and Methods

• Data collection at stratified sites using standardized Land EKG® protocols • Ensures consistency and accuracy across different landscapes • Provides reliable baselines and tracks meaningful changes over time • Scientific approach maintains credibility with all stakeholders

Transparent Methodology

• All testing protocols are based on peer-reviewed science • Scoring methodologies are openly available • Verification standards are transparent and consistent • Openness builds trust with producers and market partners

Adaptive to Local Conditions

• Maintains scientific rigor while adapting to local conditions • Works with diverse soil types, climates, and operational realities • Ensures certification standards work for various ranching operations • Maintains consistent quality expectations across regions

VII. Competitive Advantage in Premium Markets

The Resilience Difference

EverSoil's emphasis on Resilience—weighted at 50%+ of the final score—creates significant competitive advantages:

• Beyond Good Numbers: Focuses on practices and principles in action, not just favorable soil test results • Real-World Application: Demonstrates active implementation of regenerative principles • Market Assurance: Provides verification that premium buyers increasingly demand • Competitive Edge: Gives certified ranchers advantage in premium markets

Building Trust Through Transparency

The EverSoil™ Verification Scorecard helps producers: • Tell compelling stories of resilient soils and adaptive management • Demonstrate trusted outcomes through rigorous science • Build trust across the entire supply chain • Create lasting relationships from rancher to consumer

VIII. The Future of Soil Certification

EverSoil represents the evolution of agricultural certification from simple pass/fail standards to comprehensive assessment systems that:

• Drive continuous improvement rather than minimum compliance • Measure both soil health outcomes and management practices • Create incentives for ranchers to continually improve • Provide markets with verification needed to support premium pricing • Build foundation for sustainable agricultural economics

Investment in Excellence

Every EverSoil certification represents: • A ranch committed to building soil health • Implementation of regenerative practices • Transparency about land stewardship • Scientific rigor combined with practical application • Foundation for premium markets and carbon opportunities

When producers choose EverSoil certification, they invest in a system that documents current soil health, guides continuous improvement, and provides access to growing markets that reward verified regenerative practices.

Powered by Land EKG® | Verified by SnapLands

For more information about EverSoil™ certification, contact our team or visit our website to learn how independent verification can enhance your operation's market value and soil health outcomes.