Helen Silver

About Helen Silver

I am a soil health and natural resource systems leader working at the intersection of agriculture, water, and human well-being. As Co-Director of the Integrated Rocky Mountain-region Innovation Center for Healthy Soils (IN-RICHES) at Colorado State University and Principal of Ground Up Consulting LLC, I lead initiatives that connect science, practice, and policy to advance resilient landscapes and communities across the West.My work is grounded in a core belief: healthy soils are foundational to healthy food systems, water sustainability, and long-term human and ecological health. I focus on building integrated, producer-driven and data-informed systems that translate this belief into actionable outcomes.At IN-RICHES, I co-lead a transdisciplinary portfolio that brings together soil science, hydrology, ecology, economics, and sociology to address complex, real-world challenges. This includes developing regional soil moisture monitoring networks, advancing producer-led Discovery Farms and Ranches, and creating open data platforms that reduce “data blind spots” and support better decision-making from field to watershed scales.Across all of my work, I specialize in:Designing and leading large-scale, multi-partner research and implementation initiativesBuilding durable collaborations among producers, scientists, policymakers, and fundersTranslating complex data into usable knowledge for management and policyAligning science with state and regional priorities, including water planning, drought resilience, and climate adaptationThrough Ground Up Consulting, I also support organizations in strategy development, program design, and navigating the intersection of science, policy, and funding.I am particularly focused on advancing first-of-their-kind efforts that link soil health to food quality and human health outcomes, while strengthening the evidence base needed to inform agricultural and water policy in the American West and beyond.

Experience

1. Adjunct Professor

   Harvard Extension School

   Dec 2019 — Present · Cambridge, MA, US

   Soil to Soil: The Role of Soil Health in Creating Sustainable Food Systems

Education

• Harvard Extension School

  Masters of Sustainability

• Harvard University

  Master's degree, Sustainability and Environmental Management (Extension School)

• Harvard Extension School

  Masters in Sustainability

• Harvard University

  Master’s Degree, Sustainability and Environmental Management (Extension School)

  2017

• Emory University School of Law

  JD

  2001 — 2004