Nick Offerman gets down and dirty in campaign about cover crops and climate-friendly agriculture

Even as a disembodied head, Nick Offerman exudes a certain level of authority—particularly when he’s talking about farming, a subject near and dear to his Minooka, Illinois-raised heart.

The actor pops up today in one of his dirtiest roles yet, playing the soil in a new Natural Resources Defense Council campaign about regenerative agriculture—part of an effort to persuade Congress to support the COVER Act, which incentivize farmers to plant cover crops and build soil health and fight climate change.

Offerman’s trademark rough-yet-approachable demeanor suits the role well, and the sight gags should keep viewers focused on the message he’s delivering.

The “Face Plant” campaign was conceived by Incredible Beast Omnimedia, a new production company founded by Sandra Itkoff, a longtime documentary and policy veteran. It was brought to life by creative agencies Upshot and AMP Agency and directed by Morgan Sackett.

“Incredible Beast’s goal is to not preach to the choir,” said Itkoff, “but to present strong, optimistic, entertaining narratives that show the power of food and farming to address food security and climate issues—and pull large amounts of legacy carbon from the atmosphere. It is an incredible opportunity to bring the talents of Nick and Morgan, both from farming families, together with NRDC to help build a better future.” 

The spot is launching Wednesday in social media during Climate Week NYC. The campaign points viewers to nrdc.org/soil to learn more about cover cropping and climate-friendly agriculture in the Farm Bill.

“Agricultural policy issues can really get in the weeds, pun intended, so we are enormously grateful to have Nick Offerman bring his talent, witty humor and unique perspective to this piece,” said Arohi Sharma, deputy director, regenerative agriculture, nature program at NRDC. “Cover crops are one of the best tools we have to improve soil health and fight climate change on farms, and this new video couldn’t be better timed. Congress made historic investments in climate and agriculture through the Inflation Reduction Act, and by including the COVER Act in the next Farm Bill, we can supercharge those investments and help farmers become climate champions.”

“I am grateful to finally exploit my talents as a dirty man of the soil to encourage the use of cover crops in pursuit of restoring the health of our nation’s fields,” said Offerman. “We have a long way to go, and many more regenerative steps to take, but supporting this effort is a very good beginning.”