GROWTH IN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN THE U.S. AND GLOBALLY STANDS TO BENEFIT BOTH THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY AND THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. HOWEVER, THE HIGH MANAGEMENT INTENSITY OF THESE CROPPING SYSTEMS, COMBINED WITH OFTEN PREFERENTIAL PRODUCTION ON SANDY SOILS, PRESENTS KEY BARRIERS TO THE MAINTENANCE AND PROMOTION OF LONG TERM SOIL HEALTH. WE WILL PURSUE THREE OVERARCHING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES MEANT TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLY BUILDING SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (SOM) IN THESE SYSTEMS FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES. OBJECTIVE 1 WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING INVESTMENTS IN LONG TERM TRIALS TO ASK WHETHER TILLAGE AND ORGANIC MATTER INPUTS INTERACT IN NOVEL WAYS IN SANDY SOILS TO INFLUENCE SOM ACCRUAL AND STABILIZATION, AND WHAT IMPACTS LONG TERM TILLAGE AND ORGANIC INPUT-INDUCED CHANGES HAVE ON THE PRODUCTIVITY AND RESILIENCE OF INTENSIVE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. OBJECTIVE 2 WILL ADDRESS THE BASIC CHALLENGE OF INCREASING ORGANIC MATTER INPUTS IN BALANCE WITH OTHER SERVICES ON LOW FERTILITY SOILS BY UNDERTAKING A SYSTEMS-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF COVER CROP FERTILITY MANAGEMENT. FINALLY, RECOGNIZING A BOTTLENECK IN RESEARCH CAPACITY AND MECHANISTIC DATA ON COVER CROP EFFECTS WITHIN VEGETABLE SYSTEMS, OBJECTIVE 3 WILL DEVELOP AND INTEGRATE NEW RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES UTILIZING INDICATOR CROP BIOASSAYS AND UAV-BASED IMAGE ANALYSIS TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF CURRENT AND FUTURE ADVANCES IN THE FIELD. POTENTIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE GREATER PRODUCTIVITY, RESILIENCE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF INTENSIVE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION ON SANDY SOILS.