#156 Indiana Registered
Soil Scientist
A Soil Scientist Who Actually Grew Up Farming
Kevin Cool is the founder and owner of Cool Soil Consulting, LLC. He is an Indiana Registered Soil Scientist (IRSS #156) based in Fountain City, Wayne County, Indiana.
Kevin's connection to the land started early. Growing up in Moreland, Indiana, he spent his childhood and high school years helping his uncles on their farms — and developed a passion for soil science that's never left. In high school FFA, he competed on the soils judging team, won at the state level, and qualified for the National FFA soils contest.
After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Agricultural Systems Management, Kevin spent several years in ag sales and seed before finding his footing in ag lending at Merchants Bank of Indiana in Lynn. For nearly a decade, he worked as an ag loan officer — analyzing farm financials, building cash flows, and getting a close-up view of what separates profitable operations from struggling ones. That financial background informs how he thinks about soil consulting today: every recommendation needs to make sense on paper, not just in the field.
In 2023, Kevin began coaching FFA soils judging teams — and something clicked. The work brought him back to the fundamentals of soil science that had always interested him most. Within two years, he earned his Indiana Registered Soil Scientist designation and launched Cool Soil Consulting.
Cool Soil Consulting is the first professional chapter Kevin has been fully invested in. It combines everything he knows — soil science, farm financial analysis, and a deep familiarity with east-central Indiana's glacial till soils — into one independent consulting practice.
On independence: "I spent years in ag sales and lending and I saw firsthand how financial incentives shape recommendations. At Cool Soil Consulting, our only interest is accurate soil science and your bottom line. We don't sell what we recommend."