Thinking Beyond ‘Check The Box’ Carbon Programs
Mitchell Hora, an Iowa farmer and founder of ContinuumAg, says today’s discussions around carbon markets illustrate opportunities for some farmers and also give support to deepen the conversation about agriculture’s role in carbon use and sequestration.
“Today’s carbon programs, are privatized cost share,” he says. “You can get paid to reduce tillage, add cover crops, reduce synthetic fertilizer. The more new things you adopt, the more you could get paid.”
Hora is a speaker at the Online Top Producer Summit. Learn more here.
He says there’s a value in ‘checking the box’ with those additional practices because it’s providing another way for farmers to start focusing on soil health while getting paid up to $40/acre.
“Agriculture is one of the key solutions in a more carbon positive future,” he says.
At the same time, he acknowledges that his own farm in Iowa doesn’t qualify for any of the programs centered on additionality.
“It’s important to help a farmer to better understand their actual carbon footprint: what is their usage, what are their emissions, things like fuel, electricity, fertilizer and more,” he says.
That’s where he is encouraging everyone to get rooted in the principles of soil health.
“I think regenerative ag is a journey ,and it's a continual implementation of the principles of soil health,” he says.
Here are those 6 principles of soil health:
- Maintain soil armor
- Minimize disturbance
- Living roots always
- Foster diversity
- Integrate livestock
- Context
You can still register for the Online Top Producer Summit, which gives you access to content through March 31. Use the code “VIRTAL” to take 50% off your registration fee.
