Growing Returns

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These farmers sparked agricultural carbon markets across the U.S.

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: June 14, 2017

Rice held by Jim Whitaker of Whitaker Farms. Credit: Adam Jahiel.

I want to tell you a story about a handful of growers whose commitment to sustainability and desire to innovate inspired an ag carbon credit movement.

Today, the first ever carbon credits generated from rice farmers were sold to Microsoft, all because of a handful of pioneers who tested out a radical idea – that by implementing conservation methods on their crops, farmers could reduce methane emissions and thereby generate a carbon credit that could be later be sold on the carbon market. Not to mention the fact that these farmers also reduced water use by as much as 30 percent. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged california, carbon credits, CIG grant, conservation finance, conservation innovation grant, grasslands protocol, Microsoft, Natural Resources Conservation Service, nitrogen fertilizer management protocol, rice, rice protocol, sustainable agriculture, united states department of agriculture, USDA, USDA NRCS | Comments are closed

New project guarantees payment for growers who implement conservation measures

By Rebecca Haynes / Twitter profile / Published: October 3, 2016

Arkansas rice farmers participating in agricultural carbon markets. Credit: Adam Jahiel

Early adopters of innovative land-based conservation measures are rarely given an adequate reward for participating in agricultural carbon markets. But that’s all about to change, thanks to a nearly $1.2 million USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) that will leverage private capital investment into agricultural carbon offset practices and ensure that producers are paid for their efforts.

These efforts will guarantee the sale of at least 100,000 tons of credits over the next three years. Here’s how it will work. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged agricultural carbon markets, agricultural offset projects, BlueSource, california, cap and trade, carbon credits, carbon markets, Carbon Offsets, CIG grant, ClimeCo, conservation, conservation innovation grant, Encourage Capital, grasslands protocol, investment, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Partnerships, private capital, purchase agreement, USDA, USDA NRCS, Working Lands Investment Fund | Comments are closed

The science behind agricultural carbon markets

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 5, 2016

Dry seeding rice reduces early season methane emissions.

There’s been a lot of recent attention on the California Air Resources Board’s (ARB) rice protocol, the first ever carbon offset protocol for crop agriculture in a compliance market.

The protocol, approved in June 2015, allows rice farmers who reduce methane emissions to become eligible for carbon credits through California’s cap-and-trade program, though growers from any rice-growing state can participate. The momentum is building. In less than one year, rice growers on more than 22,000 acres have expressed interest in the protocol – representing nearly 1 percent of all rice grown in the U.S.

When the first credits become available for purchase this summer, policymakers and regulated companies can have confidence in the rice protocol’s ability to improve climate stability, and growers can earn extra revenue, thanks to the sound science that measures emissions reductions. Here’s a primer. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged agricultural offset protocol, agricultural research, california, California Air Resources Board, carbon credit, carbon market, carbon offset, conservation, dry seeding, ecosystems, emissions, fertilizer, field studies, fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gas emissions, methane, rice, rice cultivation, soil methane, sustainable agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, water consumption | Comments are closed

Why an Arkansas rice farmer is betting on California’s carbon market (and you should too)

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: December 8, 2014

Mark Isbell on his farm. Photo credit: Farm Flavor.

Mark Isbell is a rice farmer in Arkansas. He is participating in a pilot project to generate carbon credits by modifying growing practices to reduce the generation of methane and save water.

These practices are being considered by the California Air Resources Board at their meeting on December 18. I asked Mark to tell me why he got involved in this pilot and what it means to growers in his region.

What things did you consider as a part of participating in the agricultural carbon market?

Zero Grade (fields precisely leveled to have no slope) and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) are the primary practices we have implemented. These are the best candidates for creating carbon offsets while also increasing efficiencies in other areas. Careful nitrogen management is another practice. Extra nitrogen not only leads to unnecessary nitrous oxide emissions, but also provides no benefit to the crop. It can actually be detrimental. The key is finding just the right amount of nitrogen. We are open to trying other practices as we move forward, and have some new ideas in development that we believe may add another layer to this. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market / Also tagged alternate wetting and drying, California Air Resources Board, carbon market, ecosystems, irrigation, mark isbell, rice farmer, water efficiency, water use, western water, zero grade | Comments are closed