Implementing Carbon-friendly Practices on the Farm Level

Though it’s been a big topic of discussion in Washington, D. C., lately with the confirmation hearings underway for proposed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the conversation around integrating practices that reduce farms’ carbon footprints takes on a different tone on the farm, especially in areas where farmers are challenged by other environmental factors like moisture deficiencies. Some farmers face natural soil carbon losses in arid areas, making sequestering that carbon and keeping it in the soil a priority anyway. But it comes at a cost and can sometimes require wholesale management and operational changes. Farmers agree with Vilsack’s claim that a voluntary program with adequate financial incentives for farmers will be effective in improving the industry’s carbon footprint. And it’s likely to depend largely on private-sector companies working with farmers to get regenerative practices implemented at the farm level. See one farmer’s story and more background.