Talking to a retired farmer in Iowa changed how I think about carbon credits

I was out near Des Moines last month trimming trees for a guy who used to run a corn operation. He told me he signed up for a carbon program and got paid $28 an acre just for planting cover crops. Said the first year he actually saw his soil hold water way better after a dry spell. It made me realize there's real money in doing stuff that helps the climate if you know where to look. Made me wonder if any of you have worked with farmers or landowners who are actually cashing in on these programs.

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_johnson13d ago

Drove past a cornfield in Nebraska last month and almost swerved off the road because I was so busy trying to spot cover crops from the highway. I figure if I crash my truck trying to see carbon farming, at least I'll be a very eco-friendly insurance claim. Did hear from a buddy who works for a grain elevator that some of the bigger operators around here are pooling their acres together to get better rates from these programs. They're banking serious cash just for letting their ground rest with clover.

alicecooper12d ago

Is @thomas_johnson going to start a cover crop tour business for thrill seekers? I nearly took out a mailbox last week staring at a neighbor's field that's been in clover for two years now. That pooling acres thing makes sense, the big guys always figure out how to work the system first.