Regardless of the type of agriculture you are involved in, soil carbon is crucial to the success of your farm or ranch in one way or another. Soil microbes feed on carbon in the soil and in exchange it becomes fertile and productive for all types of agricultural farm use. This process provides a valuable service of sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the ground and can reduce greenhouse gas effects and lessen the impacts of climate change.
We are beginning to hear more and more about carbon credits and how farmers can benefit from increasing the carbon stocks in their soil through carbon sequestration. Sequestering carbon through agricultural practice improvements can increase soil health, reduce one’s greenhouse gas emissions and lower a farm’s overall carbon footprint. Due to recent advancements in the understanding of how to go about measuring the process of carbon sequestration, farmers may be able to use the carbon they sequester in their soil to potentially earn extra farm income while seeing a lasting benefit to their farm operations and the land they rely on for their livelihoods.
The science behind soil carbon sequestration is still evolving and not always the easiest to understand, so the Gateway Research Organization and Rural Routes to Climate Solutions have teamed up for a workshop with Steve Kenyon and Timm Doebert to learn all the ins and outs of carbon sequestration and the potential for soil carbon credits on Alberta farms. Join us in Mayerthorpe, AB on February 19th, 2020 to learn how soil carbon sequestration works on agricultural land and how you as a producer can encourage and benefit from it. We will also be screening the short documentary, Guardians of the Grasslands!
Want to learn more? We recommend listening to our Soil Carbon Intro and The Brown Revolution podcast episodes in preparation for the workshop.
Rural Routes to Climate Solutions (#RR2CS) is a program of the Stettler Adult Learning Centre. We empower agricultural producers in rural Alberta with climate solutions that benefit farms and ranches. Our partners include Food Water Wellness Foundation, Young Agrarians, Organic Alberta and many farmers across the province.
