How can you store more carbon in your soil

When we ask farmers about their operational goals, many want to hand down their land for years to come, and for their children or inheritors to receive the land in the best possible condition. One of the ways they can do this is through carbon sequestration, or, the process of putting carbon back in the soil.

Soil carbon sequestration is a cycle between the atmosphere, plants, and soil. Steps in this cycle include: 

1. The sun provides energy for the plants to perform photosynthesis
2. Plants capture CO2 from the air, taking in carbon and releasing oxygen. Carbon builds up in plants’ leaves, stems and roots.
3. Plants secrete some of the carbon from their roots in nutritious offerings to soil organisms in exchange for vital nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. 
4. Carbon moves deeper in the soil through a cycle of microbial consumption and transformation. This increases soil carbon stocks.

The cycle continues, building up carbon. Indigo agronomist Tom Lawler says , “With more carbon in the ground you get a lot more nutrients cycling, a lot more water filtration, a lot more life below ground.”

Farmers wanting to add more carbon into their soil can make carbon farming practice changes like reducing tillage, going completely no till, or adding cover crops into their fields. Carbon farming can help the farm and your community at the same time, by providing a cleaner, safer water source, making the soil more productive, and improving profitability and sustainability. It can also improve crop resilience against extreme weather. Click here to see eligible practice changes in the Carbon by Indigo program.

“You’re giving up a revenue stream every year you don’t do this” says farmer Harry Drucker, about the Carbon by Indigo program.

With more and more companies pledging to go carbon neutral or reduce emissions, they are looking to offset their carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits. The growing demand for high-quality agricultural carbon credits is beginning to scale carbon sequestration efforts, and now is the time to get involved. 

Companies such as New Belgium Brewing want to invest back into their supply chain and know that investing in carbon agriculture is great for their marketing efforts, in addition to the sustainability benefits. With growing demand for sustainability, many companies will turn to buying carbon credits. This is where farmers come into the equation — by sequestering carbon, they create carbon credits that these companies want to purchase. Indigo manages this sale and in turn, farmers increase their profit.