Global warming, climate change, greenhouse gas effect, polar ice melt; all of

these events whether real or hypothetical are dominating discussions in the

media, in political circles and at kitchen tables. All the facts may or may not be

there; the debate may or may not be over; the science may or may not be

available to determine the real effects of carbon-based compounds in the

atmosphere. One thing is true: carbon is a naturally occurring element when

in our atmosphere at some naturally occurring level. That’s it. That is all I am

willing to say is absolutely true and non-debatable in this debate. I have my own

beliefs and suspicions on the subject, but as a scientist I can’t say they are

anything more than hypotheses that continue to be tested with new information.

Regardless of your beliefs about the phenomenon of climate change, real efforts

soil carbon sequestration in the agriculture industry. The Chicago Climate

Exchange has created a voluntary market for trading of carbon credits. Industries

like Ford Motor Company, DuPont chemical and Sony electronics have

voluntarily decided to reduce their carbon emissions over the next few years.

These and many others have agreed to reduce their carbon emissions by 6%,

partially through internal reductions, but they can also buy carbon credits through

the Chicago Climate Exchange. That is where agriculture comes into the picture.

Through no-till or strip-till farming, planting new grass, rangeland management,

and forestry management, carbon is sequestered in the soil which offsets some

of the emissions from these industries.

Kansas Farm Bureau has recently partnered with AgraGate Climate Credits

Corporation, a for-profit entity of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, to help enroll

Kansas farmers and ranchers in this program. Producers can earn income by notill

farming, planting new grass or managing rangeland with specific livestock

intensity. The program is not overly lucrative right now, but should federal

regulations be put in place to limit carbon emissions, the market with shoot up

almost overnight. Significant income could be earned if this happens. For

producers who are already employing these practices now it is simply a nobrainer

to cash the checks. The commitment is a 5-year contract with the

possibility of renewing at the end of the contract period. There are lots of details I

have left out of this message but if this is intriguing or interesting to you just call