Farm of the Future
California Tree Nut Report
Idaho Ag Today
New Technology in Avian Influenza Protection
Florida Farm Bill Passes with Broad Support
New You-Pick Map Puts Georgia Farms Front and Center
Bob Larson
Patrick Cavanaugh
Much of the country was hit by extremely dry conditions last summer. He talks about how some of the carbon-recommended management practices can help in those situations.
“The first thing I’ll answer is that all these ecosystems, this range of pasture grounds, are just primed for growth. We all know how resilient they are. You get an inch of rain and it just greens up. That’s a great way to sequester carbon. But let’s just go back to the reason why, long-term, helps people manage risk. And we talk all about water and water is key. I was with a range scientist in South Dakota recently at a Stockgrowers Association meeting, and he talked about the fact that an inch of water on a range of pasture, you could hold that. It would mean another 250 pounds of forage. You think about a cow that eats 1,000 pounds a month, and that means it’s an extra week with forage for a cow like that. So, if we can help people manage water infiltration rates, really what you’re doing is you’re helping your soil health, and you’re sequestering carbon, and we can pay you for that.”
He talks about how some of these practices can help ranchers.
“There’s a lot of talk about rotational grazing, it doesn’t mean you have to break everything in the 20-acre paddocks, but if you’re going to be doing some, fencing is one way to do it. That could be an electric or hard wire fence, for example. It could be just seasonally. We always start with pasture A in the early part of the summer, and then we’ve moved to B and C pastures. If you do nothing more than change the pattern in which you’re within pastures, it can affect the forage quality out there. Also, it can be as simple as where you put mineral or salt blocks. If you move that around a pasture, what we’re trying to do is get more animal activity across that whole pasture. In most situations, when you just do a release in a 2,000-acre pasture, cattle only utilize about 20 percent of that forage. There’s a certain species they like out there, they just keep walking and eating that same one. Whereas, if we can force them into an area to graze an area more directly, they’ll utilize more of that forage.”
Stephens offers advice for ranchers interested in the carbon market.
“Just engage with the markets. Too many people are self-disqualifying. They decide this can’t be for me, or I don’t think I would ever qualify. And most people are surprised that we respect what people want to do in their operations. I’m not going to be there to tell them about stocking rates or how long they need to be on a pasture. We don’t get involved in those conversations, but we work with them in implementing these practices and documenting them, so when we come back in year five or in year ten and take soil samples, we can tell the story about where that carbon came from.”
Learn more about the carbon market and practices that add value to your farm or ranch at www.agorocarbonalliance.com or email info@agorocarbon.com.
Idaho Ag Today
Idaho Ag Today
Idaho Ag Today
Idaho Ag Today
Idaho Ag Today
With our comprehensive scale and reach, we continue to provide our clients the exceptional service and value that have become our hallmark as a heritage family-owned company with a 35-year legacy. Currently we have 135 affiliate radio stations covering 9 states; California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, S. Dakota and Nebraska. Farmers and Ranchers living underneath our affiliate radio station signals, collectively, spend over $57 billion each year to raise a crop/herd.
Copyright 2025 AgInfo.net AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST All Rights Reserved.
