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Colorado Farmers Cash In On Climate Concern

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Dec 3, 2008 9:38 pm US/Mountain

Colorado Farmers Cash In On Climate Concern

Written by Paul Day
Reporting
Paul Day
MATHESON, Colo. (CBS4) ― A growing number of Colorado farmers are reaping financial rewards by helping reduce greenhouse gases.

"It's very surprising," said Elbert County farmer Verg Kochis.

Kochis is thrilled to be collecting payment now for the farming practices he's followed for 30 years.

All crops contain carbon. Kochis is a dry-land farmer who practices what's called "no till." Instead of plowing up his farm field after the harvest with a process called tillage, Kochis leaves his ground undisturbed and the stubble stays in place.

"No till" keeps the carbon sequestered in the soil. By preventing carbon from escaping to the atmosphere, it helps control harmful greenhouse gases.

"They're cashing in on the concern for climate change," said Rich Mullaney, a specialist with Agritech Consulting.

Mullaney works with farmers like Kochis interested in enrolling their land for carbon credits. Qualified farmers can sell the credits to the Carbon Credit Exchange based in Chicago.

Kochis' wife Jan says the Kochis family has only been in the program for two years, but interest is building.

"More people are enrolling all the time, so this could be a real financial boost to agriculture," Jan said.

Recently 65 farmers in southeastern Colorado divided a paycheck worth $278,000 after selling their carbon credits.

Prices for the carbon credits rise and fall like all commodities. Right now the market is down. But there's hope the new environmental priorities of President-elect Barack Obama will help.

"There's potential here for carbon credit prices to go up," Mullaney said.

Mullaney is conducting a conference on Thursday at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton for folks interesting in enrolling.

Besides "no till," farmers can also qualify by converting to grassland, by better managing their rangeland and by controlling methane gas emissions from livestock.

The Kochis farm sprawls across 10,000 acres in the small town Matheson. They grow everything from winter wheat to sunflowers.

Only 160 acres is qualified now, but the family is actively searching for ways to qualify a lot more of their farmland for carbon credits.

"We are saving the planet," Kochis said. "But for me I'm saving my farm."

Additional Resources

For more information, read about a conference to explore carbon credit for Colorado's agriculture and forestry sectors.

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