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Farmers and Farmland Owners Invited to Learn about Carbon Markets, Soil Regenerative Practices and How to Improve Conservation on Rented Lands in the Genesee River Watershed

Avon, N.Y. –The upcoming soil health field day on August 31, 2021, ‘Carbon Markets and Soil Regenerative Practices,’ hosted by American Farmland Trust and the Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network, will share information on the basics of carbon as a potential revenue source for farmers.  Moreover, come learn from producer Forrest Watson and his practical experiences with implementing advanced soil regenerative practices like using cover crop mixes, no-till, adaptive nutrient management and planting green. Conservation equipment will be parked on-site for viewing and discussion. There is no charge to attend this event and a complimentary lunch will be provided at noon.

Participants can expect to learn:

• Navigating the growing availability and diversity of market incentives for ecosystem services
• How implementing soil regenerative practices can increase farm profitability from real-life case studies from local crop and vegetable farms
• How the host farmer is evaluating planting green on their Livingston County farm while learning to minimize herbicide use and maintain productivity
• How to conduct an in-field assessment to evaluate the health of your soil
• How farmers and farmland owners can work together to improve conservation on rented lands

WHEN: August 31, 2021, 10:00am to 3:00pm 

WHERE: Mulligan Farm, 5403 Barber Road, Avon, NY 14414  

REGISTER BY: August 25, 2021

Farmers, Farmland Owners, Conservation Agency Personnel, Ag Consultants and other interested people can register at www.farmland.org/WNYFieldDay or contact Aaron Ristow at American Farmland Trust, aristow@farmland.org,  (315) 748-5029. There is no cost to attend and lunch and education materials will be provided.

This field day is part of the Genesee River Demonstration Farm Network, a collaboration between American Farmland Trust, Cornell Cooperative Extension Northwest New York Dairy Livestock and Field Crops team, the Genesee River Watershed Coalition of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Western New York Crop Management Association and funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the New York Farm Viability Institute.

The ag sector is viewing carbon markets as an opportunity to attract additional revenue while adopting practices to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and input use while improving soil health.  Various forms of carbon markets are being developed across the nation by offering payments to farmers to offset major corporation’s own carbon emissions and to attract environmentally conscious consumers and investors. However, the uncertainty around the development of carbon markets raises questions from farmers and ag service providers. This field day will provide a background to carbon markets with the goal of expanding the adoption of soil regenerative benefits.

CONTACT: Aaron Ristow, American Farmland Trust, Agricultural Stewardship Program Manager at (315) 748-5029, aristow@farmland.org.