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Iowa farmer okay with USDA oversight of carbon bank

U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is looking into a federal carbon bank for farmers.

And Mark Jackson, a no-till corn and soybean grower from southeastern Iowa, is okay with that.

“As we make our jokes about government and ‘I’m here to help’ (and) that sort of thing, I think it’s important we do have a referee that allows the farmer not to be the last person to benefit financially when we’re the very first person adopting that measure.”

Jackson considers himself an early adopter of practices that sequester carbon and tells Brownfield he should have the same market opportunities as any other farmer.

“If we’re talking actual carbon trading, I’ve got more carbon in my soil than that guy who’s trying (to sequester carbon) that very first year. So I think they need to have honest conversations, pull the politics out of it, and allow anyone and everyone, early adopters as well, into this carbon trading scenario.”

During last month’s Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit, Vilsack said while it won’t be easy, a carbon bank that both reduces greenhouse gas emissions and adds support to America’s farmers and ranchers will be key to the Biden administration’s pledge to open new ag markets.