By Scout Nelson
Ranchers across North Dakota are finding new ways to add value to their cattle operations. Some focus on marketing grass-finished beef or avoiding antibiotics and hormones. Others turn to niche markets by raising heritage breeds or earning organic certification.
One growing trend is the use of sustainable practices, especially rotational grazing, to improve the land and qualify for carbon credits. These credits represent carbon dioxide that is kept out of the atmosphere through improved land management.
A promising project in McKenzie, North Dakota, shows how this approach works. Over the past two years, scientist Rebecca Phillips and rancher Lewis Heaton have practiced managed grazing with 150 cow-calf pairs on 300 acres. Their research shows that this method helps store more carbon in the soil compared to traditional grazing.
Carbon credits are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide that are prevented from entering the air. On ranches, this happens by using grazing methods that keep more carbon in the ground. Though the exact results from the McKenzie ranch are still being reviewed, interest in the project is already high.
Heaton has already received offers from three companies interested in buying carbon credits from the ranch. He believes the potential is strong, but also knows that both the process and the voluntary carbon market need time to grow.
Photo Credit: pexels-jan-kroon
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Livestock, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sustainable Agriculture