Resources
Documents & Websites
How to Grow and Sell Carbon Credits in US Agriculture
From Iowa State University Extension, this report compares the requirements to grow and sell carbon credits across 13 private voluntary agricultural programs in the United States.
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Illinois Climate Smart Agriculture Brief – AFT
This Illinois specific brief, developed by American Farmland Trust (AFT), demonstrates the scale of potentially achievable reductions in estimated state-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for cropland and grazing land through the adoption of soil health management practices. They are intended to provide a snapshot of how much Illinois’ agricultural sector can contribute to state climate mitigation goals with a subset of practices. Accompanying these briefs is an updated Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation Tool (CaRPE Tool™) and upcoming full reports that states can use to estimate climate mitigation potential from the agriculture sector.
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Illinois Solar Siting Overview
In the last year there has been a noticeable increase in the development of commercial and utility scale solar in the Midwest. The rapid expansion creates opportunities for farmers and landowners, but also poses threats to farmland. Illinois must find a way to produce more renewable energy while protecting farmland and serving rural communities. To better understand farmer engagement with solar development, American Farmland Trust (AFT) conducted a survey and in-person interviews with landowners and operators throughout the Midwest. In these conversations, participants described various benefits and drawbacks of solar energy deployment. This summary identifies the most important issues that participants raised, alongside AFT’s research to inform Illinois’ renewable energy strategy.
View WebsiteConservation Effects Assessment Project: Publications
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project, CEAP, provides a suite of publications highlighting the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation’s working lands. The site compiles reports, articles fact sheets, and webinars on topics including crop lands, grazing lands, wetlands, wildlife, and watersheds.
Actively Managing Your Farm’s Climate Footprint
The Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Wisconsin Land & Water, and the Wisconsin Department of Ag and Consumer Trade Protection (WI-DACTP) collaborated to create a resource to assist farmers and landowners in understanding their farm’s climate footprint. This succinct handout details the types of emissions typically found on midwestern row crop farms and possible pathways to reduce those emissions. This resource underscores how sustainability on the farm connects to the Paris Agreement, the global accord that seeks to avoid the worst effects of climate change by cutting global CO2 emissions 45% by 2030.
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A Guide to USDA Resources for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers
This guide can help you get started with USDA, whether you are new to farming, ranching, or forestry management, or just new to working with USDA.
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“Cover Crops Economics” Report – SARE
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s “Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops” looks at the economics of cover crops in corn and soybean rotations to help farmers answer that big question, when do cover crops pay?
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Michigan State University Drainage Resources
This Michigan State University Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering website provides education and practical solutions to address drainage issues.
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Financing Resilient Agriculture
This report is for agricultural lenders and lending institutions, as well as others interested in understanding the climate risks faced by the agricultural lending sector and the role of agricultural lenders in financing resilient agriculture. This report provides a path forward for lenders to mitigate climate risks and finance resilient agriculture. Our hope is that it is useful to all those who are invested in the future of U.S. farms.
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CoverCrop Analyzer
The cover crop project seeks to provide farmers with a practical web-based decision support tool designed to help manage cover crops in their fields. The project makes use of existing research to demonstrate the potential for cover crops, as well as providing useful information for decision making and management of this practice. It will also seek to apply future research on cover crops as results are incorporated into updates and new iterations of the tool.
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