Policy Priorities

Carbon Markets

Learn Now to Grow Your Future

Ohio Corn & Wheat is committed to keeping our grower members informed about the opportunities that lie ahead. Carbon markets offer the chance for banking credits that can pay dividends for carbon sequestration. To initiate the process and make smart business decisions, we recommend to growers that they get informed now. Learning about the process early on can maximize the opportunities that will bear fruit in the future.

We will continue to make updates to this page as we learn more. As always, we will bring expertise to our members that will help shape their decision-making process for wise farming. Learn more here about how our members are shaping our next steps related to vomitoxin, carbon markets and ethanol in strike teams dedicated to each topic.

Questions?

Ohio Corn & Wheat will be publishing more information about carbon markets as it becomes available. For example, we want our growers to hear Ohio-specific information from the brokers, so we have asked them for videos that we will share here.
Feel free to email us with any questions in the meantime.

16 Questions for Farmers

What to Ask Brokers About Carbon Markets

We know our members have many questions about carbon markets. To compare brokers’ offerings, it can be difficult to do an apples-to-apples analysis because payment terms, data ownership and verification practices all differ across companies. 

Ohio Corn & Wheat recommends approaching the process with the same level of caution you’d use for any decision related to your operation. We offer these considerations and due diligence:

  • Recognize that the process is still being piloted, so we are in the early stages of learning. 
  • Get informed now so you can enter the market knowing your options.
  • Hold onto your credits since selling them means entering into a long-term contract of 10+ years which would be difficult to renegotiate. 
  • Explore additional details and learn more here.

Here are the questions to ask brokers so you can make an informed decision about which deal is right for you.
What Counts
Enrollment
  1. How do I enroll?
  2. Is the contract for a single year of production or does it span a term of multiple years?
  3. What is the length of the contract (e.g., 10 years or more)?
  4. How do I report the practices I’ve already adopted? 
    • Does this program give me credit for practices I’ve already been doing?
    • If I’ve already started management best practices on my farm, how do I make my acres eligible? 
  5. Is there a limit on the total number of acres I can enroll? 
How It Counts
Data, Technology and Verification
  1. What information platforms, websites, or applications will I need to use to report my performance
  2. Will the program require a verification process? Who pays for that?
  3. Will a program employee or third party be visiting my operation? If so, how often and when can they be expected?
  4. How will my operational data be used? Will it be shared with any third parties (e.g., ag retailers, researchers, government agencies)?
  5. Will I need to invest in any additional technology platforms or devices to successfully report my performance? 
How It Markets
Selling Credits and Earning Payments
  1. How do I market my credits? Is there an established buyer?
  2. How much can I expect to be paid per acre, or, per ton of carbon sequestered?
  3. What if I want to hold onto my credits? Am I able to do so?
  4. If I decide to terminate the contract, what are the penalties?
  5. Are payments driven by practices used on the field or on outcomes?
  6. If I disagree with the value of my credits, what is the process for challenging that value?
Thank you to our OCWGA Corporate Sponsors.

View Sponsor List

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