Navigating emissions trading and carbon markets can be challenging, but it’s worthwhile pursuit, says Madison Milgard, who leads sustainability efforts at Continental Floral Greens.

“Not only can carbon credits provide a revenue stream for a company,” Milgard says, “But the process also helps growers learn more about their land and become sustainable for generations to come.”

At Continental Floral Greens, the company started by looking at carbon sequestration and soil health, and looking for a crediting process that could fit in their budget. For them, the search led to Earth Optics, a company that measures and verifies carbon storage through soil mapping. The process only took a few weeks for their 10,000-acre timber farm.

Through the data generated by the soil health measurements, growers can learn how to change practices to increase carbon storage on their land, such as reducing tillage in certain areas or optimizing fertilizer requirements. This can help cut operating costs, too.

“The value of our land is our soil,” Milgard says. “We need to keep it healthy and measure changes.”

The company will have results from the initial survey within a few months. Then after five years, the credits can be certified through B Carbon, a nonprofit carbon registry. The next step is selling the credits, and some companies work with a third-party broker for this step.

“The carbon market is developing, with great programs and opportunities out there for farmers,” Milgard says. “The carbon market is hot, and we only expect it to continue to grow.”

After the success they are seeing with this initial project, Continental Floral Greens plans to expand carbon accreditation to some of their other farms.

Learn More About Sustainability at Continental Floral Greens View the Full Carbon Accounting Guide

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