What is Carbon Farming?

To understand carbon farming, first a refresher on photosynthesis…..

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants (and other organisms) convert sunlight into chemical energy. Plants store this chemical energy by creating sugars by combining carbon dioxide (C02) and water (H20), hence the word carbohydrate, a molecule where that chemical energy (converted from sunlight) is stored.

Carbon farming is, in its simplest form, the process of accelerating this natural carbon cycle of plants pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere by making carbohydrates, to reverse the damage we’ve done to our atmosphere by inundating it with CO2 spewed from industry and agriculture.

John Roulac, CEO of the Richmond-based Superfoods company Nutiva, reminds us in his powerful EcoWatch article on the subject that…..

So in the powerful fight to produce positive solutions to address climate change, soil is our most powerful ally.

Want to learn more? Save the date for Friday, May 1st, 2015 for a Carbon Farming Tour that I am hosting on behalf of Fibershed where we’ll visit farms & ranches in Marin & Sonoma Counties that are implementing carbon farming strategies. The tour is sponsored by Nutiva, and we are partnering with the Sustainable Enterprise Conference. For more info about this tour, leave your contact info in the sidebar.

I look forward to seeing all you carbon-based life forms on Friday, May 1st!