Iowa Farm Finds Opportunity in Carbon Markets

A northeast Iowa farm is turning conservation into opportunity with the help of carbon markets.

For the past six years, Chris Grebner and his team at MBS Farms have partnered with organizations to sequester carbon and generate new revenue streams.

“We saw real potential to create additional income through carbon markets,” says Grebner. “Many of the practices being promoted were ones we already had in place – or ones we were eager to add.”

One of their key partners is Agoro Carbon Alliance, where Regional Sales Manager Clay Craighton works directly with producers to align conservation practices with carbon opportunities.

“My job is to meet farmers where they’re at,” Craighton explains. “If you’re already trying reduced tillage or have livestock that could benefit from cover crops, we look at how those practices can improve soil health while also delivering financial value.”

Hopping and baling silage at Kubik Farm in northern Iowa

Each season, Grebner submits field data to an Agoro Carbon agronomist, who uses it to model carbon removals and calculate credit generation. Payments are then issued based on those results.

For MBS Farms, working with Agoro Carbon has proven simple and rewarding. “The ease of submitting data, the reliable payment schedule, and the speed at which credits are generated made Agoro Carbon the right fit for us,” Grebner says.

Through Agoro Carbon, MBS Farms is not only building healthier soils but also unlocking new financial opportunities, showing how sustainable practices can benefit both the land and the bottom line. More from Chris Grebner and about the Agoro Carbon program on Brownfield.

MBS Farms, a 5th-generation operation in Plainfield, Iowa, shows the soil health benefits of sustainable practices (improved tillage & cover cropping) since joining Agoro Carbon’s program.

Iowa Farm Finds Opportunity in Carbon Markets

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