CARBON MANAGEMENT MAKES SOIL SENSE

Increases in water-holding capacity add on-farm value.

- Raylene Nickel 

Building soil carbon is key to Michael Thompson's diverse operation near Almena, Kansas, where he farms in partnership with his father, Richard, and his brother, Brian. The partners no-till primarily corn, soybeans, and winter wheat and graze cattle on cover crops.

While the carbon marketplace offers helpful financial incentives for building soil carbon, Michael Thompson values carbon most for its contributions to the soil's moisture-holding capacity.

"Carbon holds water, so when we get heavy rain events, the more carbon in the soil, the more water-holding capacity the soil will have," he says.

Of course, as plants receive more water, they grow more. This creates more top growth to harvest and provides more soil cover. Roots and surface residue feed soil biology, and the symbiotic relationship forms organic matter, which is primarily made up of carbon. Thus, the regenerative circle in the soil continues:

• More carbon

• More water

• More plants

• More carbon

A resilient cropping system results, with soil and plants able to better withstand both dry and wet conditions. Because of this, profitability stays on an even keel, not peaking in the good years only to crash in the drought years.

"We aim for an even stream of profitability, where we're profitable every year," says Thompson.

How it Started 

The Thompsons began building their present farming system in 2000, when they started no-tilling.