Producers who use no-till or strip-till practices in their farming operations now have until September 15 to sign up for the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) agricultural soil carbon offsets program.

“The deadline extension is good news for producers,” notes Dave Krog, CEO of AgraGate Climate Credits Corporation, which aggregates carbon credits from farmers, ranchers, private landowners and other agricultural sources. “The original deadline for the 2007 program was June 30, and then was extended to August 15. Having additional time will be helpful for producers who have been considering whether or not to participate in the program.”

Decades of data have shown that no-till and strip-till practices sequester carbon in agricultural soils. Producers who meet the eligibility requirements receive credit for their practices. The amount of carbon sequestered varies by region, but land in the central Corn Belt typically receives credit for 0.6 ton/acre of carbon.

Producers must commit to maintaining their conservation tillage practices for a minimum of five years. Krog said that more information about the carbon offsets program, including application forms, is available by calling 1-866-633-6758 or at AgraGate’s Web site: www.agragate.com.

“Our team will be happy to explain program details if producers are not familiar with the carbon offsets program,” Krog adds. AgraGate Climate Credits Corp., a subsidiary of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, is the leading aggregator of carbon credits from agriculture. AgraGate was one of original 14 founding members of the Chicago Climate Exchange, which opened for business in 2003.