Our operating hypothesis is that the regenerative ranching/farming “biomimicry” practices that the SA Ranch will employ should effectively store additional carbon in the soil.
Storing additional carbon in the soil is a critical component in reducing greenhouse gasses and slowing climate change. In the summer of 2016, we made the decision to measure the level of carbon in the SA Ranch’s soils in a scientifically robust manner throughout all stages of the ranch’s conversion process. Additionally, we are focused on developing the protocols necessary to quantify this carbon under available “cap and trade” or other related programs in a manner that would enable any incremental sequestered carbon to be monetized in developing carbon markets. It is our view that this piece of our overall project is potentially a huge “game changer” and consequently we have given this project a name and hope to JV with strategic climate change activists to publish results.
SA Ranch team member Bill Turner, PhD is leading all our “carbon” efforts and he has been developing testing protocols that were put into action in the Fall of 2016. For each field that is to be tested, we established a grid from which to randomly select fixed points for soil sampling. At each fixed sample point, a composite sample of soil cores is collected at various profile depths. We then combine and mix the samples for each profile depth in order to get an average measurement for each soil profile depth per field. Each soil profile measure per field is then sent off for testing at UC Davis. The laboratory data results can then help us calculate estimated values for tons per acre of soil organic carbon for the SA Ranch.
