For Lukas Fricke, good data forms the framework for management decisions he and his brother make on their Ulysses, Neb., farm operation.
Being able to tap into data they’ve collected, processed and pored over during the past five years enabled the sixth-generation farmers to see using conservation farming practices could be financially worthwhile.
“What we found is we could get a ROI with different conservation practices—that there are actually dollars and cents in our bank account at the end of the day,” Fricke says.
That insight helped the brothers begin to adopt strip tillage on some of their acres.
“On a bushel-per-acre basis that’s the big one for us, it helped us refine our fertility program, though it’s not a perfect practice for every acre,” Lukas says.
Plus, implementing strip tillage fit the bill for a number of companies in the marketplace offering carbon contracts.
The Fricke brothers decided carbon was a good opportunity, another commodity to market and add income to their bottom line. They signed on with a company that offered support and that they believed would be in the ag industry for the long haul. (Learn more about current opportunities at the Farm Journal carbon-innovation-center)
“This is a long-term arrangement, so you want to go with someone you trust and that you’re comfortable working with,” Lukas says.
“It was super easy to sign up. I filled out 10 questions and told them the farm I wanted to use,” he adds.
One challenge Lukas encourages farmers to consider before they sign a carbon contract is whether they can get reliable internet service.
“I know connectivity and carbon sound like two polar opposites, but to get a good carbon data set you have to know where your farm stands and where you can get better,” he explains. “We have to have a good data set so we need great computing, and that’s not routinely on the farm today.”
To hear Lukas Fricke’s complete story on how he and his brother evaluated carbon opportunities, watch the video below.
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