Virtual Montana Organic Conference

Join Jeff Schahczenski, Program Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and Claire Lafave, Manager of Client Strategy with Native Energy for brief presentations of their work with carbon credits followed by a discussion of the opportunities and limitations for Montana producers. Bring your questions about carbon credits.

Schahczenski: Carbon Credit Schemes: Who Benefits?
Current schemes to pay farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and sequester soil carbon are varied, confusing and potentially of little benefit to organic farmer and ranchers. These schemes are not carbon markets, but rather offers by private entities usually through intermediaries to provide carbon offsets for their GHG emissions. Organic farmers and ranchers must be willing to make long-term, or even permanent, changes in not only practices but perhaps whole systems of production. These changes also need to be verified that they result in true offsets of GHG emissions and/or increase in soil carbon sequestration. The issues of verifiability, permanence, and additionality are critical to the success of agriculture’s role in being a part of a truly national carbon market and in the ultimate reduction of GHG emissions and increased carbon sequestration. To date, it is not clear nor certain that such efforts will lead to lasting change that can have significant impact on climate disruption.

What are linkages of agriculture to human and environmental wellbeing? Is organic produce more delicious and nutritious than conventional produce? A multifaceted challenge of the Anthropocene is supporting healthy diets while conserving ecological resources in socially acceptable ways. At present, poor diets are the leading risk factor of the global burden of disease. Concurrently, food production places greater stress on ecosystems than any other human activity while being critically dependent on multiple ecosystem services including water, soil fertility, pollination, and climate regulation. These food system challenges are exacerbated by global change with notable consequences for human and environmental wellbeing. This presentation will outline global trends of food systems transitions and associated implications for sustainability. We will review the evidence of the implications of agricultural practices for planetary health with a focus on organic agriculture. Evidence will further be presented on the relationship of agricultural management, phytochemistry, and sensory profiles of crops.

What it is self-care? *The challenges we face as rural farmers and ranchers *How burnout impacts our lives and work *Touch on depression/anxiety *Strategies to immediately make a difference *Ways to reach out*