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Farms and Ranches often include multiple distinct system types within the farm boundary. It can be helpful, though not required, to address these individually within the plan. Below we present a few typical system types, and outline some potential considerations that might be included in a carbon farm plan when addressing each of them.
When creating an agroforestry, cropland, orchard or vineyard, rangeland or pasture, etc. component within your Carbon Farm Plan, provide a narrative of what and where the proposed (required) and existing (optional) practices are and their spatial extent. Provide a TABLE, showing system types, spatial extent and CO2e benefits (from COMET-Planner or other sources) of the proposed practices on an annual and 20-year basis (or longer, as appropriate).
Agroforestry Systems
Agroforestry Systems
Agroforestry is a broad concept, including both management of forests for multiple uses and the integration of trees and shrubs within agricultural production systems (https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/). Agroforestry practices have many benefits when integrated into cropping and animal production systems. These include: increased carbon sequestration; reduced animal and crop climate stress from wind, cold and heat, and reduced runoff and and soil erosion. Incorporating trees through windbreaks, shelterbelts, silvopasture, or alley cropping also increases biological and structural diversity, supports pest management by providing habitat for beneficial insects and birds, and can provide multiple products such as forage, fruit, nuts and timber.
Provide a planting palette or species suggestions in the text or in the appendix whenever possible to support producer decision-making.
If you are located in California, NRCS Region 5, you can take advantage of the CalFlora and NRCS eVegGuide!
The NRCS eVegGuide (electronic Vegetation Guide) is a tool for finding plants and seeds for NRCS land conservation practices. An eVegGuide report shows recommended plants, seeds, and planting recommendations to implement a particular practice at a chosen location.
Common Agroforestry Practices
Common Agroforestry Practices
Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
Alley Cropping (CPS 311)
Forest Farming (379)
Hedgerow (CPS 422)
Riparian Forest Buffer (CPS 391)
Silvopasture (CPS 381)
Windbreak/Shelterbelt (CPS 380)
Roadside Plantings and Shaded Fuel Breaks (CPS 383)
Tree and Shrub Est (CPS 612)
Example of Agroforestry Table
Example of Agroforestry Table
Example of Agroforestry Map
Example of Agroforestry Map
Cropland System
Cropland System
Croplands typically offer numerous opportunities for management changes that can lead to carbon increases, and/or GHG emission reductions over time. For example, agricultural soils are the single largest source of nitrous oxide emissions globally, largely due to the use of nitrogenous fertilizers in quantities greater than can be utilized by the growing crop (Harris et al 2022). Replacing synthetic nitrogen with organic sources can thus lead to a direct reduction in net N2O emissions.
Bare fallow between crop cycles, a common agricultural practice, renders soils unable to receive additional photosynthetic carbon inputs for the duration of the fallow period; cover cropping instead of bare fallow can lead to soil carbon increases (https://gaudin.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk10651/files/inline-files/fagro-04-844166.pdf).
Compost and other organic soil amendments can directly increase soil organic carbon content, increase water holding capacity and reduce synthetic fertilizer and irrigation requirements. Intensive tillage is destructive of soil organic matter and leads to soil emissions of carbon due to organic matter oxidation; fossil-fueled tractor passes also lead to GHG emissions. Minimizing tillage and tractor fuel use can lead to emission reductions from these sources. Integrating livestock into cropping systems can be another way to reduce tillage, fertilizer and herbicide use and thus GHG emissions. Integrating livestock, https://gaudin.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk10651/files/inline-files/1-s2.0-S0038071720302339-main.pdf, adding windbreaks, hedgerows and alley cropping to these systems can provide additional carbon enhancement benefits.
Common Cropland Practice
Common Cropland Practice
Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
Combustion System Improvement (CPS 372)
Conservation Crop Rotation (CPS 328)
Cover Crops (CPS 340)
Mulching (CPS 484)
Nutrient Management (CPS 590)
Residue and Tillage Management - No-Till (CPS 329)
Residue and Tillage Management - Reduced Till (CSP 585)
Stripcropping (CPS 585)
Conservation Cover (CPS327)
Contour Buffer Strips (CPS 332)
Field Boarder (CPS 386)
Filter Strip (393)
Forage and Biomass Planting(CPS 512)
Grassed Waterways (CPS 412)
Herbaceous Wind Barriers (CPS 603)
Riparian Herbaceous Cover(CPS 390)
Vegetative Barriers (CPS 601)
Example of a Cropland Practices Table
Example of a Cropland Practices Table
Orchard and Vineyard Systems
Orchard and Vineyard Systems
Woody perennial cropland systems, such as orchards and vineyards, typically offer a number of opportunities for enhanced carbon capture (Williams et al 2011). These may include: moving away from tillage to mowing and annual or perennial cover cropping; chipping and mulching or composting of annual prunings; compost or mulch applications; livestock integration https://gaudin.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk10651/files/inline-files/1-s2.0-S0038071720302339-main.pdf and reduction or avoidance of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. Adding windbreaks and hedgerows and multi-storey cropping to these systems can provide additional carbon enhancement benefits. Whole orchard recycling is also emerging as a significant carbon-beneficial practice (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0229588).
Resilience in Practices: Reintegrating Animals into Cropping Systems
Resilience in Practices: Reintegrating Animals into Cropping Systems
Resilience in Practice: Re-integrating Animals into Cropping Systems is an 8-minute film featuring the work of Kaos Sheep Outfit, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Kirabo Pastures, the Grazing School of the West, True Grass Farms, and the Gaudin Lab at UC Davis. The short film demonstrates the multiple benefits of integrated cropping systems for soil fertility, water infiltration, fire resilience and more. Produced by Fibershed and Soil Centric with the team at Earthen Productions.
To read the Fibershed blog featuring this video visit this link: https://fibershed.org/programs/climate-beneficial-agriculture/integrated-crop-livestock-systems-and-fuel-load-reduction/
Common Orchard and Vineyard Practices
Common Orchard and Vineyard Practices
Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
Compost Application (CPS 336)
Conservation Cover (CPS 327)
Cover Crop (CPS 340)
Filter Strip (CPS 393
Hedgerow Planting (CPS 422)
Mulching (CPS 484)
Nutrient Management (CPS 590)
Residue and Tillage Management - No-Till (CPS 329)
Residue and Tillage Management - Reduced Till (CSP 585)
Whole Orchard Recycling (CPS 336)
Windbreak/ Shelterbelt Establishment (CPS 380)
Rangeland and Pasture Systems
Rangeland and Pasture Systems
Rangeland and pasture system management for carbon increases (Teague et al 2016) can include changes in livestock management, planting of riparian systems, seeding of perennial forages, biochar or compost applications and silvopasture establishment. Pasture systems may include irrigation and tillage management, but rangeland systems, by definition, do not. Adding windbreaks and hedgerows to these systems can provide additional carbon enhancement benefits but may be relatively difficult to establish in rangeland settings. Rangeland riparian areas may offer significant carbon capture opportunities in some cases.
Note, a Grazing Plan is only required for grazed properties and if grazing management is a component / significant piece of the plan. A Grazing Plan should be prepared by a qualified professional and/or the producer, as appropriate.
Common Rangeland and Pasture Practices
Common Rangeland and Pasture Practices
Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
Compost Application (Interim CPS 808)
Hedgerow Planting (CPS 422)
Prescribed Grazing (CPS 528)
Range Planting (CPS 550)
Riparian Forest Buffer (CPS 391)
Silvopasture (CPS 381)
Tree/Shrub Establishment (CPS 612)
Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (CPS 380)
Nutrient Management (CPS 590)
Pasture and Hay Planting (CPS 512)
Other Systems
Other Systems
Based on the operation you are planning for, you may also need to include one or more additional sections/chapters. Below are a few examples of additional sections that may be appropriate for a given plan.
Compost Operation/Compost Facility
Dairy Operations, manure management plan, nutrient management plan, Anaerobic Digester, etc.
Agrivoltaics
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Flint, L.E. and Flint, A.L., 2014, California Basin Characterization Model: A Dataset of Historical and Future Hydrologic Response to Climate Change, (ver. 1.1, May 2017): U.S. Geological Survey Data Release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F76T0JPB.
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