Texas ranchers are restoring grasslands, storing carbon, and raising grass-fed cattle to reverse climate change. With 40% of America dedicated to livestock production, the implications could be bigger than TEXAS. Grassroots Carbon tech helps regenerative ranchers cash in on carbon credits.
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Come on down to South Texas, where 7th generation rancher Travis Krause is helping fellow ranchers manage their lands with smart regenerative practices like holistic grazing. Tired of the unpredictable business of family farming, Travis launched Grazing Lands to build a regenerative beef supply chain for all of America. “We’ve got to get beyond the farmers market mentality and build something that scales.”
Speaking of scale, Grassroots Carbon, a San Antonio-based startup, is helping regenerative ranchers connect with carbon buyers to cash in on their good practices. EVP of Nature-Based Solutions, Lauren Miller grew up on a ranch just down the road from Travis, and she’s passionate about helping ranchers use regenerative agriculture to restore their land and make good money doing it. “I have a nine month old son; he'll probably be driving a tractor before he really should be. If we restore just half of the U.S. grasslands, we can sequester half to over a billion tons of co2 per year. For my son and for future generations, that's a massive difference. That's getting back to that natural carbon sink, that's working with nature, improving rural areas, improving the food supply. I was in Houston during Harvey, I know what happens when you pave over a grassland.”
Grassroots Carbon provides ranchers with PastureMap software to manage livestock, restore grasslands, and track carbon storage. And now, Rice University is developing industry-wide standards to measure carbon capture credits, ensuring quality transactions for buyers and transparency for all.
It’s not just about the money. Practicing regenerative agriculture builds healthy soil, supports biodiversity, provides larger yields in both crops and livestock, and perhaps most importantly today, improves water retention. Regenerative ranches store up to 10 times more water in their soil. In times of intense drought, this can mean the difference between selling the family ranch and maintaining a successful business.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Soil for Carbon Storage
01:31 How Carbon Credits work
02:17 More carbon in soil than anywhere else
02:42 Measuring soil carbon credits at Rice U
03:20 Photosynthesis determines carbon storage
03:31 Surviving drought with healthy soil
04:02 Cattle replicate bison to revitalize grassland
04:33 Building a grass-fed beef supply chain
05:12 Raising animals to heal the planet
05:23 You can’t replace meat with vegetables
05:24 Ranching for generations
06:34 Calling the cows home
07:47 Managing livestock to improve the land
08:32 PastureMap software for ranchers
09:25 Set stocking vs timed grazing
10:08 Measuring grass to sequester carbon
11:03 Regenerative agriculture as a principle
12:08 30 million Texans own 97% of the state
12:25 40% of US land mass has livestock
12:43 Storing carbon for future generations
13:10 Shopify and Marathon sign on
13:30 Stewardship is adapting
13:54 Teaching your kids to care for the land
Texas Cowboys Turn to Carbon Capture Cattle | Farms Across America
Directed by Jessie English
Created by Conor Gaughan and Kate Tucker
Written and hosted by Kate Tucker
Produced by Consensus Digital Media in partnership with Remedial Media
Executive Producer - Kate Tucker
Executive Producer - Jessie English
Executive Producer - Eric Feigenbaum
Executive Producer - Conor Gaughan
Featuring:
Dr. Henk Mooiweer - CEO & Co-Founder, Grassroots Carbon
Lauren Miller - EVP Nature-Based Solutions, Grassroots Carbon
Travis Krause - CEO, Grazing Lands
Frates Seeligson - Owner, Pajarito Ranch
Kevin Rothe - Ranch Consultant
Filmed at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and Pajarito Ranch in Pandora, Texas.
"The Quest for Better Beef" appears courtesy of Texas Monthly and photographer Jamie Chung.
Supervising Producer - Geoff Rock
Editor - Nick Nazmi
Assistant Editor - Dustin Waldman
Director of Photography - Isaac Rosenthal
Camera Operator - Eddie Bernard
Gaffer / Drone Operator - Fletcher Anstis
Sound Engineer - Tom Eichler
Production Coordinator - John Ryan Gage
PA - Josiah Shaw
Makeup & Hair - Tracy Fettig and Amber Asher
Wardrobe - Hollie Van Osenbruggen
Audio Mixer / Sound Design - Dillon Terry
Color Grading - Ind3x
Motion Graphics - Yuriy Netrebyuk
Graphic Design - Stephen Lepsch
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