Wisconsin Farm Credit Coop Starts Carbon Collaberation

A midwestern financial cooperative will collaborate with farmers and a company to allow access to carbon markets.

Compeer Financial, a member of the Farm Credit system, will partner with Indigo Ag with the intention of easing access to carbon credit markets, according to a press release issued Thursday. 

The move is designed to give agriculturists access to carbon markets, said Terry Hinds, Compeer’s Chief Asset Quality and Assurance Officer.

“As the carbon market develops, we want to give our clients a seat at that table,” he said. “Working with Indigo allows us to offer farmers a scientifically rigorous, high-quality carbon program to help them maximize income and soil health benefits.”

The partnership allows the companies to help farmers turn changing production methods into money, said Chris Harbourt, Indigo’s Global Head of Carbon.

“We are excited to work together with Compeer, an organization with a shared value of putting farmers first, to build understanding of the carbon farming opportunity and help farmers take advantage of this new revenue stream in a way that maximizes success in the years to come,” he said.

Indigo connects farmers who generate carbon credits through the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, including no-tilling, strip tilling, cover crop use, and soil sequestration with companies interested in buying carbon credits to enhance their sustainability. In September, the company issued payments to 267 growers who had implemented reduced carbon practices and collected and reported data about the new practices, according to a company release issued at the time.

Compeer is one of 71 financial institutions associated with the Farm Credit System, first created by Congress in 1916. Compeer is based in Sun Pairie, Wis.

Indigo was founded in 2014 and offers three main products: Carbon, Biologicals and Market+. Indigo is based in Boston.