The increasing carbon in our atmosphere is heating up our planet, destabilising our climate and destroying our oceans. Carbon in the atmosphere is bad for us. But there is a solution. And it’s right beneath our feet.
Carbon is not the enemy, it’s our biggest ally. In fact, it is one of the main building blocks of life. There are the same number of harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) atoms on this earth that there were at the beginning of time. They are just stored in the wrong places.
The healing power of soil, with its capacity to store carbon, is a vital contributor to reversing the effects of climate change.
The Carbon Farm makes it possible for anyone in Jersey, from farmers, gardeners and landowners to businesses and individuals to get involved in soil regeneration and carbon capture, helping Jersey to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, whilst safeguarding Jersey’s agricultural heritage.
The Carbon Farm’s initial ambition, in collaboration with identified Jersey farms, is to capture and record the first tonne of carbon, here in Jersey.
The Carbon Farm is looking to deploy the following approach to help regenerate the soil and capture carbon.
- Analyse and record the health of the soil, identifying deficiencies and remediating them.
- Assist farmers in their transition to regenerative practices, based on the aforementioned 5 soil health principles. We monitor and record the ability of the soil to capture carbon to potentially enable farmers to be paid for capturing carbon – i.e., selling their carbon offsets. This could dramatically change the way farmers are rewarded for farming. In broader terms, this will result in a regenerative agriculture system resembling a natural ecosystem.
- Redeploying Jersey’s food waste from incineration and recycling it to create bespoke biologically complete organic compost, which provides active nutrition and biology to support the regenerating soil function. The compost is a natural alternative to synthetic chemical inputs that pollute our waterways, land and coastline. Carbon will be stabilised and captured in the food recycling process and again through the soil regeneration process.
Through these soil regenerative practices, we aim to provide Jersey with a local option to help offset their carbon footprint.
The Carbon Farm wishes to educate and increase awareness about the extraordinary benefits of healthy soil, and provide pathways for anyone to get involved, however big or small their patch of land is. From our Carbon Composting Club for gardeners to soil regeneration and carbon capture initiatives for farmers, growers, communities, and businesses, we can all play our part.
Why Soil?
The world’s topsoil holds three times as much carbon as the vegetation.
The soil stores 4000 billion tonnes of carbon.
The atmosphere stores 800 billion tonnes of carbon
Biomass (plants / trees) store 360 billion tonnes.
Healthy soil will absorb all but the heaviest downpours of rain, which can prevent floods and store water to keep plants growing through droughts. And crucially, it enables farmers to grow nutrient-dense food with a minimum of artificial inputs.
The United Nations’ scientific panel on climate change warns that it will be impossible to keep worldwide temperatures at safe levels unless humans change the way they produce food and use land.
Additional benefits to Jersey of a regenerative approach
- Increased levels of biodiversity – an increase in the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms, like bacteria, that make up our natural world.
- Healthy soil will improve water security.
- Soil erosion and run off into water courses will be minimised.
- Farmers will be able to produce nutrient dense food.
- Jersey food waste will be recycled and returned to the soil.
- Agriculture will be safeguarded for future generations of farmers.
In summary, caring for our soil and increasing carbon, cleans our air, saves water, improves biodiversity, and grows healthier food.
The regeneration of soil is the task of our generation. Our health, the health of our soils and the health of our planet are one and the same.
Carbon Neutrality 2030
There is a fundamental lack of understanding about how important the soil under our feet is – and not just as a resource for farmers. Healthy soil is vital to our life on this planet. It is a wonderful ecosystem of countless microscopic creatures in a complex food web, from bacteria and fungi to the beetles, bugs and earthworms.
Working with organisations, businesses and individuals who share our philosophy, we believe that we can make a serious contribution towards Jersey reaching its carbon neutrality target.
About Us
The Carbon Farm is a subsidiary company of Jersey Hemp – a successful hemp cultivator and manufacturer of CBD, hemp oil and food supplements. Jersey Hemp are pioneers in the island for their soil regeneration and organic farming practices.
An intrinsic part of Jersey Hemp’s success has been the adoption of chemical and biological analysis to identify minerals, nutrients, microbes and organic matter that are lacking in the soil. Addressing these deficiencies and monitoring their consistency has allowed Jersey Hemp to regenerate the soil, enhance the soils organic matter and increase the margin on its crops.
Following this same methodology, The Carbon Farm offers a range of soil analysis and soil health support programmes to farmers, landowners and local residents. From standard chemical and biological soil testing, all the way through to soil regeneration programmes, providing you with a platform to measure, monitor and manage your soil’s health.