Some Credit Talk
Storyboard Text
- Farmer John is tired of applying large amounts of chemical fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides on his land knowing this causes water pollution and damages plant and animal life in his area while killing microbial activity in the soil. But John knows that the 3 year process of transitioning his soil will mean lost income and financial hardship to his family effectively preventing him from converting to organic.
- Pat decides it’s time to take action to permanently improve the quality of life in her community and the world. She knows organic food; not just vegetables, but meat, milk & eggs, results in proven health benefits. She also wants to help clean the environment by reducing nitrogen runoff into streams that kill fish and choke waterways and she wants to reduce herbicides and pesticides that kill wildflowers, birds and butterflies.
- Pat and John both hear about an ORGANIC TRANSITION CREDIT (OTC) that allows Pat tobuy a ‘credit’ from John that provides him additional income once he completes1 year of verified organic farming practices on 1 acre. This added income wouldallow John to start the process of converting to organic production. TheseOTC are posted on an easily accessible online bulletin board run by theindependent Soil Attribute Registry and Tracking System (SARTS). www.mysarts.com.
- John goes to the SARTS site and ‘lists’ 40 acres that he will start converting to organic if he can get $30/acre to offset his lost income during the first year of transition. John specifies the county, township and section. .
- Pat goes to the SARTS site and looks for OTC offerings in her neighboring counties. She sees that John is ‘offering’ to transition 40 acres if he can get income support of $30/acre or OTC. Pat agrees to John’s price for 20 acres/OTC. Pat’s neighbor Jane buys the other 20 acres. Pat and Jane each pay SARTS $600 ($30/OTC x 20 acres). SARTS holds the funds.
- John completes 1 year of organic practices. John provides SARTS a U.S. Dept. of Ag compliance certificate. SARTS creates and delivers the OTC to Patand Jane, and SARTS pays John $1,200. John received funds allowing him to complete the first year towards organic production without hardship to his family. Pat & Jane provided funding to support verified organic transition and make a positive impact on area health and environment.
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