FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2008

Montana Farmers Union to Hold Carbon Credit Sign-up Workshops

GREAT FALLS, MT  (March 28, 2008) – The spring deadline for carbon credit sign-up is April 15, 2008.  With that in mind, the Montana Farmers Union has scheduled three workshops to provide information and hands-on assistance to landowners interested in enrolling their farm or ranch land in the carbon credit program.  Enrollment is handled on-line, so producers are asked to bring their FSA 578 maps with them, and those individuals without internet access at home will be assisted first.

Farmers Union’s Carbon Credit Program allows agriculture producers and landowners to earn income by storing carbon in their soil through no-till crop production, long-term grass seeding practices, native rangeland enhancement, forestry, and methane capture projects.

Farmers Union has earned approval from the Chicago Climate Exchange to aggregate carbon credits.  Farmers Union enrolls producer acreages of carbon projects into blocks of credits that are traded on the Exchange, much like other agricultural commodities are traded.

Large companies and other entities purchase credits daily on the Exchange to offset their own carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  Once the credits are sold, producers earn income based on the acres they have enrolled.

The meeting schedule:

April 8, Havre, Triangle Telephone meeting room, 6:00-9:00 PM

April 9, Lewistown, Yogo Inn, 6:00-9:00 PM

April 10, Great Falls, MT Farmers Union, 300 River Drive No., 6:00-9:00 PM

More information and the ability to enroll on-line is available at the Montana Farmers Union’s web site:  www.montanafarmersunion.com.  Click on the Carbon Credit Program link on the home page. 

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