MKC's Optimal Eco Asset Program

Dec 17, 2024
Carbon, soil health, and sustainability are newer market segments that have grown in recent years. If you haven’t participated in the past, 2025 will offer opportunities that can provide you an additional $10-$25/acre of revenue, depending on the program. 

At MKC, our Optimal Eco Asset Program covers these new sustainability programs, and we anticipate paying out over $2.7 million from 140,000+ acres to our member-owners in 2024.

So how can you plan and execute right now to set your operation and yourself up for success with these programs? A base requirement for most of these programs is to have soil samples no more than four years old.

Conduct a 2.5-acre grid soil sample to achieve the best return on your soil sampling investment. This enables the variable application of the 4Rs of stewardship: using the right product at the right rate, in the right place, and at the right time.

In a previous blog, I discussed the benefits of our Optimal Acre program, which includes grid sampling/VRT fertilizer. 

Additionally, there are excellent practices that score well for sustainability programs. Anything that helps improve soil health, such as no-till, liming, planting cover crops, a mixed rotation, integrating livestock, or spreading manure or compost can help you qualify for these programs. Documenting practices that help improve nutrient efficiency or mitigate nutrient loss, such as split-applying nutrients, nitrogen stabilizers, utilizing soil moisture probes for irrigation, etc. is also important.

The individuals who have found the most success with these programs are those focused on achieving agronomic benefits for their operations rather than solely aiming to receive payment. By prioritizing which practices provide the greatest agricultural advantages, you can also earn additional revenue by documenting those sustainable choices.

MKC is your trusted advisor for soil health and sustainability programs. Please reach out to your MKC representative to learn more about our Optimal Eco Asset Program.

Article provided by Ross Benisch, Ag Technology Manager