Carbon storage offers hope for climate, cash for farmers

Farming techniques that are good for the soil may also play an important role in fighting climate change

ORIENT, Ohio -- The rye and rapeseed that Rick Clifton cultivated in central Ohio were coming along nicely — until his tractor rumbled over the flat, fertile landscape, spraying it with herbicides. These crops weren't meant to be eaten, but to occupy the ground between Clifton's soybean harvest last fall and this spring's planting. Yet thanks to their environmental value, he'll still make money from them. Farmers increasingly have been growing offseason cereals and grasses to prevent erosion and improve soil. Now, they're gaining currency as weapons against climate change. Experts believe keeping ground covered year-round rather than bare in winter is among practices that could reduce emissions of planet-warming gases while boosting the agricultural economy, if used far more widely.