Coupling Enhanced Weathering and Silvopasture in the American Midwest

Agriculture is a significant source of carbon emissions. The use of basalt rock dust, a byproduct of mining and hydroponic industries, as a low-cost soil amendment could provide a solution. However, further experiments are needed to determine the economic viability and scalability of this farming method. This project team aims to demonstrate the viability of carbon-negative agricultural production in the Midwestern United States. They will transition conventional fields in a corn-soy rotation to silvopasture, an approach incorporating trees and forages into a grazing system. They will also apply waste basalt rock dust to the fields to accelerate the natural carbon sequestration process, a method known as enhanced rock weathering. With these techniques, the team hopes to create a biodiverse, scalable, financially viable model for carbon-negative agriculture that can be applied on a larger scale.