Eco-Harvest

Eco-Harvest, run by the nonprofit Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), pays farmers for regenerative practice changes — cover cropping, reduced tillage, and improved nutrient management — through regional projects funded by corporate supply-chain buyers. ESMC's 60+ members span the agricultural supply chain and commit to buying the credits generated, so outcomes are sold as Scope 3 insets within the food system rather than as offsets to outside buyers.

The program is deliberately low-barrier: no fees, no minimum or maximum acreage, no requirement to enroll all your land, and farmers choose which practice changes fit their operation. ESMC and project partners provide agronomic support, handle data collection and verification, and pay for both practice implementation and measured outcomes.

EcoHarvest publishes its payment floors — a rarity among carbon programs: a $10/acre enrollment incentive in year one plus at least $5/acre per practice, with projects able to add more on top.

• Enroll in an Eco-Harvest project operating in your region; ESMC states it does not enroll farmers unless there is a good project match.

• No fees, no minimum or maximum acreage, and you do not need to enroll all your land.

• Eligible practices include cover cropping, reduced tillage, and improved nutrient management (reduced synthetic fertilizer, split application, N inhibitors, manure use).

• Provide current and historical management data per project requirements, and allow field access for project soil samplers.

Published payment floors (2025 & 2026). A $10/acre enrollment incentive, paid in year one within 90 days of completing enrollment, plus per-practice payments of at least $5/acre each for conservation tillage (no-till or tillage reduction), nutrient management (reduced synthetic fertilizer, split application, N inhibitor, or manure), and cover cropping. These are price floors — projects may include additional per-acre payments.

A farmer adopting all three practice families would earn at least $15/acre plus the year-one incentive, with project-specific additions on top.

Five steps: enroll in an Eco-Harvest project with data on planned crop and conservation practices; implement or continue eligible practices with agronomic support; enter current and historical management data; allow soil sampling; get paid.

Start at ecoharvest.ag — the Producer's Guide covers practices, crops, regions, and enrollment in depth.

• A Producer's Guide to EcoHarvest (9.23 MB)

• EcoHarvest Participation Steps

• 2025 & 2026 Payment Rates