The Parcel Biochar Program

A No-Cost Path for Farmers to Unlock EQIP Funding and Build Healthier Acres

Farmers have enough on their plates. Wrestling government forms shouldn’t be another chore in the day. That’s the whole reason we built the Parcel Biochar Program. It comes out of our Globally Responsible Production mission and a partnership with reCap that lets us deliver a real-world, no-nonsense way for growers to access EQIP’s conservation practice 336 and improve their soil.

Practice 336 supports the use of biochar to strengthen soil structure, improve water dynamics, and reduce long-term disease risk. It’s a strong practice, but you wouldn’t know it by participation rates. Most growers never apply. The filing process is confusing, it varies by state, and even if funding comes through, the award amount usually isn’t enough to cover the product, freight, and required soil sampling. In many states the per acre award lands around $1300, and the all-in delivered cost is higher. That gap alone keeps a lot of farmers from even considering it.

So we removed the gap.

When a grower works with Parcel, we take on the load that normally stops people at the gate. Our team helps complete the application, aligns the strategy with what each state’s NRCS office is most likely to approve, and submits everything correctly. It reduces friction and increases approval odds without tying up the grower’s time.

Once the application is approved, the grower transfers the award, and the program shifts into the simplest mode possible. Parcel uses those funds to cover the entire cost of the practice: Grade A Omri certified reCap biochar, a pre-application soil sample, a post-application soil sample, and $60 per acre back to the grower. There’s no up-charge, no invoice, no surprise bill later. The farmer completes the practice without spending a dollar out of pocket for the product and sampling, and still keeps $60 an acre.

That’s the part growers appreciate most. Even though EQIP’s award doesn’t fully cover the real bill, we make the economics work so that the grower doesn’t have to. The practice gets done, the soil gets better, and the farmer comes out ahead.

Retailers benefit as well. Many are looking for practical ways to strengthen relationships and offer value beyond the annual input cycle. This program is easy to explain, easy to adopt, and builds long-term trust. It encourages deeper conversations around soil biology, risk reduction, and agronomic strategy, giving retailers a new tool to support the growers they serve.

Biochar itself isn’t new, but bringing it to farmers in a way that removes financial barriers and administrative pain is. The science matters, and the conservation benefits matter, but they only matter when growers can actually access them. The Parcel Biochar Program puts the grower first. It eliminates the cost issue, handles the paperwork, and brings a long-term soil benefit directly to the farmgate.

The next step is simple. Growers identify the acres. Retail partners help spread the word. Our team handles the details. When approval hits, the material and sampling roll out automatically, and the farmer keeps moving forward with better soil and zero out-of-pocket cost.

This is what conservation should feel like. Practical. Straightforward. Built around real farming. And it’s only the beginning of what happens when technology, funding, and on-farm support all move in the same direction.