Feb 14, 2022

Verde Resources to kickstart carbon farming with biochar in Missouri

Verde Resources Inc., a subsidiary of Verde Renewables, recently signed a lease-to-purchase agreement for a 24-acre property in La Belle, Missouri, creating more than 30 new jobs in rural Missouri.

“We are very excited about the future of La Belle, Missouri. Verde will be the go-to green company in the Midwest for forward-thinking soil and climate solutions,” Carl Craven, director of Verde Resources, said in a news release. “This company’s expansion will enhance our critically important agriculture industry while creating quality jobs.

“We can make an immediate impact on the local farming industries, addressing several factors affecting the soil and environment,” he said. “Processing biochar and regenerative compost will tackle the dairy industry’s waste issues while addressing the world’s emissions problems.”

Verde Resources plans to establish a “catalytic Biofraction pyrolysis line,” according to the news release, technology that processes bio-waste into regenerative resources through a temperature-controlled, catalytic vacuum thermochemical process operated within a carbon-neutral environment, and a regenerative solution to mitigate the high quantities of harmful greenhouse gasses secreted into the atmosphere. Through this process, Verde Resources will create, package and distribute regenerative compost; an organic soil blend of biochar, wood vinegar, and bio-gas.

“Our state is a leader in the growing agricultural technology sector, and we’re thrilled to see innovative companies like Verde Resources investing in Missouri,” Governor Mike Parson said in the news release. “This company’s expansion will enhance our critically important agriculture industry while creating quality jobs in our rural north region. Verde Resources is a welcome addition to a growing list of cutting-edge agtech companies who see Missouri as a prime location for growth.”

Regenerative agriculture can be defined as an approach of holistic farming practices towards topsoil management that enhances ecosystem biodiversity which focuses on improving the water, air, and soil quality, while decreasing the impact of climate change, according to the news release. Biochar is a key part of regenerative agriculture assisting in nourishing ecosystems, able to mitigate the effects of climate change by simultaneously capturing carbon and methane.

“This is an incredibly exciting project that we are blessed to have here in Northeast Missouri,” Missouri State Senator Cindy O’Laughlin said in the release. “I’ve seen some of the details and I believe this innovative practice will reap both financial and environmental rewards for our farming communities.”

In order to reach Net Zero by 2050, the objective of sequestering large amounts of carbon with biochar and its application in farmland and topsoil is a smart, clean, carbon-negative way to improve soil fertility and promote higher crop yields. With new incentives available such as carbon credits, available in exchange for the amount of carbon sequestered, will help facilitate biochar being a widely implemented farming practice. These types of incentives can assist in the popularity and growth of biochar’s role in regenerative agriculture and its effects on the climate.

“I am very familiar with this project,” Missouri State Representative Greg Sharpe said in the news release. “It has great potential for using the byproduct we produce, and I very much look forward to the continued progress of this enterprise.”

The new Biofraction processing and packaging facility will be a welcome fixture in La Belle’s landscape, generating local job opportunities and providing social-economic benefits to the residents of the town and state of Missouri. The site will begin operations in Q1 2022, according to the news release. Verde Resources understands the importance of converting bio-waste as part of a progressive approach towards 2050 and reducing greenhouse gases, another step towards its mission of Going Green and Beyond.

Above, Verde Resources Inc. in La Belle, Missouri. Photo: PRNewswire