Who to work with?
While there are basic qualifications (listed below) when determining whether or not a farmer qualifies for the Nori Program, there are a few nuances to selecting folks who will fit well in the Nori Program. Based on our experience, the Nori team has found that certain characteristics indicate Suppliers that work well in our program.
Basic Qualifications
The fields have ...
Have adopted a regenerative practice since 2011
Are located in the United States
Have not been in, then out, of CRP since 2000
The farmers are ...
Willing to sign a 10 year contract
Aware of verification costs
Have quality data and access to digital field boundaries
Characteristics
Once the basic qualifications have been met and the switch year is established, consider the type of farmer who has personality traits that allow them to work in early stage companies. Folks interested in carbon markets may have preconceived expectations of how long the process takes, how many NRTs they think they should receive, or may want an easy, straightforward experience. Which is not quite the case. Below are characteristics that are helpful to look for to develop a smoother Nori enrollment process:
Patient - While we are continually improving, the Nori Program can be a long process with unexpected delays;
Innovative - We are entering a new phase of agriculture, so those who are successful have the ability to embrace uncertainty;
Communicative - There are a lot of steps and questions in the Nori process that need to be answered on the farm and field level.