A California rice farmer, Greg Massa of Massa Organics, has reached net carbon negative rice production after a 25 year transition from conventional monocrop farming. He used compost, cover crops, no-till methods, and sheep grazing to replace synthetic fertilizers and fossil fuel inputs. His practices were partly supported by California's Healthy Soils Program and SWEEP grants, along with federal NRCS programs. Key results include improved soil health, higher nutrient density in almonds, and elimination of propane use for terminating cover crops. The farm now produces organic rice, almonds, mandarins, and sheep on the same land. The approach shows that net negative emissions are possible for staple crops when multiple regenerative practices are combined and managed carefully over time.
