<p>On this episode, we're digging deep into why measuring soil carbon is so essential but so difficult, and what it takes to make it faster, cheaper, and easier.</p> <p>We’re joined by Chris Tolles, Co-Founder and CEO of <a href='https://www.useyardstick.com'>Yard Stick</a>, a soil carbon measurement company that's helping unlock the data needed to scale regenerative agriculture by affordably and accurately delivering the ground-truth data that proves the ROI of regenerative practices.</p> <p>Chris walks us through the graph that convinced him soil carbon was the climate solution to bet on — and why most current measurement methods are too expensive, too slow, or too inaccessible to meet the moment. You'll learn how Yard Stick's field-based spectroscopy technology changes the game, and why ground-level measurement will always matter more than watching from space.</p> <p>We also explore how Yard Stick is working with carbon project developers, land funds, and food brands — why these partners want the data, how they're using it, and what outcomes its helping them achieve.</p> <p>Plus, Chris tells us what it actually looks like to measure soil carbon on a thousand-acre farm, he gets real about the limitations of consumer demand to spur a regenerative revolution, unpacks the driver behind the underfunding of nature-based climate solutions, and shares his perspective on what the voluntary carbon market might look like in 10 years.</p> <p>Episode Highlights:</p> <p>🌍 Improving soil carbon measurement to help reverse climate change</p> <p>🧲 The one powerful graph that created his soil carbon conviction</p> <p>💰 Why measuring soil carbon costs so much today</p> <p>🧪 Replacing costly lab analysis with real-time soil spectroscopy</p> <p>🤝 How they work with project developers, investors, and brands</p> <p>💪 Reducing supply chain volatility with soil health insights</p> <p>📉 Why nature-based solutions are still underfunded</p> <p>💭 What will the voluntary carbon market look like in 10 years?</p> <p>👀 Unpacking the bearish case for regenerative consumer demand</p> <p>🌽 Embracing paradox and finding the “both and”</p> <p>Links:</p> <p><a href='https://www.useyardstick.com'>Yard Stick</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ETYnXsxVoeqnuwWBBP4HbJb9UUO6kbll/view'>Soil Carbon Capacity + Cost Graph Image</a></p> <p><a href='https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9f'>Soil Carbon Capacity + Cost Graph Study</a></p> <p><a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bNPASc0WwtFP43EHtkpueOU3RSeEi4Ya/view?usp=sharing'>Yard Stick Probe In Action Video</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124003811'>Yard Stick Efficacy Scientific Paper</a></p> <p><a href='https://soilhealthinstitute.org/our-work/initiatives/economics-of-soil-health-systems-on-30-u-s-farms/'>Soil Health Institute’s ECONOMICS of Soil Health Systems on 30 U.S. Farms</a></p> <p><a href='https://luma.com/phvuguac'>NYC Climate Week Soil + Ag People Walk/Run</a></p> <p><a href='https://carboncredits.com/what-is-the-voluntary-carbon-market/'>Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM)</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/07/27/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-measurement-reporting-and-verification-mrv-of-carbon-credits'>Measurement, Reporting, Verification (MRV)</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.risd.edu'>Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)</a></p> <p><a href='https://soilhealthinstitute.org'>Soil Health Institute</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.clearfrontierag.com'>Clear Frontier</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.slmpartners.com'>SLM Partners</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.generalmills.com'>General Mills</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.organicvalley.coop'>Organic Valley</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.regrow.ag/'>Regrow</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.perennial.earth/'>Perennial</a></p> <p><a href='https://mauinuivenison.com/'>Maui Nui</a></p> <p><a href='https://solsimple.com/'>Sol Simple</a></p> <p><a href='https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202403012'>Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF)</a></p> <p><a href='https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R0956&amp;qid=1757442852061'>Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.indigoag.com'>Indigo Ag</a></p> <p><a href='https://verra.org'>Verra (Carbon Registry)</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.quantis.com'>Quantis</a></p> <p><a href='https://sciencebasedtargets.org'>Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/chapter/chapter-7/'>Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU)</a></p> <p> </p> <p>If you find this content valuable, <a href='https://donate.regen-brands.com/campaign/665440/donate?c_src=Episode-100&amp;c_src2=Episode-116-Show-Notes'>please consider donating to support our work</a></p> <p>Follow<a href='https://linkedin.com/in/kyle-krull'> </a><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/regen-brands/'>ReGen Brands</a> on LinkedIn</p> <p>Subscribe to the <a href='https://regen-brands.beehiiv.com/subscribe'>ReGen Brands Weekly</a> newsletter</p>