AgriCapture Part 3: Two Arkansas rice farmers tell their success stories.

Whitney Shannon Haigwood, Staff Writer

At a Glance

• Final of a 3-part series on how rice farmers produce a sustainable crop, reduce methane emissions, and prove carbon offsets.

A few years back, there was a pivotal conversation that unfolded over a barbeque lunch at an iconic restaurant in downtown Memphis, Tenn. A few years later, that discussion would generate an added revenue source for rice farmers. 

Franklin Fogleman, who farms east of Marion, Ark., was one of the rice producers in attendance. He and two others were invited by the folks at AgriCapture. At the time, company Founder and Executive Chairman John Farris was exploring opportunities in the carbon market. 

Farris was challenged by the availability of information to validate carbon credits. As luck would have it, Fogleman knew just the guy to talk to. He put Farris in contact with Data and Technology consultant, Ryan Moore – owner of M&M Ag Consulting, LLC. 

Moore is passionate about data capture and quality, and that information was spot on with what Farris needed. From there, AgriCapture gained momentum. 

Fogleman enrolled his acres. “Long story short, it worked,” he said. “I have increased my enrolled acres to basically 100% of my rice acres on the farm.” 

AgriCapture continues to grow as these producers use their field data to prove they are reducing methane emissions with improved irrigation practices like alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and furrow irrigation (FIR). 

Other farmers took notice, like Becton Bell who farms near Wilson, Ark. Fogleman and Bell share their success stories. 

Savings and earnings from improved irrigation 

Fogleman is a sixth-generation farmer. He farms with his father and his father’s two brothers on the same land the family has operated since 1849. They primarily grow rice, but also acres of corn and soybeans. 

He grows both hybrid and conventional rice on soil that is predominantly very heavy clay. Fogleman said he is down to only two fields per year that are zero-grade and levee irrigated. He is beginning to incorporate AWD on those fields. 

The rest of his rice acres are row rice, irrigated by FIR on sloped fields. Fogleman has also installed PumpTrakr technology on his farm and said it has revolutionized his life when it comes to irrigation.  

PumpTrakr allows him to control the timing of each pump, so fields are not overwatered or underwatered. “I am conserving resources and doing a better job with my irrigation, and both lead to better profits,” he said. 

Of all the benefits to FIR, he said preserving the quality of the field is the biggest savings. By not pulling levees and punch holes for gates, he can eliminate potholes across the field. He explained with an analogy. 

“Do you see how pretty a field is when a dirt pan gets through with it? Then the first thing we do is take a levee plow and tear it up? That is the equivalent of building a new house, with perfect sheetrock and paint, then you take a hammer and start hitting holes in the wall. 

“We are getting fields in shape. It saves us money and effort in field work, and it allows us to prepare the land and to plant beans. I think it is leading to higher bean yields too.” 

Through his enrollment in AgriCapture, Fogleman can further boost his bottom line. Data collected on his farm provides proof of carbon offsets and that he is producing a premium rice crop.  

Fogleman’s farm had been collecting this kind of data for years, so that was no issue when he first signed up for AgriCapture, and he relies on data consulting from Moore. 

“I have been with them since almost the infancy of their program, and they have evolved it to an online process. All the information you provide is loaded into a website. They have used technology to make great strides, making it easy to work with them,” he said. 

Fogleman has benefitted financially from both AgriCapture program, earning returns either through carbon credit sales or premium grain prices. 

In 2023, he received a premium for a substantial amount of his rice that was ultimately milled and sold to the Chipotle restaurant. “I assured my kids that if they had rice that year at Chipotle, at least some of it came from our farm.” 

Easy enrollment, quick returns 

In Mississippi County, Bell partners with his brother as fifth-generation farmers who grow rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat. The soil type is diverse, so rice is grown on heavy clay soils and the other crops are planted in fields with silty soil profiles. 

Bell said mostly hybrid rice varieties are planted, along with some conventional and medium grain. Around seven years ago, they began dabbling in row rice and since working with AgriCapture, 80% to 90% of their rice acres are in row rice.  

AWD is also implemented to irrigate levee rice in a couple of zero-grade, smaller fields. By using these irrigation methods, he qualified to participate in AgriCapture. 

“The way I look at sustainability may be a little different than the public views it,” he said. “It is driven by profits or savings, but in turn, sustainable efforts are better for the environment and soil and makes things better for future generations.” 

He said enrollment is easy. AgriCapture provided him an enrollment link, and fields were entered by Farm Service Agency farm, field, and track numbers. He, like Fogleman, relies on data services provided by Moore through M&M Ag Consulting. Moore pulls the necessary data and sends reports to AgriCapture. 

The first year Bell enrolled, it was at planting season. He quickly realized the financial incentives to sharing his data. By that summer, he had received the first payment for participation in the carbon credit program. At harvest, he saw additional returns when he received a premium price for rice acres enrolled in that component of the program. 

When asked his advice to other rice farmers interested in AgriCapture, Bell said, “I would recommend keeping an open mind, because there is potential to add to your bottom line financially with it. I would encourage everyone to be open minded and take a look at it.” 

AgriCapture assures that farm data is kept private. The data is aggregated and anonymized, so there are no ties back to a specific farmer or production field. Plus, the company is only allowed to use that data for the purpose of generating carbon credits. 

Published Date: June 3, 2025