In the heart of Fayetteville, Arkansas, researchers are hatching a plan to tackle the poultry industry’s waste problem while saving farmers money. The Carbon Chicken Project is shaking things up with a mix of biochar—a fancy kind of agricultural charcoal—and chicken litter to create a win-win for farmers and the environment.

Poultry farming is huge in Arkansas, but it comes with a stinky downside: chicken litter. While this byproduct can be used as fertilizer, transporting it is expensive and not always practical. Plus, too much of it can harm the environment, as seen in the long-running lawsuit involving big players like Tyson and Cargill.

Enter the Carbon Chicken Project, which aims to turn this messy problem into a golden opportunity. By mixing biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More with chicken litter, they create a super-fertilizer that’s cheaper to transport and better for the soil. This not only helps crops but also cuts down on water usage—meaning farmers could spend less on irrigation.

With a $591,000 USDA grant in hand, the project hopes to prove that what’s good for the environment can also be good for farmers’ wallets. If successful, this initiative could be a game-changer, making chicken litter more valuable and helping to fight climate change in the process. The poultry industry is watching closely, and farmers might soon be clucking all the way to the bank.

LEARN MORE: Fayetteville researchers say the use of Carbon Chicken could save farmers money