Norton, Kan. and Powell, Ohio, May 19, 2026 — Firebolt Carbon, LLC and Meristem Crop Performance are pleased to announce a unique strategic alliance to help farmers build long-term sustainability by leveraging Meristem’s product portfolio to align with carbon programs.
“We are thrilled to be supporting Firebolt Carbon and their endeavors to help farmers add revenue streams to their operations. Excavator® AMS with CycleStrike™, Hopper Throttle®, N-Gear® Dual Action, and other Meristem products support practices for farmers to find new sources of income with carbon,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem founder and CEO. “Josh McClain, with Firebolt Carbon and his other entities, built an incredible system for connecting CPG companies and other carbon platforms with the American farmer. We’re excited to work with Josh through this partnership to provide American farmers with the tools they need to take cost out, produce more bushels for less and qualify for carbon payments to build stronger farms for the future.”
The alliance between Meristem and Firebolt Carbon combines the strengths of both companies to help other farms share in the success McClain has built on his own farm.
“Every penny counts. By using the Meristem system, we’re working with Mother Nature instead of fighting against her. We’re saving up to $50 an acre on input costs and seeing yield benefits on top of the savings,” McClain said. “At the end of the day, with row crops, your number one nutrient is carbon because you’re harvesting sunlight. There’s free carbon money out there with some very small changes for the farm. You’ve just got to go find it. Any money we can get back to farmers, the better off they are.”
When McClain initially investigated the possibility of getting carbon payments for his own farm through Indigo Ag, he took note of the significant amount of bookwork and information transfer required. He developed a relationship with Indigo Ag and built a system to handle the extensive sign-up and record-keeping. Through Firebolt Carbon, he began offering these services to other farms.
“We work with millions of acres of carbon credits we have managed throughout the nation for farmers,” McClain said. “We don’t charge them anything. We do all the work for them and the farmer makes the same amount of money as they would if they’d done work themselves. Because I am a farmer myself, I never believe in taking money out of farmers’ pockets.”
This spring, Firebolt Carbon distributed millions of dollars in carbon payments to around 200 farmers in 12 states who produced over 100,000 carbon credits. The average carbon payment check was over $10,000 and the single largest payment approached $1 million. In addition, McClain added Creekside Carbon, a company designed to connect farmers and CPGs in various ways to learn, streamline the system and get the payments to farmers sooner. Creekside Carbon profit shares with the farmers in the Firebolt Carbon program exclusively. In July, Firebolt Carbon will be hosting the second annual Kansas Creekside Carbon Retreat — a multi-day gathering of farmers, scientists and investors.
“We’ve had companies visit from all over — a lot of the top 10 Forbes companies have been on our own farm,” McClain said. “We host these events to try to connect the bridge between the carbon investors and the farmer. It’s two different worlds and if we can bridge that gap, together we can all be successful.”
About Firebolt Carbon, LLC
Firebolt Carbon, LLC, based in Norton, Kansas, helps farmers navigate the complex carbon industry.
About Meristem Crop Performance
Meristem® Crop Performance, Inc. helps farmers produce more bushels for less cost per bushel. Meristem is the global leader in delivering live, in-field biologicals through the patented Bio-Capsule™ technology platform. Meristem significantly reduces waste and increases productivity in crop input systems through accelerated access to innovation, improved supply chain efficiency, and advanced concentrates. Learn more at www.meristemag.com.
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Contact: Lea Kimley
lkimley@meristemag.com
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