ORLANDO, Fla. — On the main stage of the Commodity Classic Trade Show here on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed the first two memorandums of understanding to launch projects under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

The projects Vilsack signed Friday — the Farmers for Soil Health and the Midwest Climate Smart Commodity Program — are the first of 141 pilot projects designed to prove that farmers and ranchers can reduce greenhouse emissions and create products that may sell at a premium because consumers worldwide want to buy products that are sustainable.

Vilsack called Friday’s rollout the beginning of a “transformational chapter in American agriculture, revival of rural America as well.”

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“It is the beginning of a process of a number of projects that are going to transform how we farm, where we farm, what we do to produce sustainably produced crops and livestock products,” he added. “It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate what happens every single day on the farm.”

“I think agriculture is on the cusp of being the first major industry of our overall economy to move aggressively towards a net-zero future,” Vilsack said.

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Each of the two projects spotlighted Friday by Vilsack will receive grant rewards of up to $95 million, DTN/Progressive Farmer reported.