Increasing Soil Carbon

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Heytesbury District Landcare Network is working with a number of partners on a project called Positive impacts on Climate Change and Food Production from Increasing Soil Carbon. 

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This project is a finalist in the Premiers Sustainability Awards. 

 

Increasing Soil Carbon is a follow on to the foundation project Keeping Carbon on the Farm, based at Ecklin South on the Doolan family farm. It recognises the value of increasing soil carbon in mitigating the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions as well as improving soil productivity and food quality.

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The project includes trialling various tillage technologies for enhancing soil carbon and improving pasture volumes and quality through cover cropping and tailored multi-species pasture mixes.

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Activities include working with 20 landholders in the Heytesbury Landcare Network including the established farmer discussion groups to promote a range of new practices, and in parallel to work with the Clean Energy Regulator on establishing approved methodologies for claiming financial incentives that will encourage these innovations.

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The project is measuring the impacts of these innovations on food productivity and quality, as a further vehicle for promoting changes that have significant impact on human and environmental health.

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