These notes of the presentations at the recent Carbon Farming Conference were compiled by Gerry Gillespe from the Sustainability Programs Division, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet

Day One

The former environmental activist abandoned confrontation with ranchers to forge a new community model for creating healthy ‘working landscapes’ by building bridges between ranchers, conservationists, public land managers, scientists and others. In 1997, with two farmers, he co-founded the Quivira Coalition in New Mexico which uses education and collaboration to promote progressive public and private land stewardship. More recently he has been focussed on ‘carbon ranching’ and the new agrarian movement (healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people) in the USA. Mr. White is visiting Australia to meet ‘carbon farmers’ and healthy soils activists. Australia is the first country in the world to legislate a carbon offset scheme for farming projects, at a national level. From the Quivira Coalition, Mr White described his journey from a hater of farmers to a person who understood both what farmers face in their day to day work and the complexity of the food production system ands the storage of soil carbon. 

Dr Cosier’s presentation was a mixture of mixture of landscape, price and benefits. It dealt with many of the issues facing the Carbon Farming Initiative and how these might be measured in a Carbon Market future. He spoke of the enormity of Australia’s land mass at 7.5 million square kilometres and the potential contribution of Caring for Country grants with a total budget of $400 million and what they might achieve.
He discussed the enormous economic opportunity which could be developed if science could back up the carbon market. He mentioned the work of Peter Grace at QUT in Brisbane. Dr Cosier also mentioned the potential complications to the carbon market if the farmers wanted to change back to old practices after storing and selling carbon. He was concerned for what might happen if a new technology could be developed which could simply generate ‘carbon on a roof’.

Soil Security group – United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney – Andrea Koch

Ms Koch spoke of the development of a new Soil Security group at the University of NSW which included Dr Alex McBratney and Professor John Crawford. The University had recently put a group together to link with others around the world to consider this issue in more detail and would provide opportunity for more consultation in the future.

Let’s Get Down to Business – Shayleen Thompson – First Assistant Secretary – Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Shayleen was very optimistic about the ability to develop a methodology which could measure and quantify soil carbon for the world Carbon Market. There is strong support through the land sector with $1.7 billion being contributed toward agriculture, carbon and biodiversity. She felt the new market could provide an additional source of income for farmers, business and others through offsets. The new market would contribute toward Australia’s Kyoto target with eligible sequestration activities in reafforestation, revegetation, rangelands restoration, soil carbon and native forest protection.
Also of interest are emissions reduction is fertiliser reduction, effective manure treatment and other areas.
She spoke of the CFI principles and design and accurate accounting through approved methodologies which were internally consistent.
In terms of permanence of the carbon she spoke of obligations, buffers and hand-back clauses. The avoidance of leakage and additionality plus – this concerned the worry that would mean enormous plantations of pine trees overpowering the landscape.
She next described how to get involved and encouraged participation in:
• Activities on positive listing and new methodologies
• The submission of project applications
• Verification
• Auditing and trading
• Termination or transfer of projects
On the subject of soil carbon she discussed the potential political issues, the challenges of abatement estimation, the need to measure real carbon above what she described as ‘carbon noise’ – the coming and going of natural carbon change.
She describe how the methodology lodged by the Bridge Consortium, one of the first, had begun its journey through the process of assessment. In her opinion Carbon Farming is the leading area in this field.
There are possibilities in an ‘averaging approach’ which needed flexibility in time and space and the ability to get credits by building carbon and showing the loss.
Five methodologies have so far been put forward for consideration.
If accepted they will come into effect in 2012.
In terms of permanence this is a ‘risk of reversal’ so a minimum buffer of 5% is required.
Because soil carbon practices can do a lot of other things they are interested in ‘averaging’.
Trading starts in early December – the web site is: www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au
The aim is 100 mega tonnes by 2020.

Agriculture and What can be Traded - Ben Stuart Director of Trading – Carbon Xchange

Anticipates a strong demand in the early stages.
No one questions that soil carbon sequestration works – it is a question of measurement.
All states now have legislation to separate land ownership from carbon ownership

Role of the Broker – Freddy Sharpe CEO Climate Friendly

Half of all the eligible land is owned by indigenous people
He wants to start with a very large project – perhaps in the Kimberly with 1 million hectares or more
There is a need to identify the project and apply the methodology

Microbial diversity – 5 to 10 trillion to the gram - Jeremy Bradley

Jeremy is a northern NSW farmer who has developed compost teat processes for agricultural application – following the work of Elaine Ingham – his expertise is in the area of introducing biological liquids into standard farming equipment used in horticultural and pasture systems.

Who is there to help? – Ian Rogan Central West Catchment Management Authority

His research work has been with 48 farmers over 450,000 hectares. Ian came from a farming background in the Grafton area of NSW.

Do Soil stimulants work? - Stuart McAlpine WA and Rob Martin NSW

Stuart spoke of the need to redefine our terminology from sustainability to resilience and spoke of the change which had come about on his property through the use of liquid biological products. He now enjoyed farming and was moving forward with the storage of carbon and improvement of his soil quality.
Rob, from Holbrook in NSW had taken over a very beaten and degraded farm some 10 years ago. He now says he finally has some money in the bank and has ‘very valuable woolly little sheep running all over his property” and is finally making a profit by changing to biological liquid products.
When he changed over to biological processes the agronomist in charge of his farmers group rang him one night and asked him not to come to any more meetings because he was disturbing the group with his stories.

Farming with Invisible force – Alanna Moore

Alanna commenced her presentation by talking of the dangers of radiation. Especially that from wind farms. She spoke of one farmer whose cows had died and had their organs microwaved internally by the radiation from the wind turbines. She also said that the farmer could put a wire into the ground and attached to a light bulb and it would light from the energy put into the soil from wind farms.
Alanna offered no contact details for the farmer quoted. Additional information is apparently available on her web site. www.geomantica.com 
She practices the art of dowsing which many farmers and drillers have used for centuries to locate water and other facilities on their properties.
 
An update on Solar Opportunities – Iain McGregor- Solar Choice

Soar Power is nearing price parity – A similar story appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of August 18, 2011, which noted that solar power had been edging toward grid parity which meant that after this it would become cheaper that fossil-fuel generated electricity.
The structure of financing solar purchases had changed in recent years where leasing and rental were now viable options for farmers and householders. Under such structures – not unlike vehicle leasing the farmers has first option of buy the panels and ancillary equipment outright at the end of the lease.
This generated a lot of interest among farmers in the audience.

Day Two

Your Carbon Farm enterprise – Putting it all together
David Clayfield, Tim Woods, Michael Yeo – Carbon Farmers

David Clayfield shifted to biological farming after a conversation with his vet following a prolonged period of sick animals where vet was constantly claiming deficiencies in his animals. He said to the vet that he didn’t think the animals could be drug deficient.
He described the importance of getting his Brix levels in all plant material on his property above 12 to prevent attack by pests. His neighbours at first cautious now are fully supportive, with one saying “I don’t know what you are doing but keep doing it”. He has found that biology in humus binds up calcium among many other things and despite what people say, highly biological soils often result in 2x2 = 6.

Tim Woods – Mt Anama – Wellington – the land has to come before the stock and despite his affection for his animals – you can always replace the stock – He tries to keep 3 to 6 months of grass in reserve, and puts copper into the stock diet to control internal bugs. He has planted 40,000 old man saltbush as stock fodder. He went to Ag college in the 1980s and says he is “over it”. He found he was having a constant fight with nature – now he aims to get all the chemicals out.
He now relies heavily on native Wallaby Grass – he has installed 10 kw of solar to be ‘carbon thingo’.

Michael Yeo - He uses extensive plantain of native digit grass which has now taken him through many seasons – he in now intercropping with oats and barley – his soil pH was 4.5 with exceptionally high levels of aluminium. He was not intending to be a carbon farmer – he simply wanted his farm to be easier and cheaper to operate. The result was less chemicals, more profit and less work.

Driving Down the Transaction costs for Carbon Framing
Peter Richardson – Chief Asset Officer – Object Consulting

Object Consulting had completed much of the design work and formulae on the methodology mentioned yesterday by Shayleen Thompson.
You need to keep in mind as farmers that what you are selling is the data – you always keep the carbon. Therefore the data needs to be very accurate.
You need to have a recipe for a project.
The alternatives are Model versus Management
The methodology as describe allows for a 25 % buffer.
Object Consulting invited members of the audience to visit their stand in the exhibition area to view the submitted methodology in practice.

Government Policy Impact On Farm - Senator Matt Thistlewhaite

The Senator from Sydney said he used to work with the AWU in central western NSW many years ago.
He was very familiar with the elements of the Carbon Farming Initiative including:
• Development of a new team of farm extension officers
• Native bushland storage for carbon generation 
• Launching of a $960 million biodiversity fund
He also responded to questions on the depth of carbon and the past history of carbon payments, the issue of retrospectivity in terms of farmers who already had good soil carbon levels and the need to lobby to ensure that it happens, land management and purchase and support for Landcare and existing CMA’s as the delivery mechanism for soil carbon onto farms.
The Senator used a quote from Mark Twain to highlight the mixed response to the CFI “I don’t mind reform – It’s change I don’t like”
To which a questioning farmer responded with another Mar Twain Quote: “A mine is a hole in the ground with a liar standing beside it”.
The Senators staff committed to keep questioners informed on a number of subjects.

Starting a carbon Farm Plan – John Friend Soil and Salinity NSW Dept of Primary Industry

Unfortunately I missed the majority of John’s presentation due to urgent telephone message – However I did note that he stated the agriculture was responsible for 85% of all NO2 production.
This provides and excellent opportunity for biological farming systems.

Lowering the cost of Measurement – Dr Chris Waring ANSTO 

Chris spoke of the work of the CSIRO and Geoff Baldock in the soil carbon arena and the cost of soil carbon measurement and the potential to reduce this cost.
His project uses reflectance spectrometry through neutron analysis which takes 30 minutes per assessment potentially reducing to 10 minutes. He spoke of the work of Julian Cribb and his book The Future of Food
He also noted that in scientific terms extraordinary claims will require extraordinary evidence.

Soil Security – The Future of Carbon Farming – Professor John Crawford – Uni of Sydney – Institute for Sustainable Solutions

John spoke of food security and its basis in soil security and the risks to farming and health issues for the population. Science needs to catch up to the innovators.
He noted the opportunities for farmers in the carbon market, his group has been working with dieticians and food processors in managing risk not necessarily finding solutions.
Science needs to be working in parallel with doing things – the refinement should support the doing of the work.
John sowed a video of soil pores as viewed thorough an X ray CT scan.
We are near peak soil with current systems – we need to get more out of the soil while using less.
They are establishing a global network led by Australia

Those who think something can’t be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it – Terry McKosker Principal RCS

Terry spoke of the decomposition process and the carbon building process.
He made the point that we don’t need a CFI to sell carbon – this will happen as a matter of course but we need to use its standards and its methodologies.

Observations

Over the past five years the National Carbon Farming Conference has seen a distinct shift from trees for the sequestration of carbon on farmland to the use of operational farming soils as a principal focus for carbon storage.
At the recent National Carbon Conference in Dubbo the success stories of farmers reducing their chemical use, making their own composts and shifting to biological products was the prominent story throughout the event.
It has been recognised that soils can be successfully utilised for carbon build up while still remaining fully productive. Indeed in most instances productivity has increased. This work is supported by the work of Anthony Ringrose-Voase CSIRO (2001).
This of course has also meant a dramatic reduction in chemical fertiliser use on these farms and the concurrent reduction in NO2 production.
The enthusiasm of Ms Shayleen Thompson, First Assistant Secretary, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, for the development of a successful methodology for the measurement of soil carbon by either her own agency or an external body could mean that the Soil Carbon market may become a reality under the CFI in the very near future.