In a change from reports of plans, new legislation and available resources for carbon farmers, Luke Felmingham has successfully sequestered carbon underground to become the country’s first grain grower to have accumulated Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs).
Mr Felmingham has sequestered into the soil 12.7 tonnes of carbon per hectare on his 158ha farm — equating to more than 4000 ACCUs — after an overhaul of his soil management
With an investment of $80 per hectare and an agreed commission paid to a registered ACCU management company, Mr Felmingham has increased carbon levels in the top 30cm of his soil by 0.25 per cent.
That significant achievement has earned an estimated net income of $990 per hectare with the current ACCU price of $42.60.
However, the real significance to the Felmingham property is the benefits gained for the farm’s overall business.
“I got into this to increase the soil health and water holding capacity of the land, because we were farming some flogged out country,” Mr Felmingham said.
“And during dry years we could pay up to $1000 a megalitre for water, so I thought it was worth looking into.
“It’s about having stewardship of the land.”
Mr Felmingham is a self-confessed hard customer to deal with.
“I am a bit of a sceptic because I have tried various things in the past and if it does not make money then I am not interested.
“This is not the first time we’ve looked at something like this.”
Luke’s father Ken Felmingham has also just recently been certified as having earned carbon credits on his own property.
Luke needed to team up with two key stakeholders: AgriProve, a government-endorsed company which assists farmers through the carbon management process, and the fertiliser company LawrieCo, which had available the spectrum of organic and inorganic additives for the soil.
The biological treatments provided by LawrieCo included a live ferment of cellulose-digesting fungi and a fungi stimulant and food source to break down the previous season’s stubble.
Canola seed were treated with a bio-stimulant and microbial dressing to help with root establishment to maximise carbon drawdown and a ‘humate’ granule designed to buffer synthetic fertiliser.
Urea was applied with a slow-release coating to increase plant uptake and reduce environmental leeching.
LawrieCo founder Olivia Grivell said the sequestration milestone reached by Luke was a major boost for broadacre cropping and a key step forward given past doubts about cropping being able to draw down carbon.
“Breakthroughs in agriculture can often be overstated, but this really is a game-changer for farmers,” Ms Grivell said.
“Luke (has) demonstrated measurable soil carbon increases, showing what can be achieved whilst maintaining full farm production as well as a valuable new revenue stream.”
Luke said the two companies had worked “pretty hard” to provide their expertise and was impressed with the attention to detail by the government auditors.
“The carbon storing is highly government regulated — you’re not just pulling a rabbit out of a hat; your farm is highly scrutinised which leads to additional testing.
“It’s a long process, where they recognised good gains and then came back to do a second test to make sure there were no statistical anomalies.
“They are very, very thorough.”
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