Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens

I recently spent three days in Dubbo with a diverse group of farmers and scientists, learning about and discussing ideas that are at the absolute cutting edge of farming technology.

I was at the fifth annual Carbon Farming Conference & Expo, run by the Carbon Farmers of Australia, who have been working hard to get carbon farming on the national agenda. I was lucky enough to meet Michael and Louisa Kiely, the hard working team behind the Carbon Farmers, who have spent a great deal of their own time, energy and money putting the case to government that farmers should be recognised and rewarded for their sustainable farming practices.

The central idea of “carbon farming” is that by taking carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil through various farming techniques, we can address many of the major risks currently facing humanity such as climate change, food security, and loss of soil fertility. Carbon is essential for soil fertility and is involved in many cycles and processes in the soil and the atmosphere.

This is a big idea, but one that is rapidly gaining momentum in political and scientific circles. This conference was particularly exciting and timely because the landmark Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) legislation has just been passed by the Federal parliament as part of the Clean Energy Futures package. This legislation not only formally recognises the good science behind the notion of carbon farming, but also lays out a mechanism by  which farmers and landholders will be paid for the carbon they sequester–a truly innovative concept.

In a nutshell what I plan to summarise with coming blog entries goes as follows: globally we are facing potential risks such as climate change, food security, loss of topsoil, decreasing soil fertility, water shortages and declining human health – thinking of them as risks rather than problems makes redundant the argument about whether climate change is real…regardless of the truth (which none of us can know, not being able to predict the future), it is nevertheless good global risk management to address these risks.

These risk factors have increased in the last 100 years due partly to declining carbon levels in the soil, while at the same time carbon levels in the air have increased.  Soil has the capacity to act as a huge sink in which carbon can be stored. Putting carbon back into the soil decreases CO2 levels in the air, with the co-benefits of increasing fertility, building and retaining topsoil, improving water security, and decreasing pest and disease pressure.

In fact, many farmers have changed the way they farm in recent years because they have learnt by experience that increasing soil carbon improves their farm and improves their bottom line. For them, reducing atmospheric carbon levels is the co-benefit.

Over the two days of the conference we heard evidence and opinion from a range of scientists, politicians, and experts about various aspects of this innovative new field including new technologies, local and global movements recognising the importance of soil, and the intricacies of how the new legislation will work. I will present this mountain of fascinating information in a simplified form.

We also heard from experienced farmers, all leaders in this field, who already have years of experience in how to actually practice carbon farming at the grassroots level (pun intended). Many of these techniques are already well known to organic, biodynamic, and biological farmers; however, to the mainstream these techniques are still untested and possibly threatening. The new CFI legislation means that putting these techniques into practice can now translate into potential new income streams for all farmers, so it seems timely to start bringing discussion of these “radical” techniques into the open, so nobody is left behind.

If you’re interested in learning about new income streams for farmers, or concerned about climate change, food security, peak oil, declining soil fertility, water conservation, or any related sustainability ideas, I invite you to read, share, and comment on this series of blogs. It’s ALL about carbon…

We were honoured this week to receive a farm visit from Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Dr Kate Auty. Kate and her entourage walked through our orchard sampling some ripe cling peaches and blood plums, while we had an interesting and broad-ranging conversation about the current state of farming in the Harcourt Valley.

Part of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability’s job is to write a “State of the Environment” report; the Raising Women’s Voices tour (which is part of the Victorian Government’s Rural Women Leading Change (RWLC) Program) is to ensure that rural women’s voices are included in the report.

Meeting with the Commissioner was a good opportunity to share some of the difficulties the Harcourt farming community has faced in the last decade. Every year of that decade

Flood in a Harcourt orchard, 2007

has held at least one (and usually more) strong environmental challenge, including drought, severely reduced water allocations, bird plagues, frost, hail and too much rain at the wrong times. The number of orchardists has also declined in that time, with only 20 remaining, on approximately 400 ha of orchard. This continues a trend since the heyday of 1918, when there were 120 growers and 910 ha of orchard.

Greengage, one of 12 plum varieties we grow

It was also a terrific chance to talk about the resilience we are striving for at Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens, in trying to improve the soil with our organic farming methods, as well as seeking diversity in all aspects of our business – from growing more than 80 varieties (spreading our harvest period, income and risk) to the importance of having secure off-farm income.

As a member of the RWLC Loddon Mallee Reference Group, Katie was also asked to co-chair a dinner held at Castlemaine in Kate’s honour, where the Commissioner shared her “Science, Policy, People” framework for action, heard stories about climate action in our community, and engaged in conversation about how governments might form policy that more accurately reflect the action that people on the ground are taking.

Katie with Mt Alexander Shire Mayor Janet Cropley, and Dr Kate Auty

The dinner was well attended by a range of women from farms, commercial and service sectors, media, local and state governments, education and health services, environment, primary industry, planning and community development and the arts – a most diverse and dynamic group of women.

A member of Kate’s team will be revisiting the region later in the year to make a number of case studies, including Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens, for inclusion in the report.