Paringa Livestock, Murrindindi - Enhancing Natural Capital
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Friday 14th March, 2025
Paringa Day - Sustainable Grazing - Enhancing Natural Capital
https://paringalivestock.com.au/
I have finally got to attend one of trailblazing, Paringa Livestock's annual (for the last 4 years) Regenerative Farming workshops at their farm at Murrindini, near Yea, Victoria. Thank you to Hosts, Tom and Olivia Lawson for a professionally presented information day stacked with leading presenters.
Paringa is a family run business, Tom and Olivia Lawson are generational Red and Black Angus elite genetic stud suppliers of Bulls for Australian beef producers.
Being a recipient purchase of both Bulls and Dams from Paringa, I can honestly say their well thought out genetic determination for elite cattle is generally top quartile in Angus Australia EBV's.
Master of Ceremonies for the day, was the very insightlyful, Stuart Austin from Audacious Agriculture
https://www.audaciousag.com.au/home
Stuart, and his wife Trish managed Wilmot Cattle with regenerative farming at the forefront of their cattle operation. Large mobs of cattle grazing together, and moved together frequently, and targeting land rest periods for up to 60 days systematically.
Animals need diversity and that's why regenerative farming methods utilising multi-specie forage mixes underpinning the health of grass fed cattle.
Stu's First question for the day was,
What is Natural Capital?
Eco System Services - Wind; Water; and Soil
Natural Capital could now be considered a value on our Financial Balance Sheets
First Speaker:
Joel Williams (Canada) - Optimising Soild Health & Soil Biology in Pasture Systems
Quote 1 of the Day, "Feed your soil and it will feed you!"
For Healthy Soil
Chemical - Physical - Biological
All these (3) are of EQUAL importance....Balance for effectiveness.
Quote 2 of the Day, "Keep the Soil ARMOUR!"
Quote 3 of the Day, "SOIL is a Living Eco System!"
Quote 4 of the Day, "Soil without BIOLOGY is Geology!"
There must be an equilibrium between bacteria and funghi in the soil.
Liquid Carbon produced by the plants is like the sugar for micoorganism masses in the soil.
After 4 Weeks Plants had 2 Times Higher CO2 equating to 8% Microbial Biomes
After 12 Weeks Plants had 3 Times Higher CO2 equating to 18% Microbial Biomes
CO2 is the ENERGY for the Roots
You must have biomass to have necromass. Biomass thrive on the Living Root Exudates
In Summary, multi specie cover cropping is the armour for the the soil on top ensuring reduction in moisture loss. Underground companion species are unlocking nutrients ie buckwheat unlock phosphorus which oats thrive on.
Legumes are Nitrogen fixation in the soil, and stimulate Nitrogen in mixed
Legumes share Nitrogen as root exudates - either as sugars or organic forms of amino acids
Ruminants ie Cattle, Sheep stimulate more compounds awakening in the soil.
SOIL HEALTH
"The capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans!"
Speaker 2:
Grant Sims, Down Under Covers
Maximising Pasture Production and Use of Multispecies
Pine Grove (near Rochester, Victoria) - 8500 Acres clay soil. Running 300 Angus Cows. 400mm annual rainfall.
- Encourage Funghi in the soil as vital for uptake of minerals by plants. What kills funghi in the soil is Cultivation and Fungicide.
- Prime plant example - Field Pea ; Scavenger plant example - Raddish
- Buckwheat unlocks phosphorus which companion planting with Oats thrive on.
- Sunflowers unlocks calcium and zinc
Smash grazing at the end of flowering
Speaker 3:
Hamish Webb - Precision Pastures
Acronym ACCU - Australian Carbon Credit Unit.
ACCU current $ Value is $31.85 here in Australia
Farmers may or may not know that ACCU is an Australian Federal Govenment produced Financial Instrument. Tax deferred.
Hamish provided an example calculation of calculating Carbon Credit using perimetres such as:
Minimum 30cm or 300mm of top soil x Bulk Density
1ha = 10,000m2 (1ha) x 300mm or 0.30m3 = 3,000m3
Calculate Mass of your soil
Volume 3,000m3 x 1.5* (*Example Bulk Density) = 4,500 Tonnes
Carbon Sequestration Rate
An example *1% increase in carbon = 4,500 tonnes x 0.01 = 45 tonnes
Converting tonnes to CO2 equivalents
1 tonne of Soil Carbon = 3.66tonnes of CO2
45 Tonnes to CO2 Equivalents = 165 Tonnes of CO2
Converting CO2 equivalents to ACCU's
1 CO2 = 1 Australian Carbon Credit Unit
Total: 165 ACCU's
Effect: A 1% increase in Soil Organic Carbon may generate 165 ACCU's per hectare.
To find out how to go through this process, please contact:
- Hamish Webb - Precision Pastures
- 1300 10 70 66
- precisionpastures.com.au
Benefits of going through the process:
1. Having an independent Soil Carbon Specialist provide a report on carbon sequestation levels and providing a total number of carbon credits
2. Applying to the Federal Government for a valued which you receive a an physical securitised note which is considered a financial instrument.
3. This instrument just increases the value of your land/soil.
4. There are options with this instrument -
- Sell to the Australian Government
- Sell to a 3rd party (via contract auction) - ie one of the landholders on the field day sold her ACCU note to Country Road.
- Offset your own Carbon Footprint
- Speak to your Bank as having a certified government note may be used as collateral for your business.
Speaker 4:
Grazing for Profit - RCS - Dom Walker
Email: dwalker@csaaustralia.com.au
Website: rcsaustralia.com.au
Get on board and do a Grazing for Profit course with RCS
Plan; Monitor; Manage!
Manage time, manage rest periods according to growth rates, livestock density, ultimately Biodiversity!
Sunlight equals Protein!
Have a Vision!
Susie Marro x