Muckleford Farm Carbon Project

Muckleford Farm Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located at Muckleford, approximately 7km west of the historic regional town of Castlemaine in central Victoria. It was registered in April 2015 and currently covers 156.63 hectares. In October 2024, the project underwent a variation where certain areas previously listed were removed from the project footprint.

Soil carbon projects in grazing systems involve undertaking specific agricultural management activities to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Under this methodology, standard requirements typically include establishing new or materially different management practices, such as altering stocking rates, implementing rotational grazing, applying soil amendments, or seeding new pasture species to build soil organic matter.

The Mount Alexander Shire and Muckleford region are characterised by gently undulating terrain, historically known for its goldfields and now predominantly used for grazing, hobby farming, and rural residential properties. The area experiences a temperate Mediterranean climate, receiving significant rainfall during the spring and winter months but enduring relatively dry conditions over summer. The local landscape features soils with a high proportion of clay, alongside quartz-rich soils, fertile alluvial deposits along the Muckleford Creek valleys, and fertile granitic soils typical of the broader Mount Alexander region.

This project was established to actively increase carbon in the soil within the grazing system by changing grazing patterns and rejuvenating the pasture. It operates under a nominated 25-year permanence period and is managed by Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd, with Agriprove Pty Ltd participating as the project agent.