Grounds Keeping Carbon Project

Grounds Keeping Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located at Hallora, approximately 91km southeast of Melbourne in the West Gippsland region of Victoria. It was registered in October 2016 and covers 124.49 hectares.

Soil carbon sequestration projects under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology involve managing agricultural land to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Standard requirements include establishing a baseline of existing soil carbon through rigorous soil sampling and modelling, and subsequently implementing new or materially changed land management activities to increase carbon capture.

The West Gippsland area is known for highly productive agricultural land, primarily utilised for grazing operations such as dairy and beef cattle farming. The region is considered a moderate to high rainfall zone. Soils in this area generally include Chromosols and Sodosols, which feature loamy or sandy surface soils over deep clay subsoils, as well as structurally robust Vertosols.

Project activities for this site include altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing to promote soil vegetation cover, using legume species in the pasture systems, and rejuvenating pastures through direct seeding and pasture cropping.

Notably, this project made history in March 2019 by being the world's first soil carbon project to earn carbon credits eligible under the Paris Agreement. The project takes place on a property owned by Niels and Marja Olsen, who are the inventors of the 'Soilkee Pasture Renovator'. This innovative agricultural implement combines cultivation, mulching, aeration, and mixed-species seeding directly into existing pastures to effectively build topsoil and organic carbon while improving grazing productivity. In May 2024, the project successfully transitioned from the original 2014 grazing systems determination to the updated 2021 measurement and models methodology.