Valdana and The Springs Soil Carbon Project

Valdana and The Springs Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, specifically across two properties: "Valdana" in the locality of Hay and "The Springs" in Denbarker. The project area spans approximately 1,100 hectares and sits roughly 30 to 40 kilometers northwest of the coastal town of Denmark and southwest of Mount Barker. Registered in November 2022, the project is managed by Andcla Farming Pty Ltd, representing the Jenkins family, who are prominent dairy farmers in the region known for their "Valdana Holsteins" stud.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits landholders for increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks. This involves an initial baseline measurement of soil carbon levels, followed by the implementation of new land management activities designed to sequester carbon, in this case, re-establishing or rejuvenating pastures through seeding or pasture cropping. After a set period, the soil is re-measured, and credits (ACCUs) are issued for any verified increase in carbon stocks.

The Great Southern region typically experiences a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The project's location in the Hay/Denbarker corridor places it in a high-rainfall zone (averaging 700mm–1000mm annually), which is highly conducive to building soil carbon. The landscape is characterized by undulating hills with soils that generally consist of lateritic gravelly sandy loams and karri loams. The Jenkins family runs a high-performance dairy operation, and this carbon project integrates with their focus on soil health to support high-output pasture systems for their cattle.