Danthonia Soil Carbon Project

Danthonia Soil Carbon Project is a soil carbon project located at Elsmore, approximately 20km east of Inverell in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales. It was registered in May 2023. While the current active area is unknown due to a project variation in July 2026 that removed listed areas, the original project area spanned roughly 2,337 hectares.

The Measurement of Soil Carbon methodology involves changing agricultural land management practices to increase the amount of carbon sequestered in the soil. This sequestered carbon is quantified through direct soil sampling and modelling. To build soil carbon in this specific project, the proponents are applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address material soil deficiencies and incorporating legume species into their cropping and pasture systems.

The Inverell region is well known for mixed farming, broadacre cropping, and cattle grazing. The area has a temperate to sub-humid climate with summer-dominant rainfall. Soils across this landscape are typically rich, self-mulching black and red basalts (euchrozems), alongside some granite and clay profiles, making it highly productive for agriculture.

Interestingly, the project proponent, Church Communities Australia, operates the land as an intentional Christian community known as the Bruderhof. The Danthonia property is home to around 200 residents who are highly self-sustaining, raising their own cattle, goats, chickens, and crops. In addition to their agricultural pursuits, the community operates Danthonia Designs, a business recognized for crafting bespoke hand-carved and digital LED signs.