Pepperbox Pastoral Carbon Project

The Pepperbox Pastoral Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 45 kilometers north of Warialda in the North West Slopes and Plains region of New South Wales. Registered in July 2024, the project covers a substantial area of 1,712 hectares. The surrounding Warialda district is a significant agricultural hub known for its mixed farming operations, particularly beef cattle grazing and broadacre cropping.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits landholders for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) levels through changes in land management. Specifically, this project aims to sequester carbon by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies in the soil, thereby improving plant growth and root biomass. Under this methodology, the proponent must establish a baseline of soil carbon through physical sampling and conducting subsequent rounds of sampling or modeling to demonstrate the increase in carbon stocks over time.

Environmentally, the region typically experiences a sub-humid climate with summer-dominant rainfall, averaging between 600mm and 700mm annually. The soils in the Warialda area are often fertile, basalt-derived black or red earths, which are highly conducive to pasture growth and carbon sequestration when managed effectively. The proponent, Pepperbox Pastoral Co, is a family partnership run by Will and Lauren Munsie. They are known producers of Angus cattle and have been identified as suppliers for "Our Cow," a direct-to-consumer grass-fed meat subscription service.