Gilgal Grazing Soil Carbon Project

Gilgal Grazing Soil Carbon Project is an agricultural soil carbon project located at the historic Gilgal Station near Cootamundra, in the South Western Slopes region of New South Wales. It was registered in July 2024 and covers an area of 1807.95 hectares.

Soil carbon projects under the 2021 Measurement and Models methodology involve changing agricultural management practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. This specific project achieves this by altering the stocking rate, duration, or intensity of grazing. Operations on the property use high-intensity grazing for short periods of time, followed by long recovery periods, to promote better soil vegetation cover and improve overall soil health.

The Cootamundra area is historically known for mixed farming, cattle, and sheep grazing operations. The region experiences a temperate climate with medium rainfall averaging around 600mm annually, and features soils such as red chromosols, sodosols, and kandosols which support native perennial grass pastures.

Interestingly, this project takes place on the 158-year-old Gilgal Station, which was purchased in late 2023 for over $53 million by a European family office operating locally as Gilgal Grazing Pty Ltd. The property's day-to-day operations are managed by Impact Ag Australia, who are actively transitioning the site from traditional mixed farming to a grazing-based enterprise with a strong focus on natural capital. Alongside this soil carbon project, the proponent also operates a concurrent environmental planting carbon project (ERF197459) and manages certified Environmental Asset Accounts through Accounting for Nature.