Seven Winds SOC project

The Seven Winds SOC project is a soil carbon sequestration project located near Kepa in the Murraylands region of South Australia, approximately 20 kilometers east of Murray Bridge. Registered in October 2024, the project covers roughly 653 hectares of mixed farming land. It operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits project proponents for sequestering carbon in agricultural soils through changes in land management practices.

This specific project is notable for its role as a demonstration site within the "Growing Carbon Farming Demonstration Pilot," a program delivered by the South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and Mallee Sustainable Farming. The region is characterized by a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate with generally low rainfall and sandy soils, conditions often considered challenging for rapid soil carbon accumulation. The project aims to test the feasibility of carbon farming in the Mallee environment, serving as a case study for broadacre grain and livestock systems in lower-rainfall zones.

Proponent Leon Byass manages "Seven Winds" as part of a larger aggregation of four farms involving cropping, sheep grazing, and poultry production. The project activities leverage this mixed system by integrating waste streams, specifically applying organic amendments (likely poultry litter) to the soil. Additional management changes include altering grazing intensity through rotational systems to maintain ground cover, retaining stubble to preserve soil moisture, and optimizing fertilizer regimes. These practices are designed to improve soil health and biodiversity while attempting to build resilience against drought in a landscape susceptible to wind erosion.