Great Southern Science Council

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Everybody is talking carbon science cafe' - an Albany science in the community event

No doubt you have heard a lot on the media over the past few years about how agriculture will store lots of carbon in the soil and in above-ground vegetation. Can farmers make money from storing carbon on the farm? What are some of the different approaches? How long does it take? Is agriculture doing the heavy lifting for other industries?

The speakers limbering up before we get down to business.

To help answer these questions the Great Southern Science Council with support from South Coast NRM and Gondwanalink ran a Saturday afternoon short seminar on soil carbon in agriculture at the UWA Great Southern Marine Research Facility 11 December, 2021.

The three speakers were:

  • Mandy Curnow, DPIRD Albany - “Carbon Accounting in Agriculture and how it differs with who you are”

  • Richard Davy, Organic farmer at Wellstead & 2021 South Coast Soil Health Champion

  • Simon Wallwork, Broadacre farmer at Corrigin and Chair of AgZero 2030

34 community members attended from a wide range of backgrounds.

Attendees at “Everybody is talking carbon”

The afternoon started with coffee and cake and after the presentations there was a highly interesting question and answer session. Unfortunately we had more questions than time available which is a great sign that the afternoon was a success.

The presentations were recorded and can be watched below.

Mandy Curnow, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development explains how carbon in farming systems is talked about and calculated

Richard Davy, Organic farmer, Wellstead talks about his approach to building carbon on the farm and how what it means to him.

Simon Wallwork, mixed farmer at Corrigin and Chair of AgZero2030 speaks about how the changing climate affects farming and how he and other concerned farmers are dealing with it.