The journey to carbon neutrality is not easy given the amount produced by cattle, and the challenges faced in an area with limited rainfall.
However, one farmer in Warrenbayne, Mr Russell Washusen, has solved the riddle and his cattle farm is officially listed as carbon neutral.
He is hosting a field day on May 7 where he will discuss his journey to carbon neutrality and the ways he has achieved it.
Mr Washusen said it was not a quick process, but it was achievable.
“After the 1982 drought we started planting trees, which was about controlling soil erosion along the creek,” Mr Washusen said.
“After that drought there was a really big change in the way water flowed.
“The land was overgrazed and when the rains came in ’83, we noticed a real change in the way creek banks were behaving.”
To address the issue Mr Washusen fenced in the creek and started planting trees.
“We thought that was temporary, but it’s pretty permanent now and we rarely let the stock in there to graze,” he said.
“We found we needed to start utilising the pasture on each side of the creek better.
“So in the late ’90s we started planting pine trees as they were cheap, and grown in Benalla.
“We then looked around the local markets in the north east and Forestry Australian, in Myrtleford, at the time used a type of pruned pine for face grade veneers.
“They are the most valuable pines you can have when they reach the right size.”
Mr Washusen said the farm was further diversified following the wool market crash in the early ’90s.
“So we went into forestry and expanded those plantations and put in about another 6.5 or seven hectares of pine trees
“We put in some hardwoods as well, (some) blue gum, spotted gums and a few other species, and we managed them the same way.”
The other effect of the wool market crash was that Mr Washusen also had to get an extra job, to make ends meet.
“I ended up at CSIRO,” he said.
“And I did a PHD. As a research scientist I looked into the trees we were growing in Warrenbayne.
“And we stared researching how to best utilise them. We found there are actually a lot of species suited to farm forestry.
“And we researched utilising many of them for their high-value wood, in order to give the biggest return to the growers.
“So I’ve been involved for 17 to 18 years doing that research.”
Mr Washusen retired from CSIRO in 2009 and has been full-time farming since then.
“Now I’ve had more than 40 year’s experience in growing trees,” he said.
“The sheep and beef industries have an aspirational target from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) to become carbon neutral by 2030.
“Part of my research was carbon accumulation in trees as a bi-product.
“So knowing a lot about carbon accumulation in trees I called MLA last year and started discussing farm forestry as a way of sequestering carbon.”
Mr Washusen said the University of Melbourne had been developing tools for carbon accounting as part of its role as a research provider for MLA
“Richard Eckard (Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Melbourne) is the brains behind the carbon accounting tools,” he said.
“And (Professor) Rodert Keenen runs the Trees on Farm program for the University of Melbourne.”
Mr Washusen said his farm was one of the first in Australia to use the tools it developed to operate a high-forestry farming operation.
“I had a bit of trouble getting going, but we managed to get there,” he said.
“When I did our first carbon account I found we were carbon neutral, we’d grown enough trees to become carbon neutral.”
Mr Washusen is hosting a field day at his Warrenbayne farm on May 7 as a way to assist other farmers reach carbon neutrality.
It is a free event, but those interested will need to register to attend.
For more information, and to register, visit www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/events-and-workshops/carbon-neutral-cattle-production-in-northeast-victoria--field-day
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