These farmers save tens of thousands of dollars to help the world
Garry Kadwell started planting trees on his property as an eight-year-old child with his grandfather.
“Pop said to me, ‘Gary, it takes a wise man a lifetime to plant a tree and a fool five minutes to kill a man’,” Mr Kadwell said.
Forty years later, more than 400 hectares of his potato and sheep farm near Crookwell in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands have been dedicated to growing crops.
Mr Kadwell said: “Forty per cent of the property is currently in regional areas.”
“I believe that agriculture cannot be one thing where it is a matter of production and taking things from the fields.
“We have to look at our environment and do it in a sustainable way but none of them can stand alone.”
Gary Kadwell’s 13-acre waterfront property. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Part of this work has included the construction of a 13-hectare wetland that has brought platypus and other species to the farm.
“It brings migratory birds that are already breeding here and they use this as a deterrent,” he said.
“It has created a peaceful place on this site.”
Mr Kadwell has planted tens of thousands of trees across his property. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Benefits for the important point
Successfully applying for more than $100,000 in grants from local environmental groups and federal agencies has allowed Mr. Kadwell to plant tens of thousands of trees.
Mr Kadwell grows 15 different varieties of potatoes. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
It has led to an increase in production levels for his 4,000 sheep, and potato beds, and to reduce the cost of chemical use by encouraging insects.
“Our lamb production, our potato production and all the types of forage we cut have really increased,” he said.
“I was taught to grow potatoes and put the harshest, worst chemicals every day.
“We are now encouraging natural beneficial insects to keep our crops under control…there is enough to keep them at bay.”
Mr Kadwell runs 4,000 sheep on his 1,000 hectare farm. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Reducing methane
About three decades ago, Jon Wright began tracking methane emissions from his cattle ranch near Woodstock in the Midwest.
The process involves food bins that track how much food each animal eats, which is then compared to its weight.
The data is used to calculate the methane produced from each cow to determine which animals are bred to improve the herd’s genetics.
Feed buckets measure how much feed each cow eats to help collect data on methane emissions. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Mr Wright said that this has reduced the emissions from his cattle by 15%.
“We want the animals to produce as little methane for as much meat as we can,” he said.
“We know that success is a genetic trait, we know that there’s a lot of variation within populations, and we know that it’s a beneficial thing that we can change over time. .”
It has saved Mr Wright tens of thousands of dollars a year in food.
“The cost of food is one of the most profitable things in business,” he said.
“If we can breed animals that use less feed to produce the same amount of output, it increases their profitability.”
Market needs
Lisa McFadyen works with the On Farm Carbon Project, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries to help farmers reduce emissions.
Lisa McFadyen helps farmers reduce emissions through the On Farm Carbon Project. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
The livestock sector is responsible for about 70 percent of the emissions produced within the agricultural industry, according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Ms McFadyen believes there is a growing demand from consumers and farmers to reduce emissions from meat production.
“Consumers are asking for carbon-neutral beef in supermarkets … they will look for a low-emissions product over something that might be a high emitter,” he said.
Agreement on measuring emissions
For purposes such as planting trees, plants or improving soil quality, there are many manufacturers of carbon calculators that use them to prove how they have reduced emissions.
However, the same methods for measuring methane produced by livestock do not work for the beef industry.
Woodstock cattle producer Jon Wright has seen a 15 percent reduction in methane emissions from his cattle. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Mr. Wright said governments, banks, scientists and farmers should come together to create an agreed way of calculating methane production.
“We just need the science around this is the change you’ve made, how much emissions have we reduced and it’s worth the money,” he said.
Banks have begun offering producers “green loans” with low interest rates for farmers to invest in control systems to reduce emissions.
Mr Wright runs more than 1,500 cows on his property. (ABC Mid West: Hamish Cole)
Mr. Kadwell has reaped the benefits of this, as his property has been designated as an asset.
“Now you look at the trees, the vegetation, the wetlands as natural capital and they will give you a loan value against that,” he said.
“That was a big change.”
Ms McFadyen says at a time when “everyone is looking at debt levels”, it is important that landowners have a clear idea of what they can do on farms to improve their finances.
“Sometimes they support the initial cost of a carbon project … it’s one of the additions you add to your business through cost savings,” he said.
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