Carbon farming workshops
Join The AgriBusiness Group’s free Canterbury Carbon Farming seminars on how to optimise your farm system through land-use diversification with integrated farm forestry and carbon farming.
LUC 7 land in Canterbury that integrates sheep, beef, native, exotic, and honey land uses.
Integrating forestry into the farm system enables you to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your farm while increasing profitability, sustainability and biodiversity. Based on applied research and our extensive experience of optimising farm systems for almost two decades, we've developed strategic solutions that strengthen both the economic and environmental performance of your farm. Join the AgriBusiness Group’s free Canterbury Carbon Farming seminars on how to optimise your farm system through land-use diversification with integrated farm forestry and carbon farming on Banks Peninsula, in Cheviot, Seddon and Waiau.
Register your interest here
Creating diversity in your farm system and building resilience starts with developing a comprehensive understanding of your land. Land-use capability (LUC) mapping helps you to identify marginal and less productive areas that can be optimised to support and boost your farm's primary goal of food and fibre production. Poorer producing areas are assessed in terms of long-term economic potential and environmental effects (carbon footprint, biodiversity and freshwater) and compared with other land uses. Case studies we've undertaken using LUC mapping present promising results.
These are the three key outcomes we've seen for farms undertaking land-use changes:
More profitable, stronger farm systems – Carbon and timber are long-term, lucrative sources of farm income that return far greater on LUC7+ country than red meat food and fibre. Integrating other land uses in some or all of these areas strengthens the farm revenue through diversification (e.g. carbon, honey, or timber) and supports the highs and lows of red meat and other industries. This also allows farmers to shift their focus toward farming animals on the more productive areas of the farms.
Carbon neutral farming and climate change resilience – By 2025, all farms will require their carbon footprint to be calculated and managed accordingly. As a carbon sink (i.e. sucking carbon out of the atmosphere), forests can be used to offset emissions from sheep and beef farming, or even higher emitters, such as dairy or dairy support. Besides, by registering those forests in the emissions trading scheme (ETS), farmers assist New Zealand in achieving its climate targets.
Maximised farm sustainability and biodiversity – Understanding your land use capability allows you to optimise the land to its greatest potential while promoting the regeneration and growth of on-farm environmental and ecological values. Carbon farming helps increase the biodiversity of native fauna, flora and soil organisms through habitat establishment and protection.
We are encouraging farmers and the industry to seize the opportunity of carbon farming to maintain profitable farms that are sustainable in their production.
Join the Canterbury Carbon Farming Seminars
Banks Peninsula, 8th March, 3 - 5 pm, Akaroa Golf Club
Cheviot, 15th March, 9 - 11 am, Cheviot Hotel
Seddon, 15th March, 3 - 5 pm, Awatere Memorial Hall
Waiau, 17th March, 3 - 5 pm, Waiau Rugby Clubrooms
If you want to learn more about the opportunities of integrated forestry, register your interest at Eventbrite or contact Sam (sam@agribusinessgroup.com or 027 305 8549).
