Wide Open Agriculture Joins the CFF Herd

The CFF has joined forces with Wide Open Agriculture to bring carbon farming opportunities to WOA’s Dirty Clean Food supply chain members.

Wide Open Agriculture (WOA) is trailblazing the Australian agriculture industry within their extensive supply chain of regenerative farming members. 

As a certified carbon neutral business, WOA was looking to extend their engagement with the farmers that supply Dirty Clean Food (DCF) by purchasing carbon credits directly from them to offset their emissions and enhance the financial resilience of their farmers.

The Carbon Farming Foundation (CFF) undertook an extensive feasibility study to show how carbon farming could profit both WOA’s supply chain members and WOA’s own carbon neutrality. 

First off the block is Warren Pensini from Blackwood Valley Beef!

“The initial proposal was to do a 200-hectare tree carbon project, and we put our hand up and said, we’ve got 40 hectares, let’s kick it off with that!”

Warren Pensini

Warren’s carbon project will provide his farming business an additional income stream, add credibility to his already established regenerative beef operation, and feed into the carbon neutrality stance that WOA encapsulates.

“We will view the majority of the carbon credits as superannuation, we’re not intending to trade them at this point. Most of those credits we will just bank and they’ll be there for our kids.

The CFF has been really supportive around getting the project up and running. We’ve done it as a low-cost model, which was attractive obviously from our perspective, as the fees weren’t too high, especially with the support of Wide Open Agriculture.”

Tree planting along the laneway at Warren’s Boyup Brook property,

Getting the Project off the Ground

The CFF provided a tailored feasibility report and accompanying heatmaps, outlining recommendations that would help Warren and WOA establish the project to achieve maximum success. 

The CFF provided ongoing technical support throughout project registration with the CER, as well as additional connections to funding opportunities and a network of vetted sub-contractors. This is all part of our DIY Service Model, where clients can opt for a low-cost service model or a full-service agreement.

“The process is not simple in terms of putting a proposal into the CER. To be honest, I would’ve struggled to do it on my own, so yeah, their support’s been invaluable in terms of getting that over the line.”

Wide Open Agriculture is looking to support their supply chain members with an upfront cost-share agreement to establish a carbon project. This will allow their members to get their project up and running and reap the rewards from the growing carbon market.

“With the majority of suppliers in the carbon farming field at the moment, they can be taking up to 30 – 40% of the ACCUs. I just don’t think it’s viable for the majority of farmers, particularly if they’re also paying for all their establishment and upfront costs. So yeah, absolutely it [this opportunity] made it a lot more attractive to get on board with a carbon project.”

Not a DCF farmer and want to learn more about the carbon farming opportunity?

Explore our range of educational resources in our Carbon Farming Education Hub where we frequently publish educational articles, webinars, and guidebooks. 

When you’re ready to explore the feasibility of undertaking a carbon project on your property, email us at hello@carbonfarming.org.au or give us a bell at (08) 6835 1140 to be connected with one of our project facilitators.

Related News

CFF Reflections on 2024

Ordering seedlings for your project requires some careful planning. CFF’s Helena Bowler has outlined her key tips to ensuring this is a success. 

What is Carbon Farming? 

Land-based carbon farming is the process of capturing and storing carbon in trees or soil. By adopting practices that increase the rate at which carbon dioxide (CO₂) is drawn from the atmosphere, landholders can register carbon projects to earn tradeable carbon credits.

New Reforestation Method Released

Last week we welcomed the release of the new Reforestation method, allowing ACCU Scheme participants to earn carbon credits for native reforestation in 2025 and beyond.

What Are the Long-Term Commitments Involved with Australian Carbon Credits?

Thinking of starting a carbon farming project? Here’s what you need to know about the long-term commitments.