Opportunity

Tom and Antoinette Archer operate Archer Pastoral, a large‑scale grazing enterprise, located near Goondiwindi in southern Queensland. With more than two decades of regenerative land management behind them, the Archers were early adopters of soil carbon farming, registering one of Australia’s first at‑scale grazing soil carbon projects.

Their commitment began with a focus on improving land and business health. This naturally led to a deep dive into soil carbon, aiming to enhance soil health and create a more sustainable income stream.

Their soil carbon journey reflects a management‑first philosophy, prioritising soil health, biodiversity, and business resilience, with carbon outcomes measured as a consequence, not the driver, of good grazing management.

Programme Strategy

Subdivision of Paddocks

Increased Stock Density

Time-Controlled Grazing

Introduction of Legume and Pasture Diversity

Water Infrastructure Development

The Turpentine soil carbon project at Archer Pastoral was built on a foundation of long‑term regenerative grazing management, supported by education and consulting through Resource Consulting Services (RCS) and implemented well before the commencement of carbon measurement.

The soil carbon project plan proposed to improve land health and soil biology, focusing on ecological sustainability. These changes were designed to reduce bare ground, enhance soil biology, improve rainfall infiltration, and build soil carbon at depth for long‑term permanence.

The Land Management Strategy (LMS) for the project nominated the following practice changes:

• Subdivision of paddocks: Archer Pastoral increased from approximately 100 paddocks to around 150, reducing average paddock size to ~20 hectares and enabling precise grazing control.
• Increased stock density: Livestock were intentionally concentrated for short durations to improve pasture utilisation, followed by extended rest periods matched to growth rates.
• Time‑controlled grazing: The Archer’s allowed intentional grazing pressure while prioritising plant recovery, root development, and litter retention.
• Legume and pasture diversity introduction: Legumes and sub‑tropical grasses were incorporated to improve nitrogen cycling, biological activity, and pasture resilience.
• Water point development: Archer Pastoral invested in extensive water infrastructure to distribute grazing pressure evenly across paddocks.

Programme Goals

The Archers adopted soil carbon farming to support and strengthen their existing grazing system, rather than replace it. The programme objectives were to:

• Refine existing regenerative grazing management
• Increase productivity, biodiversity, and ecological health
• Improve landscape stability and drought resilience
• Reduce livestock income volatility through a supplementary revenue stream
• Set up succession for the next generation

Carbon credits were viewed as a natural outcome of managing for soil, plants, and animals – reinforcing the value of management decisions that already elevated land and business performance.

Results

In the first sampling period, Turpentine soil carbon project sequestered 91,377 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, earning 66,050 ACCUs (equivalent to 4.6 ACCUs per hectare per year) after accounting for all project emissions and discounts. Furthermore, Archer Pastoral achieved productivity benefits including improved carrying capacity and pasture utilisation, as well as enhanced pasture composition with the return of desirable perennial species. Sequestration of Soil Carbon supported increased water infiltration and reduced runoff, keeping topsoil on‑farm. Archer Pastoral also maintained groundcover through drought periods, including the 2018–19 drought, supporting faster landscape recovery compared with historical condition and surrounding systems.