How a Western NSW farmer retained his flock over the drought

When drought hits the already dry country along the Darling, near Louth, NSW, Garry Mooring usually only has one option. Cut the 8,500-strong Dohne flock hard, or cut down scrub to stretch out the core breeders.

It’s a strategy learned through long, bitter experience. The 24,000 hectare ‘Rose Isle’ has been in the Mooring family since 1960. Garry, and his wife Samantha, have run it since 1983.

He has seen more than his share of cycles.

But when the 2018/19 drought hit hard, Garry and Samantha had options.

In 2015, they signed up to a carbon project with GreenCollar, the nation’s largest and most established project developer.

It changed the calculation of not only managing drought, but also being well positioned from benefiting from the upturn.

“When you run into a drought like we did in 2018/19, people cut right back down on stock numbers just to keep core breeders,” Mr Mooring said. “Or you would cut down scrub to feed the core breeders, a lot of which wouldn’t have survived anyhow.”

“Then you have to buy them back in again, which hits your cash flow.”

The Rose Isle regeneration project covers almost 8,000ha of native vegetation, delivering over 130,000 ACCUs.

This time, the Moorings were able to use their income from a Human-Induced Regeneration project to buy in feed and new infrastructure to store it, as well as new fencing and water facilities.

“Because we knew we had steady income coming in from our carbon project, we were able to stick to our bloodlines without reducing our flock. It meant we didn’t have to hit the countryside again with large numbers of new stock to improve our cash flow,” he said.

“We could let our country recover which is something we have never been able to do before and it meant that when the drought broke and sheep prices went berserk, we weren’t trying to restock at a time when it was prohibitive.”

Under the project, which sits on just under 8,000ha of the property, the Moorings agree not to inhibit the regrowth of vegetation, nor overgraze it. Critically, they are allowed to run controlled numbers of stock through the area to decrease the chance of fire.

To date, the project has generated over 130,000 ACCUs through management with good environmental outcomes.

Mr Mooring said the whole process, from initial conversation through to brokering carbon trading as the price of ACCUs fluctuates has been handled by GreenCollar, and through he has found them “very professional.”

“They came in and did all the assessments, all of the bookwork and the paperwork,” he said. “They were very upfront about what had to be done and with their projections.”

“The legislation to generate ACCUs is obviously very complex to read and scientific, and when you come to a farmer, we just haven’t got that experience or understanding. You need a company like GreenCollar to manage it and keep in contact with you.”

Improved business sustainability, drought resilience and Improved ground cover & reduced erosion have been benefits of the project.

Mr Mooring has already been recommending GreenCollar to his neighbours and is excited by the opportunities that carbon sequestration is creating for farmers in his region.

“With the carbon farming, we’re seeing a lot more of the young kids coming home. Mum and dad can pay them a decent wage to stay here and work, whereas in the past you didn’t have the income.

“A lot of young people had seen mum and dad battle for the last 20 to 30 years, especially out here where it is pretty tough country, and many decided they didn’t want to do that,” he explained.

“The carbon projects have brought a lot of people back to the bush.”

Mr Mooring is 68 next year, and he is personally seeing the benefits of being able to invest in his property as he gets older.

He is in the process of installing new hay sheds, upgrading machinery and putting in new fencing and waters. He’s seen neighbours use ACCU payments to do the same.

“People had a lot of run-down facilities but that’s all changed,” he said. “Most have got good fencing, yards, all those things that make it easier for a farmer to manage and easier for the stock.

“For me it makes it easier to run the place, especially given the shortage of workers, I don’t need so many because we’ve been able to invest to set up the place so well.”