Grain grower Steve Nicholson and Loam Bio head of global agronomy and co-founder Guy Webb at Wirrinya NSW

A NEW South Wales farming family has made history, becoming the first broadacre cropping operation in NSW to successfully generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) using an innovative carbon-sequestering fungal seed treatment.

In a move that turns dirt into dollars, the breakthrough unlocks a game-changing win for farmers to get paid for capturing carbon, while building healthier, more productive soils for their existing cropping operations.

The Nicholson Carbon Project (#ERF184498) of Garema in central NSW, part of a 4000-hectare grazing and cropping operation, has successfully generated an issuance of 4867 tradeable ACCU across 881ha, each representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent stored.

This marks one of the largest broadacre cropping projects that has met the strict requirements of Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator, demonstrating that carbon farming has moved from concept to a commercial and scalable reality.

Over a decade ago, the Nicholson family began exploring more sustainable farming approaches to safeguard the future of their operation.

“We knew we couldn’t keep farming the same way,” owner Steve Nicholson said.

“If we didn’t adapt, the future of the farm wasn’t sustainable.

“We had to find a better path.

“We made that call early – and now we’re seeing the results.”

After extensive research, they rolled out a suite of farm management changes, including modified crop rotations across wheat, barley and canola, pasture and pulse rotations, reduced tillage, and improved residue management.

In 2024 the Nicholsons added Loam Bio’s CarbonBuilder to their program, a world-first fungal seed treatment that integrates into existing farm operations to boost productivity.

“From year one we saw a measurable increase in soil carbon, equating to 5.5 ACCU allocated per hectare.

“It was a seamless integration and offered something the industry doesn’t often get – a new income stream.

“In effect we are now growing a second crop from the same paddock: a crop above the ground, and a carbon asset below.”

“That’s translated into 4867 ACCU, but more importantly, it’s improved the soil, strengthened the resilience of the farm.

“The real strength is the science – it’s easily adoptable, easy to use and it’s affordable.

“Right now, farmers are copping it, and we need solutions that actually work.

“This is one of them.”

The result demonstrates how grower-led practice change can be measured and verified within Australia’s regulated carbon market, opening a genuine pathway for broadacre farmers to reduce risk, build resilience and diversify revenue.

Loam Bio CEO Guy Hudson said the result validates years of scientific development and opens new ground for the industry.

“Australian farmers are increasingly under pressure from every direction – diesel, fertiliser, weather, and commodity prices,” Mr Hudson said.

“What the Nicholson family has achieved is a significant milestone – generating ACCU at commercial scale, backed by more than a decade of research across 70 scientists and eight universities.

“Historically broadacre farmers have largely been locked out of the carbon market.

“This result shows there’s a reliable way in.”

Source: LoamBio