NSW

West of Louth in New South Wales, Yathonga sits across three bioregions touching the Murray Darling Depression, Darling Riverine Plains and the Cobar Peneplain. Stuart Le Lievre and his family have been running a grazing enterprise across the land since 1862, so he’s very aware of the changing climate and the balance that needs to be struck between what you do and how the land copes or thrives.

The harsh dry country north west of Bourke isn’t for everyone, but Mark and Suzy Pritchard love the land and the organic animals they graze on it.

The current landholders took over Buckambool Station in 2017 with a Human-Induced Regeneration project in place. Located south of Cobar in NSW, the property is run as a successful grazing enterprise beneath the rocky ridges that dominate the area, with around 1,500 head of sheep and 200 head of cattle – depending on the season.

Harry Jarratt is a member of the new farming generation. In 2019, at just 23 years of age, he purchased Long Swamp with the help of his Mum and Stepfather, and now successfully runs it as a sheep grazing enterprise.

Taking it’s name from the uniquely Australian tree that seems to ooze blood instead of sap, Bloodwood is host to a lake system that has the richest array of fairy shrimps, clam shrimps and shield shrimps in the world. As lifetime environmental advocates, it obviously held great appeal for Sue Hanson and her family, who took it over in 2008.

Garry Robb believes that the ‘norm’ of Australian farming needs to change. Before his native forest protection project, Garry was wholly focused on working his land as hard as possible to generate cash-flow. Now, thanks to his carbon project, his reliance on commodity markets is reduced, which he says gives him more options when it comes to managing the land.

Farming is a hard business that throws countless obstacles at those who work to feed, clothe and sustain the rest of us. With often harsh weather including sustained drought that then turns into rampant rain, predicting productivity and income levels is a daily challenge.

Although it’s early days for this regeneration project, the spider webs the landholder sees in the morning dew are a clear sign the country is recovering. “When you see so many webs, you know the insects are hiding beneath the new grass. The spiders eat pests that fly in, and in turn the ground cover provides them with protection from the frost. They are one of the most important parts of the ecosystem,” he says. And since implementing his project, the ecosystem on the land is definitely improving.

Set in sandy red country mixed with flat plains of rich black soil, this project is spread across Inverness and Culgoa, which host a successful merino sheep operation run by Colin and Christine Payton.