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.

In Harry’s view, sheep and trees don’t mix. He says it’s not possible to grow the grasses needed for sheep grazing if the trees are there, so one of them has to go. Through his avoided deforestation project, Harry has found a way to combine the two. The financial incentive of earning ACCUs by maintaining the trees means he could keep the trees and work with the natural landscape rather than against it.

The richness of the native flora and fauna on Long Swamp is abundantly clear, and Harry says it’s obvious the land is in better condition than if he’d chosen to clear the trees.

What’s more, the additional income means he doesn’t have to ‘flog the land’ with sheep to build a financial buffer for dry periods. The project drought proofs the property with a reliable source of income from the land, and has already allowed this young farmer to get ahead on his mortgage.