CARBON FARMING EXPO & CONFERENCE, Orange NSW, 18-19 November 2008

The 2008 Carbon Farming Conference is to be held in Orange, NSW on 18-19 November. The theme of the conference is: “Soil Carbon: The New Cash Crop” because the Voluntary Market is likely to be in operation in Australia by then*.

*(According to Professor Peter Grace of QUT)

Sessions include:
• Launch of a new community-based soil carbon trading system
• Results from soil carbon trials across Australia
• Reports from two senior scientists working on ways to reduce the cost of measuring soil carbon and make trading possible.
• News of a “Catchment Carbon Calculator” which the CSIRO is hoping to load up with data that will make Voluntary Market trading a reality.
• Amazing soil carbon increases in biologically-farmed properties.
• Methane reality check from the scientist leading the Australian research into how big your abill will be for on-farm emissions.
• State-of-the-art farm data systems for the serious carbon farmer.
• The City Sponsors Carbon Farmers

Features include: Official Conference Dinner with entertainment
Carbon Cocky of the Year Award
Electric Farm Vehicles

DRAFT PROGRAM
9.00 – 9.30 The Global Food Crisis and Soil Carbon
(Dr Rattan Lal by webcast)
9.30 – 10.00 Policy, Participation & Prospects (Blair Comley,
Assistant Secretary, DECC)
10.00 – 10.30 The Research (Dr Michael Robinson, Director,
National Climate Change Research Strategy for
Primary Industries)
10.30 – 11.00 Morning Tea
11.00 – 11.30 The Question: Measurement or Estimation?
(Tony Lovell, Soil Carbon Australia)
11.30 – 12.00 The Two Markets (Louisa Kiely, Carbon Farmers
of Australia)
12.00 – 12.30 The Cost of Measurement (Dr Brian Murphy
DECC)
12.30 – 1.30 Lunch
1.30 – 2.15 Reducing the Cost of Measurement (Prof. Alex
McBratney, University of Sydney)
2.15 – 3.00 The Farmer’s Experience (Scott MacCalman,
Carbon Farmer)
3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon Tea
3.30 – 4.00 Organic Carbon Farming (Andre Leu, Chairman,
Organic Federation Australia)
4.00 – 4.30 Close Day 1: Ian Packer (Soils Officer, Lachlan
CMA)
7.00 – 10.00 Gala Dinner
Day Two – 19th November 2008
8.30 – 8.40 Chair Introduction (Gary Allan, DPI)
8.40 – 8.45 Welcome to City (Mayor John Davis)
8.45 – 9.00 Welcome to Day 2 (John Lawrie, CW CMA)
9.00 – 9.45 The Frontier: Western Australia (Dr Tim Wiley,
Dept. Agriculture, WA)
9.45 – 10.30 The Farmer With Data (Eric Harvey, Carbon
Farmer)
10.30 – 11.00 Morning Tea
11.00 – 11.45 The Catchment Calculator (Dr Jeff Baldock)
11.45 - 12.30 The Rangeland Calculator (Dr Peter Grace)
12.30 – 1.30 Lunch
1.30 - 2.15 The Science of Farm Emissions (Dr Richard
Eckard, University of Melbourne/DPI VIC)
2.15 – 3.00 The Management of Farm Emissions(Dr Bill
Slattery, Acting Director, Emissions Management,
DCCW)
3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon Tea
3.30 – 4.00 The Measurement of Farm Emissions (Farmer’s
Experience, Speaker TBA)
4.00 – 4.30 Close Day 2: The Future (Michael Kiely, Carbon
Coalition)