Net-Zero and livestock farming

[petergittins]

We are part of the Farm Net Zero Project in Cornwall and we’ve been measured as carbon negative for 2 years in a row by the Farm Carbon Toolkit, on an mixed arable and sheep system.

FCT is the only model that properly accounts for sequestration in pasture, woodland, hedgerows etc and they actually dig holes and properly measure soil organic carbon instead of using phoney modelling! And under GWP* we’d be even more carbon negative!

Have we actively farmed to be net zero? No, it s just a by-product of the way we’ve been doing things already, hence why we are seemingly carbon negative in years 1 and 2.

I do direct sell our lamb and have used it in marketing but, my customers seem more interested in the way it tastes and the way it’s produced, although it is seen as a plus point it could hold a premium.

The few lambs that go to Jaspers get no premium for it obviously, but in time I fear that talk of a premium for net zero products will actually translate into a barrier to market, the same as Red Tractor

View attachment 1099910

This is really interesting

I have mapped our farm with the FCT and it is showing that we are nowhere near net-zero. Not that we are trying tbf

But a lot of the emissions were from building materials as the FCT requires you to input any buildings/roads that have been installed in the last ten years. Without factoring that in we'd be a lot closer.

 

[CornishTone]

This is really interesting

I have mapped our farm with the FCT and it is showing that we are nowhere near net-zero. Not that we are trying tbf

But a lot of the emissions were from building materials as the FCT requires you to input any buildings/roads that have been installed in the last ten years. Without factoring that in we'd be a lot closer.

Yes, and as we’ve put a smallish shed up this spring, it’ll be interesting to see how this impacts our figures this time round. Concrete in particular seems to have a massive emission factor.

 

[Old apprentice]

There is more road and concrete layer by others in the country than farmers could ever do but don't forget that is progress.

For those that don't get it it is a sarcastic coment.

 

[DaveGrohl]

Yes, and as we’ve put a smallish shed up this spring, it’ll be interesting to see how this impacts our figures this time round. Concrete in particular seems to have a massive emission factor.

Imagine if every citizen had a personal carbon allowance. Most of them couldn't ever become net zero purely from the materials used to build their housing. But cement is a bit like farming, difficult for wealthy humans to avoid their use.

 

[petergittins]

Yes. What is the starting point ?

Is the research question 'What are livestock farmers doing to make themselves net-zero ?' or is it 'Do livestock farmers need to do anything with regards net-zero ?'

Because that is two very different questions.

The over-arching question guiding this research is 'what are the barriers and constraints in livestock farmers adapting to ELMs and legislative pressures to become net-zero'

The plan is to put together a document outlining exactly many of these concerns you are all raising- a policy brief. And probably an academic article that highlights the role that entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector has in meeting and responding to these legislative changes

 

[DaveGrohl]

The over-arching question guiding this research is 'what are the barriers and constraints in livestock farmers adapting to ELMs and legislative pressures to become net-zero'

The plan is to put together a document outlining exactly many of these concerns you are all raising- a policy brief. And probably an academic article that highlights the role that entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector has in meeting and responding to these legislative changes

You could start with asking questions about why the net zero parameters have been decided in such an arbitrary fashion.

 

[delilah]

The over-arching question guiding this research is 'what are the barriers and constraints in livestock farmers adapting to ELMs and legislative pressures to become net-zero'

1) ELMS and net-zero are two seperate topics. I would say you are setting yourself up for a messy piece of work.

2) You still haven't clarified what the starting point is.
"What are livestock farmers doing to move towards net-zero ?"
or
"Do livestock farmers have to consider the net-zero issue ?"
One question pre-supposes there is a problem, the other asks if there is a problem. Totally different start points. If you came to see us I would be wanting to know which question it is.

 

[topground]

If I took part where would the data on my farm end up? Data has a value.
How is a suckler cow subsisting on forage, either grazed or conserved, mainly hay so less plastic calculated to contribute toward carbon capture.
CO2 is captured through photosynthesis by grass using rain and sunshine. The cow turns that grass into a nutrient dense food and produces manure which contains carbon that is incorporated into the so CO2 is captured for free.
Unless there are meaningful figures avaIlable what is the point?

@petergittins Bump

 

[petergittins]

@petergittins Bump

I replied to this didn’t I?

 

[topground]

I replied to this didn’t I?

@petergittins Where?

 

[petergittins]

@petergittins Where?

2 posts down about data usage in academic research

 

[petergittins]

1) ELMS and net-zero are two seperate topics. I would say you are setting yourself up for a messy piece of work.

2) You still haven't clarified what the starting point is.
"What are livestock farmers doing to move towards net-zero ?"
or
"Do livestock farmers have to consider the net-zero issue ?"
One question pre-supposes there is a problem, the other asks if there is a problem. Totally different start points. If you came to see us I would be wanting to know which question it is. agree- but both are linked and influenced by each other though

Agree but both are linked

neither really, the second question you raise suggests a yes or no response so I wouldn’t start with that, it’s more complex

the question is what are challenges for livestock farmers in adapting to elms and pressures to become net zero

 

[Highland Mule]

the question is what are challenges for livestock farmers in adapting to elms and pressures to become net zero

Could you please punctuate that as originally placed please? It makes no sense as you write it.

For me as a livestock farmer, and taking your badly phrased question literally, the challenge to become net zero would be a moral one - to reach net zero would be involve causing harm to the planet, so why would I? I'm already far better than net zero, so reaching it would be a bad thing, would it not?

 

[onesiedale]

Just picking this one piece - have you any evidence to back up this thought, as all I see is my soil layer getting deeper and deeper.

we have PP which is medeaval ridge and furrow ontop of bronze age lynchettes. So not been ploughed since middle ages.
Metal detectorist here last year turned up 2 medeaval groats from 14" down. So, given that the soil may have been turned over at 6" depth by some chap with an ox and Jethro Tull type implement, I reckon that since the 1400s we have gained 8" soil depth.
That works out at 1" soil depth created under grassland /100 years. which works out at 150 tons/acre /100 years or in simple terms 1½ tons soil per year under PP.

At 1 cow per acre, therefore, my cows create 1½ tons of soil per year each!
At 7% OM can I safely say that the grassland supporting my cow sequesters around 100kg of carbon per year in EXTRA soil, nevermind about adding to the soil that is already there!
(I feel a fantastic PR story coming on here for how good grassland is for the planet) On top of that, my cow is a 500kg mobile carbon store as well, a self propelled forage harvester that sequesters carbon too

I think my dairy cows can safely say they are net zero. No problem here

@Soil Capital
@Trinity AgTech
.....and all you other arable system carbon credit salesmen when are you going to £value my grassland and cows??

 

[Highland Mule]

we have PP which is medeaval ridge and furrow ontop of bronze age lynchettes. So not been ploughed since middle ages.
Metal detectorist here last year turned up 2 medeaval groats from 14" down. So, given that the soil may have been turned over at 6" depth by some chap with an ox and Jethro Tull type implement, I reckon that since the 1400s we have gained 8" soil depth.
That works out at 1" soil depth created under grassland /100 years. which works out at 150 tons/acre /100 years or in simple terms 1½ tons soil per year under PP.

At 1 cow per acre, therefore, my cows create 1½ tons of soil per year each!
At 7% OM can I safely say that the grassland supporting my cow sequesters around 100kg of carbon per year in EXTRA soil, nevermind about adding to the soil that is already there!
(I feel a fantastic PR story coming on here for how good grassland is for the planet) On top of that, my cow is a 500kg mobile carbon store as well, a self propelled forage harvester that sequesters carbon too

I think my dairy cows can safely say they are net zero. No problem here

@Soil Capital
@Trinity AgTech
.....and all you other arable system carbon credit salesmen when are you going to £value my grassland and cows??

Exactly - finding metal around a foot down here that I can date to 276 years and eleven months ago.

 

[onesiedale]

Exactly - finding metal around a foot down here that I can date to 276 years and eleven months ago.

wow! you are making 6" of topsoil per hundred years!
you must be stocking at 6 cows/acre

..we need more cows to save the planet!

 

[Highland Mule]

wow! you are making 6" of topsoil per hundred years!
you must be stocking at 6 cows/acre

..we need more cows to save the planet!

I'd need to check the depth again, but the date is very accurate.

 

[ringi]

we have PP which is medeaval ridge and furrow ontop of bronze age lynchettes. So not been ploughed since middle ages.
Metal detectorist here last year turned up 2 medeaval groats from 14" down. So, given that the soil may have been turned over at 6" depth by some chap with an ox and Jethro Tull type implement, I reckon that since the 1400s we have gained 8" soil depth

But in healthy soils worms bring up subsoil so you can assume the 14" is all new soil.

 

[topground]

2 posts down about data usage in academic research

Conveniently ignoring the question about a suckler cow contribution.

 

[onesiedale]

But in healthy soils worms bring up subsoil so you can assume the 14" is all new soil.

but the fact is cows are building soil. year on year. no one can deny that