Join our groundbreaking project, supported by the Federal Government’s National Soil Carbon Innovation Challenge, to revolutionise soil carbon baselining on farms. We’ve partnered with the University of Queensland to collect soil samples from over 400 farms across Australia to develop technologies that reduce the cost of soil carbon measurement.
To initiate your application, first choose your state from the available options. Please be aware that certain states have reached their participation limit for this project. If your state is at capacity, you’ll have the option to join our waiting list for potential future expansion.
Given the overwhelming interest from specific regions, we’re approaching our geographical capacity. While we can’t guarantee acceptance for all applicants, we highly recommend that interested parties from these regions submit their applications as soon as possible to maximise their chances of participation.
It is important to note that simple registration of a farm or landholding is not a contract that the farm or landholding will be included in the project.
The project is funded by the Commonwealth Government. This funding allows for the sampling of approximately 430 farms across Australia. The project defines a geographic spread of these farms across Australia which is desirable to meet the needs of the research and modelling underpinning the project.
Farms that register for participation in the project will initially be considered by the FarmLab team based on their geographic spread, sampling timeline, sampler availability and the quota in geographic area. Even when the quota appears to be filled in a particular geography, FarmLab will continue to accept registrations so that if the quota in other regions remains unfilled and the project decides to readjust the regional spread of sampling.
Landholders' details will be shared with project participants, including The University of Queensland, Agricircle, FarmLab, RemScan (Ziltek), The University of Aberdeen, Australian Federal Government agencies (CSIRO, DISER, and the Clean Energy Regulator), and the nominated consultant (if provided on the registration form). If no consultant is indicated, FarmLab will engage a soil sampling subcontractor of its choice to conduct the sampling, and these subcontractors will receive landholders' details for coordination purposes. A Data Sharing and Consent agreement, mandatory for farm registration, details the data sharing provisions of the project.
The data sharing agreement is available to view at: https://signnow.com/s/SZ2ktxh6
FarmLab may directly contact landholders regarding their results and any FarmLab services. For additional information on how contact details are used, it can be found at the provided links: https://signnow.com/s/SZ2ktxh6 and https://getfarmlab.com/terms.
Registering a farm or landholding does not constitute a contract guaranteeing inclusion in the project. FarmLab itself is not a soil sampling contractor. All soil sampling for this project will be conducted by independent, third-party sub-contractors. The registration process allows landholders to identify a partner consultant. If a consultant is identified, FarmLab will contact them to ascertain their preferred soil sampling contractor for the landholder. If no preference is indicated, FarmLab will endeavor to identify a contractor from its network based on timing and farm location.
FarmLab collaborates with existing customers, grower networks, and industry organizations across Australia to identify interested landholders for the project. The goal is to ensure that Landholders receive relevant data and support, even after the project's completion, through partnerships with organizations like Landcare. The list of distributors and subcontractors for the project will continue to grow as the recruitment and subsidy distribution process proceeds. No organization has been granted an exclusive license for distributing the grant arrangements.
It is important to note that simple registration of a farm or landholding is not a contract that the farm or landholding will be included in the project. FarmLab will assess applications on a rolling basis, considering geographic areas to allow consultants to batch their sampling in specific regions and reduce costs. Landholders who select a future sampling date will have their registrations processed closer to that date. The determination for proceeding to sampling depends on correctly establishing the target land management areas, identifying suitable soil sampling contractors, and gaining agreement with the landholder regarding the sampling timing. Nominated consultants or landholders whose applications are successful will be formally notified via email or direct discussion, and an offer will be made to conduct the sampling.
Paid work completed by contractors as part of the project is governed by an agreement between FarmLab and the relevant, approved contractor, whom FarmLab has nominated. Contractors can commence work only after FarmLab approves the Landholder nomination. Upon approval, a formal written offer will be made to the contractor, along with an individual reference number for the job. Contractors must provide written acceptance of the offer within one week of its delivery unless expressly stated otherwise. The specific work details, compensation rates, and billing process are specified in a separate contract. Invoices for the nominated sampling can be issued to FarmLab upon completion/delivery of the services. Any contract provided as part of the project will have no effect until it is executed by both parties.
Only approved and accredited FarmLab samplers will be used to conduct sampling. Exceptions may be made where an approved and accredited FarmLab sampler is also the landholder, and where the FarmLab approved sampler has previously sampled more than just their own operation.