Soil Carbon Farming Courses

Online & self-paced courses for agricultural producers and their trusted advisors

Choose the course for you

Our courses are used by

Insights from Australian producers

Learn what cropping, mixed and grazing practices farmers are using to improve yield, profits and resilience, while increasing and protecting their soil carbon.

Uncover how soil organic matter and soil carbon increase soil health and address agronomic challenges.

Discover the SoilCQuest Farm Soil Carbon Toolkit

Our handy 5-point plan translates scientific principles into practical on-farm actions to increase and protect soil carbon.
Write your awesome label here.

What farmers are saying about our courses

This is a great one-stop resource to get a handle on carbon and carbon-building practices in agricultural enterprise settings.
Primary Producer,
The Rock, NSW Riverina
The content has been written simply and is not too technical, which is ideal. It's really well presented and has a nice balance of information as text, videos, articles, etc. 
Grazier,
Dungog, NSW Hunter
Knowledge is power - this course helps you understand where your opportunities are with carbon farming.
Primary Producer,
Forbes, NSW Central West

I previously understood the importance of soil carbon in agricultural systems but I found this course was a good refresher and was quite inspiring.
Primary Producer,
Eugowra,
NSW Central West
We now have a much better understanding of how to build and measure carbon, and are better equipped to evaluate the suitability of carbon-based initiatives in our mixed farming enterprise.
Primary Producer,
The Rock, NSW Riverina
I wish I’d done this course before I signed our farm up for a carbon project.
Primary Producer,
Gloucester,
NSW Upper Hunter

Get to know the carbon economy

We step you through it all - climate change, carbon farming, carbon and nature-repair markets, net zero, carbon neutral, offsetting, insetting, and mandatory climate reporting.

Unpack farm emissions

Farmers and their advisors understand that carbon accounting is here to stay and are getting a handle on what this means for agribusiness. Learn what tools and support farmers have to measure their emissions, and discover strategies to reduce emissions from livestock and fertilisers.

Know what questions to ask about carbon farming projects

Understand the key considerations, risks and benefits for landholders interested in ACCU Carbon Farming projects, and what is involved in a Soil Carbon project.
Write your awesome label here.

What advisors are saying about our courses

The course is excellent, covering all the basics - and beyond -needed to gain a solid understanding of soil carbon and the options available today for Australian farmers seeking unbiased guidance on these topics.
Agricultural Extension Officer, Riverine Plains Inc, VIC & NSW
For us as financial counsellors, it works really well, and it's also good for farmers who want to get more knowledge, as this is something we can't ignore.
Financial Counsellor,
Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW
Our counsellors are upping their carbon knowledge with thanks to this course. Highly recommended.
Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW Northern Region
I’d recommend this course to others.
Agronomist,
Carbon Service Industry, NSW
What I enjoyed most about this course is that it explained it all in layman's terms. I’d recommend it to others.
Banker, Rural Bank, VIC
I really like that the course focuses on how these activities are good for your soil and your ability to withstand climate challenges, whether you go down the ACCU path or not.
NSW Local Landcare Coordinator
The course is excellent and works both for people coming into this space and those with a higher knowledge base. The videos are great, and I’ve been using the module fact sheets to have knowledge close at hand and as a talking point with landholders.
Sustainable Agriculture Advisor, NSW
Our team

Meet the course creators

Erika Van Schellebeck
LEARNING & EXTENSION

Erika has 25 years experience in sustainability learning and extension in rural, regional and urban communities and workplaces, working for state & local government and the not-for-profit sector.

She is passionate about regenerative agriculture as a climate solution and is a trained Climate Reality Leader.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Arts in Resource and Environmental Management, a Certificate II in Bushland Regeneration, a Postgraduate Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture and a Micro-Credential in Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change.

Dr Adam O'Toole
Soil Scientist

Adam is a Research Agronomist and Communicator passionate about improving soil quality and finding practical solutions for farmers.
He has 15 years experience in agricultural research and communication with farmers and advisory services.
Adam is the Chair of the Standards and Certification Working Group for the Australian and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group, and has extensive experience in the production and use of biochar in agriculture.
Adam holds a a PhD in Soil Science and Agronomy, a Masters in International Environment Studies and a Bachelor of Business (Communication).

Adrianna Marchand
Soil Carbon Industry Expert

Adrianna is an industry-recognised interdependent leader and consultant with 20 years of experience in change management. She bridges scientific, technical, and social components in advocacy for natural and food-producing systems and communities as agents of democratised change.
Addy's work has contributed to agricultural research, climate programs, methodology development, monitoring, and education.
She holds academic awards for her Bachelor of Ecological Agriculture and has a Diploma of Conservation and Land Management and a Micro-Credential of Carbon Neutral Agriculture. 

Jen Ringbauer
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

After 20+ years of providing education in schools and the not-for-profit sector, Jen moved to a property to grow and produce chemical and contaminant-free food and fibre. Wanting to know more about improving productivity whilst enhancing ecosystem function and biodiversity, Jen completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Regenerative Agriculture, investigating farm-level resilience with a socio-ecological lens.
Jen also holds a Diploma of Managing Holistically, is a Board Director for the Institute of Ecological Agriculture, and works educating and coaching farmers to create thriving and resilient farms. 

Soil carbon simplified

As Australia's only soil carbon research institute, we understand the confusion around soil carbon.

SoilCQuest 2031 is a unique collaboration of farmers, agricultural and soil scientists, agro-ecologists, agronomists, educators, and business, communication, and extension specialists.

It's true, soil carbon can be complex, but we believe good education should simplify complexity.

This is why we've created our own learning tools, graphics, videos and guides, to explain soil carbon science in plain English.

What our courses cover

Our courses draw from these topics, with each targeting specific areas to provide the expertise you need.

Visit our course pages for a detailed module and ebook outline.

Soil carbon on the farm

Explains how soil carbon improves farm productivity and why it is a key metric for soil health & crop resilience, using insights from leading agronomists and soil scientists. 

Soil carbon and regenerative practices

Equips growers with practical knowledge on the cropping and grazing practices being used today to build soil carbon, as well as the emerging practices of the near-future.

Measuring soil carbon

Outlines how soil carbon in the paddock is measured and monitored, including the new ag-tech that’s making this easier.

Australia's Carbon and Nature Repair Markets

Explores our carbon and nature-based farming industries, plus environmental and natural capital accounting.

Farm emissions 101

Gives a 101 on climate change, why and how farm emissions are measured, as well as plain-english explanations of carbon neutrality, offsetting, insetting and more.

ACCU Carbon Farming Projects

Takes an in-depth look at carbon farming projects and the soil carbon method, and what farmers need to think about if they are considering this for their business.

Frequently asked questions

Can I access the whole course as soon as I enrol?

Our courses are self-paced, so you don't have to wait for a particular date for the course to start. Once you are ready to start, simply click on the 'enrol now' button to receive immediate access to Module 1.

Each day after that after that, a new module will be made available to you -we use this 'drip feed' feature to prevent our online learners from feeling overwhelmed by receiving all the course content in one go.

Do I have to start and finish the course in a set time?

No, once you enrol you have 12 months access. 

Do I have to complete quizzes or assignments?

Only our Masterclass course has quizzes to complete.
For all of our other courses, you can focus on learning about what is important to you without having to complete quizzes. 

Our Certificate courses (not our farmer courses) do require a minimum read time for each topic.

Each module is broken up into short e-books by topic and each has an estimated read time. If you spend less than 20% of this time in each e-book before moving to the next topic, a lock symbol will appear to remind you of this feature. For example, if the estimated reading time of an e-book is 5 mins (as indicated beside each e-book in the course menu and also at the start of each e-book), you need to spend at least 1 min in that e-book before moving to the next.

Our farmer courses do not have a minimum reading time, as we know how busy farmers are and we want them to be able to go straight to the topics they need to know about for their business. 

How much time will the course take?

As a guide, it takes about one hour per module. You can certainly invest more time though by exploring all of the resources in the course, such as the videos and links to more information.

Are there any prerequisites or required readings?

These courses are for anyone who wants an introduction or to learn more about farm soil carbon and carbon farming. There are no prerequisites or required reading – just bring your enthusiasm.

To help you get the best learning outcomes, our courses are carefully designed to build your foundational information before stepping you through more complex concepts. 

Do I need any special technology to access the courses?

No! You can access our courses via any web browser on any laptop, PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone that is connected to a reasonable internet connection. 

Will I receive a certificate at the end of the course?

Our certificate courses are Soil and the Carbon Economy and Masterclass in Growing Soil Carbon

What are the course terms and conditions?

Please review the terms and conditions of our courses here.

SoilCQuest 2031

Address
PO Box 632, Forbes NSW 2871

Have a question? Please use the contact form below.

First Name
Last Name
E-mail address
Your message
Thank you!