D-Day Minus 60

It's the agricultural version of the tv show "Survivor". Except 8 of the contestants will be voted off the island at the end of the show, which is now only 60 days away. This is our CMA Farming Systems class, 11 farm operations competing to come up with new ways to manage water to reduce salinity on the farm.
By now people are getting toey. No one knows for sure which way anyone will go, except for the Kielys of "Uamby" who posted their plan of attack on this blog, weeks ago.
(For those who missed earlier posts about this class, the Central West Catchment Management Authority - CWCMA - selected 11 farming families from 30+ applicants, for their opennesss to new ideas and their innovation on the farm. They are paying us $1000/day to attend classes on salination, water management, farm geology, soils, grazing and cropping issues, etc. And we are expected to produce, by 31 May, a whole-of-far plan which contains a new idea for managing water to reduce salt in the waterways of the State. This new idea has to be easily adapted by other farmers. Up to 3 of the entries will be funded up to $100,000 each to put the plan into action. All eyes are on the money!)
What hints do we have of innovative plans being developed? Not much. People have been playing their cards close to their chest. Some have been posturing and positioning themselves for a grab at the dollars. Some have complained that it's a race and said the $$$ should be shared out equally. I say "Let the games begin!"
We have opted to run our farm around the goal of lifting carbon levels in our soils, by whatever means a series of tests reveals is most effective for each soil type on our property. This entails mapping our farm for soil types, then core sampling it to measure the carbon as a baseline before testing treatments - such as rotational grazing, pasture cropping, application of nitrohumus (treated effluent), paramagnetic rock dust, biodynamics, complete rest, and whatever else comes to mind.
The mapping started today. (To prove we are serious we are spending $8,000 we haven't got to start the process. The core sampling will cost $44,000 because we are sampling 1000 acres at 1 sample per acre. Why so rigorous? To get our operation ready for Carbon Credits! Whatever the measuring/monitoring/verification methodology the market place goes wth, we want to be able to trade based on our increased carbon levels from the earliest date set for calculating amounts locked away.)
Some members of the class are tossing around ideas like edible shrubs that will aid biodiversity by providing an understory for bird life and also provide fodder for stock... At least 2 are thinking along these lines. Others are thinking about compost teas that you spray on fields. Again 2 are considering this. Bruce and Jenny are developing a wetland project on their horse property near Bathurst. Col Seis, the Father of Pasture Cropping, is expected to come up with an extension of this brilliant idea. Steve Kiss is toying with biodynamics. But the rest are sandbagging. Either they've got something hot, or they ain't got a lot.
I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile we have the mapping to be completed this week, the fencing to start next week and the installation of the watering system (We are dividing the paddocks for rotational grazing - cell grazing using Holistic Resource Management principles)..>. More later.