About - Lemonade Valley Project

About Us

“Our vision is to populate the Lemonade Valley planting area with native, mixed tree and understory species such that it connects all native vegetation areas into a continuous, healthy ecosystem across the Title and (re)introduce native fauna”

Context and Vision

The rapid development of Western Australia’s wheatbelt for agriculture over the past century has created a productive farming landscape, but one that is increasingly subject to degradation. Erosion, salinisation, declining soil structure and acidification are all symptoms of this degradation and causes of lost agricultural production. Furthermore, most of the native vegetation and many of the native animals have disappeared and the natural heritage of the area resides in scattered patches that together make up less than 10% of the wheatbelt region.*

*Source: Revegetation Guide to the Central Wheatbelt, Dept. of Agriculture WA, Bulletin 4231, 1991

Our aim is to reverse many of the land degradation processes on the Property through revegetation, which has benefits in the following areas:

Soil stability and soil health: Deep-rooted plants bind soil, preventing erosion from wind and water and reducing the risk of landslides. Native vegetation also regenerates soil microbiome health and promotes nutrient retention.
Water quality and retention: Vegetation filters sediments and pollutants, leading to cleaner waterways. It also increases the soil's ability to absorb water, improving infiltration and reducing runoff. This should benefit the adjacent agricultural land.
Biodiversity and habitat: Reintroducing native plants creates habitats and food sources for wildlife, supports the regeneration of ecosystems, and can restore wildlife corridors.
Climate change mitigation: Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to reduce carbon emissions.

Carbon Farming and Bioactive Honey

In order to make the revegetation economically viable we are undertaking the planting as a carbon farming project. In the mixed species planting we are also including a plant species, Leptospermum Nitens, from which bees generate bio-active honey. Our goal is to have a carbon farm based on mixed-species native trees and produce honey from those trees.

If we can demonstrate that this is a viable economic model it may encourage other landholders to do the same. This could provide farmers with an alternative income stream from revegetated, poorer agricultural land that benefits productivity of adjacent prime agricultural land and increase the native vegetation and habitat.

Native Manuka

The beauty of the Leptospermum Nitens, which we include in the planting, is that they are native and unique to the central Wheatbelt of Western Australia. They are from the same group as the more widely known Manuka trees (Leptospermum Scoparium) that underpin the Manuka active honey industry.

Clusters of naturally occurring trees (or wildstands) of Leptospermum Nitens and some trial plantings are currently the main source of our honey, which has been tested at Methylglyoxal (MGO) 100+. MGO present in Manuka honey is what makes it unique. MGO has potent and long-lasting antibacterial, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.

Lemonade Valley Planting Project

The Lemonade Valley Planting Project is located in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia, some 3 hrs drive inland from Perth, just North of Mt Caroline in the shire of Kellerberrin. The Project is located within a Property Title measuring 311 ha, held by Gregory McNeil. The land has been part of the farm established by Greg’s grandfather in the 1920s after he came back from WWI.

Our Partners

We are proud to partner with the leading companies:

Noongar Land
Enterprise Group

Oceanwise Australia

Our Testimonials

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.