Soil is identified as the terrestrial carbon (C) pool with the highest potential for C sequestration. This study therefore examined the soil organic carbon (SOC) under four different but adjacent land-use systems in the temperate climate zone: a food forest, redwood forest, pasture land and agricultural field in Dartington, UK. Soil samples were collected at 0- to 20-cm and 20- to 40-cm depth at all four sites. Two soil fractionation methodologies were applied as well as analysis for C content. Additionally, carbon content from dead organic matter (DOM) was estimated from the woody and non-woody litter in the food forest and redwood forest. Similar total SOC was found between all four systems. However, due to the difference in turnover rates of C in different soil fractions, the food forest soil exhibited a similar long-term storage of C as the redwood forest, while pasture land and agricultural field stored less C in the long term. The redwood forest exhibited a higher non-woody litter C content than the food forest, but similar amounts of coarse and fine woody litter.