Full Width Header image

Activities, Studies & 'How Stuff works':

In November 2015, a number of the agroforestry plots established at Lardner Park in Gippsland were harvested.  The plots were established from  the late 70’s  with the objective of demonstrating Agroforestry techniques and determining the success of various species.

Management of  Larder Park Events, the Company which controls the site chose the organisation “Heartwood Plantations” to manage the harvest and market the products.  The attached document is the full report  of the harvest operation and the financial outcome.

The Pine and the Blue gum were pruned and thinned on time to maximise the growth of clear timber, but the Mountain ash was not managed as well.

Gippsland Agroforestry Network presents the report with the support of Lardner Park Events to provide the final information on the outcome of the demonstrations. GAN does not suggest that the results are anything more than the outcome of  single site demonstrations and the results should be evaluated as such. Nor does GAN suggest that “Heartwood Plantations” is a preferred operator amongst a number of forest management consultants.

contact@gippslandagroforestry.com.au


Blackwood Management Workshop

On Sunday afternoon, 22nd April, a workshop was held at Bob and Robyn Grays property at Torwood. The aim was to look at the options of managing a Blackwood plantation and put some theory into practice.

In 2011, Bob and Robyn planted about a hectare of Blackwoods on an alluvial creek flat as part of a stream front revegetation project. The Blackwoods were planted as tubes at a spacing of  2m x 2m. The intention was to encourage straight vertical growth of the young trees and to restrict their propensity to fork and branch.The trees are now in the order of 6m tall and ranging from  8 to 15 cm dia  at breast height.

The field day discussed the New Zealand view that the only way to control the Blackwoods  enthusiasm to fork and branch was to continually form prune and to remove any side branches from the central stem if they were more than 2cm in diameter. Viewing the trees, it was considered that this was probably the best option as despite being form pruned in 2014 (as 3yo stems)  and lift pruned to 2m in 2015, there was considerable forking and co-dominant stems that had emerged since. The conclusion was that form pruning should have been carried out as an annual activity (at least) over the past 3 years.

The need to thin the plantation was also discussed. Clearly, the trees were competing given the close planting and a number had died. Small lower branches above the 2m lift prune were largely dead, significant leaf fall had occurred and the ground beneath the trees was totally bare.  Misshapen trees were  identified for culling and there was debate as to the best way to remove them. Stem injection was considered but rejected due to the risk of flashback. It was decided that cutting at ground level was the best option with the wallaby population taking care of the regrowth.  There was also discussion as to the extent of the thinning. Removing all the identified trees  (about 60%) would remove much of the vertical stimulus and probably encourage further forking .  As a result, it was agreed that about half the identified trees would be removed this winter and the rest in 12 months. It was noted that this would also reduce the amount of debris on the ground at the one time. The proposed thinning would reduce the density from the current 2000 stems / ha to about 1400 with the second half of the thinning reducing this to about  800.

Lift pruning was then carried out on the selected trees to about 4m and further form pruning was undertaken.

 


Bob Gray (GAN member)

How to ......

These helpful tips etc. would appear here together with Reports on Activities and Studies


South Gippsland Agroforestry Harvest Report 2023

 

South Gippsland Agroforestry Harvest Report 2023 (summary)

Profitable farm forestry, local economy and sustainable construction

Selected Ranceby agroforestry plot outcomes

 

In 2016 Gippsland Agroforestry Network(1) member Frank Hirst started harvesting the bluegum agroforestry plot on his farm at Ranceby. Results to date will interest Gippsland farmers, State and Local Government, regional economic stakeholders and other parties interested in sustainability with solid economic credentials.

 

• Attractive returns to Ranceby farmers Frank and Sharon Hirst from well-grown farm forestry timber sold to Amber Creek Sawmill in Fish Creek for use as high-value, heavy timber framing beams.

• Benefits of a flexible harvest program with the farmer and sawmiller working together on “just-in-time” wood supply.

• Locally grown, sustainable, low embodied energy, low greenhouse gas emissions, renewable building material used by Amber Creek Sawmill in the new Cidery at Foster.

• Increased farmer income and growing workforce at Amber Creek Sawmill demonstrating community economic development and resilience from small-scale, localised timber supply chains.

• Iconic Gippsland timber species bluegum used for a premium timber market instead of low-value pulp.


• New potential market for bluegum timber in axe handles manufactured locally.

Harvest returning $200+/tree to the grower after harvest and transport costs. Equivalent to $20,000/hectare 25 years after planting.

• Farmer used onfarm equipment in harvest which kept more money onfarm.

• Livestock have grazed in the agroforestry coupe since soon after planting.

• Thinnings used for onfarm posts and firewood with some firewood and posts sold.


• High sawmill recovery rate for long, large section beams from well-grown trees and flexible milling for other products.

• Amber Creek Sawmill building Gippsland economy and employment through growing sawmill workforce, using and selling timber milled from locally bought wood.

(1) Gippsland Agroforestry Network (GAN) is the regional agroforestry body representing the interests of Gippsland farmers growing trees for a range of purposes including the harvest and sale of farm grown timber. GAN is affiliated with Landcare.

The agroforestry experiences of four Gippsland farming families are contained in a report published by the Gippland Forestry Hub in 2022.

The studies are an excellent starting point for those interested in the theoretical and practical applications of agroforestry. They also demonstrate the uniqueness of each farmer's outlook and  situation.

The studies are:

1. Bob Gray at Tamaroo
    “...a young forest is very attractive—it’s a beautiful landscape, with high aesthetic value. In conjunction with the Landcare plantings, animals and birds increase dramatically”

2. Jon and Marg Hauser in Glen Alvie
    “the revegetation-plantation mix is quite important for forestry outcomes… and it’s a great alternative to just livestock and revegetation”

3. Peter Devonshire and Woodside
    “The European idea of forests, and the way they plant trees knowing that they won’t be around 120 years later to see them mature, is something that Australians should really get on board with. It’s a beautiful legacy”

4. Raymond Joy of Foster North
    “It’s a beautiful thing. It’s lovely to see the new shoots emerging and the landscape changing. But, in no time at all, you suddenly have a lot of trees to prune or thin and it’s time for a more pragmatic approach”

A copy of the report can be downloaded at https://gippslandforestryhub.com.au/key-activities/ 


Adding Agroforestry to a grazing property field day May23

Thirty three people braved freezing conditions on 3 May 2023 to hear Bob Gray talk about why and how he converted 40 acres of the sheep and beef farm to agroforestry, with support from the Gippsland Agroforestry Network. Here’s the spoiler – it’s important to do it properly, the grazing under the trees is valuable for stock, and financially it stacks up well against sheep and cattle grazing. Clinton Tepper shared the tree monitoring results, and Peter Reynolds talked about the soil carbon monitoring over the last 5 years. We also visited the plantations and learnt about the thinning, pruning and monitoring that has been undertaken to improve tree health.

 


The Lawrence family (Dan and Marc) have established a biodiversity plantation aimed at meeting the Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator Emission Reduction Fund in the short term with the potential to produce quality timber in the long term. The brothers have begun their journey to create a multi-storey farm and self-sustaining natural system that serves as a generational legacy to their family and others.

We heard of the journey to get where they have along with information provided by Paul McKnight (Incite Silviculture) on species selection, site preparation and management.

Growth over the 10 months has been astounding although stock and deer management needed a little tightening. Participants enjoyed a BBQ following the farm walk during which further discussion abounded.

Some of the feedback was:

"A great day…very informative and good discussion. Thanks Dan and Marc for your open presentation and knowledge sharing."

"Thanks for organising the farm walk and requesting good weather from the weather gods. ?? Lots to ponder over after hearing the story of project planning and actioning - thoroughly great work by the Lawrence brothers and their support team.  Learnt a lot to take home, thank you."

 


© 2024 - Gippsland Agroforestry Network

Creating value, sustainability, and biodiversity in private forestry investment