Drone shot of the Taggerty Agroforestry farm and Arboretum, owned and developed by John Woodley.
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lanting trees back into cleared land can transform landscapes, bringing benefits to both landholders and the environment. However, successful tree growing involves much more than just plonking some native seedlings in the ground. So this autumn, the Spring Creek Home Creek Landcare group and Murrindindi Climate Network are bringing the Australian Agroforestry Foundation’s Master TreeGrower program to the Murrindindi Shire. The eight-day course will run over six weekends between March 12 and May 8 and aims to equip participants with the knowledge to attain their personal tree-growing goals. Rowan Reid, who developed the course and first ran it in 1996, says it’s all about working with landholders rather than telling them what they should be doing. “The course does not promote any particular tree species or type of growing or purpose of growing. All we’re trying to do is provide education, guidance, and network support for landholders who want to grow trees to
achieve whatever objectives they have,” Rowan says.
condition. They want to make it a more attractive place to live.”
“On the first day of the course, I do an exercise to explore what farmers’ motivations might be and, invariably, landholders have four particular things that they might be interested in. The first is the conservation benefits of trees, which we’re all very aware of because of the success of Landcare. Then there are the shelter and agricultural benefits of trees, which are particularly important now with increasing concerns about climate change and bushfires. The role of trees in ameliorating some of those risks is really important.
The program will include sessions run by different experts and industry leaders, covering topics such as the role of trees on farms, plantation management, and growing for the market. Participants will also visit local tree farms and some in the Otways, including Rowan’s farm in Bambra.
“And then there are the potential products. This is new to a lot of landholders, we show them what the products might be, which could be timber or native food production or seeds or flowers or oils, or whatever might be of potential interest within that particular area. And the final one, which is sort of the most interesting one for me, is the aesthetics. Landholders want to improve the property and pass it on to the next generation in better
“We’ve got 50 or so different species, mostly grown for specialty timbers. We grow timbers that might take 60 to 80 years to grow, and we grow stuff that’s obviously a lot faster. We also graze sheep on the property. I’m very interested in the aesthetics too. And now we’re milling and drying our own timber, which is a great learning experience – we’re building a house with it and selling some to furniture makers,” Rowan says of his property. “I’m interested in showing how exciting forestry is. There are thousands of different species, and you can grow them in different ways. You don’t have to follow conventional forestry – you can do whatever you like,” he adds. Murrindindi Guide – AUTUMN 2022 – 41
