Agroforestry.net.au Trees on farms for shelter, conservation & profit Website by Rowan Reid

Sheep graze under Poplar, Black Walnut and Eucalypts at Rowan’s Bambra Agroforestry Farm

What is Agroforestry?

For me, agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into farming landscapes for conservation and profit. It's all about farmers using trees to improve the environmental, social and economic values of their land. I've been working with Australian farmers for more than 30 years. From the wheatbelt of Western Australia to the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland I don't think I've ever seen a farm that would not benefit from more tree cover or better forest management.

Welcome to my agroforestry website. After more than 20 years working as a lecturer in agroforestry and farm forestry at The University of Melbourne I'm now freelancing. I maintian my role as coordinator of the Australian Master TreeGrower Program and as volunteer editor of the Australian Agroforestry magazine. I will even be still teaching my Agroforestry subject at Melbourne University (see link below). 

This web site presents information, ideas, opinion and research that I think might be of interest to Australian farmers and those who work with them. You can download my own publications, read practical information on tree species and management, take a virtual tour of our own Bambra Agroforestry Farm and watch videos on harvesting, integrating trees into farming systems and shiitake production.

I'm happy to try and answer your email questions at no charge (go to Ask Rowan). I am also available for speaking engagements, field days, consultancies and can organise tours of my property and other leading agroforestry farms around Australia. For those in the many agencies working with farmers I can also organise and run workshops and courses that reflect your needs.

I hope you find the site useful.    

Thanks for your interest,  Rowan                                             More about Rowan Reid

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It's lambing season: Planting trees could save a life!

          
Twins born amongst the trees last week on the Bambra Agroforestry Farm. The graph shows the windchill effect: the stronger the wind the colder it feels!

It is estimated that 10% of pregnant ewes in Australia fail to rear lambs to marking due to exposure to cold stress. Lambs are particularly susceptible to exposure in the period immediately after birth up until the time they begin suckling but remain seriously at risk for another 48 hours. Research suggests that the greatest risk factor is windchill: the stronger the wind the colder it feels. Full-wool ewes will not purposely seek out shelter when giving birth. A good lambing paddock is one that has even shelter and good feed. A parkland (say 150 trees per hectare) of pruned timber trees can reduce windspeeds by half right across the paddock. This reduces the windchill factor and can increase the temperature experienced by the lambs by as much as 5 degrees celcius.

Related Programs

	We ran the first Australian Master TreeGrower course in 1996. Since then, more than 1750 landholder have completed one of the 85 courses run across the country.  Yet, the MTG is more than just a short course  for farmers. After being hosted by the University of Melbourne for 13 years the MTG program is now run by a not-for-profit community groups. See the side banner for course dates for 2010. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
	Australian Agroforestry Magazine Current edition: Small scale farm logging: Is it practical? Can it be done safely? Australian Agroforestry is a not-for-profit magazine for Australian tree growers currently edited by Rowan. Check out past editions and subscribe online. NEXT EDITION: Using farm-grown timber: Furniture, Building, Surfboards, Instruments, ......whatever. Nothing gives tree growers confidence like seeing farm-grown timber being used in high value products. We want your photos and stories about anything that you or others have made from farm-grown trees. If you’ve used farm-grown timber we’d like to hear your views about its strengths and weaknesses: is it as good as old-growth? If not, why not? ALSO: We’re interested in more stories and letters about SAFETY. Our last edition generated a lot of reaction – this is an issue that we need to keep talking about. SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS, ARTICLES, PICTURES, LETTERS NOW Send in your stories, photos and letters to Rowan Reid  ________________________________________________________________________________________
STUDY AGROFORESTRY AT MELB. UNI. 220510 Farm Trees and Agroforestry	Rowan has been teaching Agroforestry at Melb. Uni. Since 1991. His subject is now a 2-week elective available to students of the new forestry masters and to the public  through the university’s community access program. This subject covers the principles and practices of integrating trees into the rural agricultural landscape for both conservation and profit. The farming community requires trees and shrubs for shade and shelter, soil conservation, salinity control and aesthetics. Farmers can also produce commercial tree products such as timber, fuel, fodder, essential oils and food. Because farmers manage the majority of the Australian landscape governments, community groups and industry are increasingly working in partnership with them to grow trees for environmental services including carbon sequestration, biodiversity and downstream water quality. YOU MISSED IT for 2010 but the dates for the 2011 course will be advertised here soon. Think about joining us next year. Sometime in April/May 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________________
Rowan's Email News Group	I send out an occasional newsletter to more than 1000 people on a confidential email list. There is no commercial advertising, just information from not-for-profit groups. If you'd like to join the list simply drop me an email - see Contact Rowan below.

Farm grown eucalypt timber furniture harvested from Rowan's creek planting after 16 years MORE