Bambra Agroforestry Guided Farm Tours
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Rowan has been an inspiration to many landholders in my region as well as throughout Australia and internationally.
Rowan's work is about trees in the landscape not competing with, but supporting agriculture.
"Rowan's farm tours are like a university course on tree growing presented in the paddock; there is nothing quiet like it, I learnt so much"
What you'll see:
Each tour will include:
- introduction to a wide range of commercial tree species growing in multipurpose plantings
- demonstrations of sawmill, solar kiln and other processing equipment
- discussion of the timber qualities of more than 50 native and exotic tree species, their use and values.
- explanation of how growing trees for profit can protect and enhance soil quality, biodiversity, animal welfare and property values while also reducing the fire hazard.
- demonstration of how I establish, protect, prune and thin our trees for high quality furniture-grade timber
Where?: Our Bambra Agroforestry Farm is located in the Eastern Otways in southern Victoria. It will take you about 1.5 hours from the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne. Detailed directions will be provided when you register for the tours.
Workshop: Growing farm trees for high quality timber
Rowan's one-day pruning and thinning course
NEXT: On hold due to covid, wet weather and now house building
10.30am-4.30pm (with 1 hour for lunch)
Location: Bambra Agroforestry Farm (listed in Google Maps, 30min west of Geelong, Vic)
Full-day technical and practical workshop delivered by Rowan Reid on his Bambra Agroforestry Farm
(Bachelor Forest Sci., Masters Forest Sci., Melbourne University lecturer since 1991 and author of 10 books including "Heartwood")
BYO lunch, or you can travel to the nearby Deans Marsh store.
Rowan will present lectures in the on-site classroom covering the science of tree growth, tree measurement and pruning and thinning for high quality timber. During the day, field demonstrations of tree management will take participants around the 32-yr-old Bambra Agroforestry Farm.
Participants will be given the opportunity to try a range of pruning tools including hand saws, pole saws, loppers and electric pruners. Tree species covered include: eucalypts, Blackwood, Redwoods and deciduous trees (Black Walnut, Oak etc.).
Participants will receive printed notes and Rowan's plywood pruning gauge.
Participants must wear suitable footwear for a farm. Hard hats provided.
Workshop: Farm sawmilliing and timber drying
Rowan's one-day portable sawmilling and air/solar drying course
NEXT: On hold due to covid, wet weather and house building
10.30am-4.30pm (with 1 hour for lunch)
Location: Bambra Agroforestry Farm (listed in Google Maps, 30min west of Geelong, Vic)
Full-day technical and practical workshop delivered by Rowan Reid on his Bambra Agroforestry Farm
(Bachelor Forest Sci., Masters Forest Sci., Melbourne University lecturer since 1991 and author of 10 books including "Heartwood")
BYO lunch, or you can travel to the nearby Deans Marsh store.
Morning and afternoon tea provided.
Rowan will present lectures in the on-site classroom covering the science and practice of small scale harvesting, milling and timber drying with a focus on eucalypts and special natives (Blackwood, Sheoak, etc).
NOTE: this course does not provide training in tree felling (tree felling is a specialised skill)
Topics: Tree felling and extraction, sawing patterns, bandsaws versus circular saws, managing growth stresses, recovery rates, drying degrades, timber grading, air drying, kiln drying, timber values
During the day, field demonstrations of small-scale logging (with the tractor winch), saw milling (Norwood Bandsaw) and solar drying (Solarkiln) will take participants around the Bambra Agroforestry Farm.
Participants will receive printed notes.
Participants must wear suitable footwear for a farm. Hard hats and vests provided.
About Rowan Reid
Rowan Reid (B.For.Sci. & M.For.Sci.) is a forester amongst farmers. His passion for trees began as a child in the coastal eucalypt forests of southern Victoria and has led to a life teaching and working with farmers around the world. Rowan won the 2001 Australian Eureka Prize for Excellence in Environmental Education for his farmer course (The Australian Master TreeGrower), which he continues to deliver around Australia and internationally (Africa, Timor Leste, Indonesia etc.). A Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne for 20 years, Rowan continues his academic teaching and research as a Senior Fellow of the university and the Managing Director of the Australian Agroforestry Foundation (a not-for-profit organisation). Since the publication of Agroforestry in Australiaand New Zealand(1985), Rowan has written or co-authored eight other books and is an internationally recognised leader in farmer education and extension.
Most importantly, Rowan is also a farmer and tree grower in his own right with over 30 years' experience on his own family farm in the Otway Ranges of southern Victoria and as a founder of one of Australia's largest and most successful Landcare groups, the Otway Agroforestry Network. More than 10,000 visitors have toured his Bambra Agroforestry Farm, which is set up as a 42-hectare outdoor classroom for farmers, scientists, students and tree lovers, and a living laboratory for his own learning.
Private Group Tours and Consultancies
We can run tours and deliver tailored courses for groups by private arrangement. CONTACT Rowan for details.
I can do private consultantions for landholders. I like clients to first visit our farm before I visit their property and prepare a report that addresses their tree planting needs. CONTACT Rowan for details.
I am available to do institutional consultancies for government, industry and community groups on any aspect of agroforestry research and development. CONTACT ROWAN for more information
