Bambra Agroforestry Farm Spring Tour
Sun 20th October 2019
Led by Rowan Reid, 2.5 hours (10.30am - 1.00pm)
Follow Rowan (forest scientist and author of Heartwood) as he presents his "lecture in the paddock" tour of this specially designed outdoor classroom for tree growers. The tour includes demonstrations of the portable bandsaw, solar kiln, logging winch, pruning tools, tree guards and varied planting designs. Along the way you'll learn about more than 50 specialty timber species and how to grow them in ways that heal the land, enhance biodiversity, shelter stock, reduce the fire risk and create a beautiful landscape.
More than 11,000 people have visited Rowan and Claire's property over the years making it the best known agroforestry farm in Australia.
WHERE'S BAMBRA: Between Deans Marsh and Winchelsea, 35min from Geelong, 90min from Melbourne
Detailed directions provided at the time of booking.
OPTIONAL AFTERNOON TOUR OF NEARBY Yan Yan Gurt West Farm. 2.00-4.30pm
Select options from drop-down menu on booking form LINK
Yan Yan Gurt West is a large scale (575ac) farm where trees support regenerative farming practices (just 4km away). With the support of the extended family, Andrew (an Agricultural Scientist and 4th generation farmer) and Jill Stewart have revegetated 18% of the farm in belts, corridors and blocks along landclass boundaries, creeks and drainage lines forming corridors of connected trees and shrubs. The trees provide a range of products including timber, bush food and native flowers (28 banksia species). More significant is the impact on agricultural production (pasture and stock shelter), soils and biodiversity (over 100 bird species). Tour explores the integration of agroforestry into a working sheep farm and alternative opportunities for involving future generations in the farm. There will be a working sheep dog display and afternoon tea served in the historic woolshed still in use. A must for those interested in broad scale agroforestry, permaculture, wildflowers, bush food and farm succession.
Prices
Bambra Agroforestry Farm (Morning tour only): $40
Yan Yan Gurt West Farm (Afternoon tour only): $35
Both Bambra Agroforestry Farm and Yan Yan Gurt West (All day): $70
Photo: Cathryn CostantinoBambra Agroforestry Farm
Smallscale sawmilling and timber drying course
Presented by Rowan Reid
29th Nov. 2019
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.
10.30am-4.30pm (with 1 hour for lunch)
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")
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 specialty timbers.
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.
BYO lunch, or you can travel to the nearby Deans Marsh store.
$150 - BOOKINGS: CLICK HERE
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 specialty timbers.
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.
Heartwood the book - available now
Heartwood: The art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit
- By Rowan Reid
Produced in partnership with Melbourne Books, Heartwood is my most ambitious publishing project to date: A 300-page, hard-cover book featuring 300 colour photographs and more than 75,000 words. More detail .
Get a signed copy from the author: CLICK HERE
International buyers (outside Australia): if you purchase direct from our online SHOP we will send the book to you through bookdepository.com. Although we cannot provide a signed copy we think you will find that our price AUS$57 (which is less than £32 or US$40) is much cheaper than you can find by going through them yourself.
Where's Bambra Agroforestry Farm
Follow Rowan's Bambra Agroforestry Farm on Facebook and Instagram
New film: Quartersawing on a bandsaw
Sermon from the stump: Video
Rowan Reid (Australian farmer and forest scientist) sits on a stump - one he planted himself - to argue that the divisive debate over forestry has blinded us from the real cause of environmental degradation and the most promising solution.
In the Press:
"Planting, growing and harvesting a riparian forest"
by Rowan Reid
DOWNLOAD PDFArticle in the Victorian Landcare magazine
Introduced by Hon. Lily D'ambrosia MP, Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change: "Agroforestry expert Rowan Reid shares his experiences of planting, growing and harvesting a multipurpose riparian farm forest on his property at Bambra in the Otway Ranges. Rowan believes that a balance can be found between conservation plantings using indigenous species and production forestry that has a positive impact on riparian biodiversity and water quality."
Planting trees along eroded waterways for conservation, then carefully harvesting them for profit, is illegal in some states. Yet, it's okay to let your cows and sheep climb the banks and defecate in the water!
It's time for Landcare to move beyond single-purpose conservation plantings and recognise that mutipurpose forests can deliver positive landscape change.
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 maintain my role as coordinator of the Australian Master TreeGrower Program and managing director of the Australian Agroforestry Foundation. Privately, I have our Bambra Agroforestry Farm and consultancy business.
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
Australian Master TreeGrower
I ran the first Australian Master TreeGrower course in 1996. Since then, more than 2500 landholder have completed one of the 107 courses run across the country. In 2012 we ran the first course in Africa (Uganda) and have since run MTG courses in Indonesia and East Timor.
The Master TreeGrower Program is run by the Australian Agroforestry Foundation
