“When you plant a tree and grow it, and you gift that property to new generations or next owners, you are gifting time trapped in those trees.” - Rowan Reid, founder of Bambra Agroforestry Farm in the Otway Ranges.
Agroforestry is a social plan as much as it is a farming practice.
Educating younger generations about the philosophy and practice of agroforestry is an investment in the future of Australia's environment. The impact of agroforestry spans across both geographical scales and generations, offering lasting benefits for people, farm productivity and native ecosystems.
For farmers beginning to reforest their agricultural land, the rewards are multifaceted:
🌿Improved soil stability and fertility
🌿Habitat creation for wildlife
🌿Better stream quality
🌿Livestock shade and shelter
Eucalyptus timber, renowned for its beauty and durability, is consistently in demand among carpenters, architects, and property developers. Agroforestry creates a stable income stream for farmers, bolstering resilience in a changing climate—especially in horticulture, where extreme weather events can impact crop yields.
As forests mature, future generations inherit this stream of income and the knowledge of how to responsibly select logs for harvest to maintain the health of farm forests.
This engaging podcast episode featuring Rowan Reid and Andrew Stewart, fellow agroforesters from the Otways, explores what the future holds for agroforestry in Victoria.
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry is an ancient practice, rooted in the traditions of Indigenous communities worldwide. By growing trees and shrubs alongside crops or livestock, agroforestry mimics natural forests, enhancing ecological health and improving agricultural productivity.
We live in an interesting period of human history: Local environments respond to modern exploitative practices in ways that threaten future livelihoods, and colonisation has disrupted sharing of traditional land management knowledge.
A study by the World Agroforestry Centre estimates that agroforestry could sequester up to 4.2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually worldwide—a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.
In Australia, agroforestry offers an opportunity to reverse environmental degradation. It helps sink carbon dioxide, mitigating the greenhouse effect and its impact on global temperatures. Farmers, in particular, are uniquely positioned to be agents of positive change, using agroforestry to restore landscapes and foster resilience in their communities.
Fair Wood strive to source timber that we can certify meets high standards of environmental sustainability. Read more about our timber selection criteria here.
