New South Wales Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Hurford Family

Property: 'Warrazambil', Lismore, New South Wales

The Hurfords have been in the sawmilling business for at least 60 years. They purchased forested land in the Richmond and Clarence River catchments over the last 50 years and the 820ha Warrazambil property in 2003. High quality hardwood forest has been managed sustainably with selective logging carried out over about 2000ha. The Warrazambil property has also been logged by the previous owners from about 1946 when the first sawmill was erected.

About 250ha of the gentler slopes of this hilly Border Ranges property, ‘Warrazambil’, was cleared and sown to pasture for grazing in the 1960’s and 1970’s and it is on this land where the Hurfords have moved from being sawmillers to growing plantation timber to provide greater security of log supply for their mills. The aim is to produce high quality plantation hardwood saw logs through careful species selection and site matching and timely thinning, pruning and weed control. A rotation length of 25 years is the target. As opportunities present themselves, thinnings and prunings will be utilised for timber as well as being available for biochar and the production of biodiesel. Because of its timber properties, blackbutt is the preferred species but on wetter sites blue gum is used and on the drier ridges spotted gum. Improved clonally propagated plants have been sourced from the Northern Tree Improvement Program of NSW Forests (DII). That program aims to increase plantation productivity, improve solid wood properties and reduce risks and losses from pests and diseases and these aims closely align with those of the Hurfords.

Cattle grazing is a part of hardwood plantation management specifically to decrease competing weed growth and reduce fuel levels as well as providing additional income from periodic cattle sales. In addition to weed and grass control by grazing, a specially designed attachment has been manufactured for the low profile crawler tractor to allow slashing on the steep slopes at the same time as spraying for weed control. Fuel reduction burns are carried out periodically in cooperation with neighbours including the National Parks organisation.

As there are small rainforest and riparian vegetation types on Warrazambil, conservation management is undertaken in cooperation with and under an agreement signed with the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority.

The ‘family’ status of the property is demonstrated with regular visits by the extended family to enjoy the benefits of the environment but to also become involved in active management operations from a very early age. This approach has been broadened to the community at large, with groups of locals invited to learn about total catchment management and a handy brochure on this topic published for distribution to all with an interest in growing trees sustainably through to a product very much in demand.

It is indeed very pleasing to find a sawmilling operation make the very progressive move into plantation establishment and management while showing a keen awareness and sensitivity of the need to be environmentally sustainable.

Queensland Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Owen and Lynda Thompson

Property: Goorah', Gundiah, Queensland

The 2010 Queensland Treefarmers of the Year are Owen and Lynda Thompson. Owen’s family have owned ‘Goorah’, the family property, for over 100 years and have been developing and implementing Forest Management Plans for almost 80 years. The property consists of 1200 hectares of undulating land containing 1000 hectares of native forest resource of varying densities. The farm operates a dual production system of managed native hardwood cultivation and cattle production, with an emphasis on maintaining current natural tree production levels through the supervision of natural regeneration. The management of remnant and regrowth vegetation and the defining of stems for ongoing commercial production are the cornerstones of the Thompson’s forestry methods. These silvicultural techniques allow consistent regeneration whilst maximising tree and land health.

Owen and Lynda enjoy sharing forest and cattle production knowledge with others and have participated in many native forest field days since 2002. ‘Goorah’ has also been made available as a site for research. Currently the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation (old DPI) are collecting long term data from the property for a project which focuses on the value of timber production in conjunction with grazing in the Wide Bay – Burnett region.

Owen acknowledges his good fortune to be the 5th generation recipient of his ancestor’s foresight. He strongly believes it is the role of his generation, and those that follow, to utilise and pass on the knowledge of their land that is now held. This is actioned by practices that seek to reverse the impacts of dry land salinity, improving water quality run off, recovering habitat for native species and increasing carbon sequestration. It is the Thompson’s goal to ensure that the forests and land of ‘Goorah’ keep on improving for the next 100 years and this message is passed on to other land managers.

South Australian Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Jamie and Josie Jackson

Property: 'Tallawong', Willalooka, South Australia

Jamie and Josie Jackson’s property Tallawong is located in the Upper South East of South Australia. With an average rainfall of approximately 500 mm/yr, the 763 ha property produces 1st cross lambs, with a flock of 1600 sheep and maintains a small herd of cattle.

Since taking over the family farm in 1983, at the time a tired property which had been extensively cleared and had erosion and waterlogging issues and signs of salinity, Jamie and Josie Jackson have transformed Tallawong into an environmentally sustainable farming business.

As part of a manageable long term revegetation and rehabilitation of the property, they have established on average 2ha of trees every year for over 20 years and now have a property of interconnecting shelterbelts, rehabilitated wetlands, high pruned timber blocks, broombrush plantations, tagasaste and fenced off native vegetation integrated into their grazing enterprise, all without reducing the stock carrying capacity.

The increased vegetation has enhanced biodiversity, amended waterlogging issues, thus increasing productivity over the winter and spring months, erosion is no longer an issue on the sandy rises and the threat of salinity has been reduced. There is also shelter now in all paddocks, which has resulted in lambing losses being substantially reduced, and farm income has been diversified from the sale of broombrush and timber products.

The Jacksons have done the vast majority of the revegetation works on Tallawong. They have collected or sourced seed, grown seedlings in their nursery or direct seeded with the use of Jamie’s purpose built direct seeder. In many cases the Jacksons have also been pioneers in the fields of direct seeding techniques, determining species suitability in the region and researching suitable herbicide prescriptions with natives.

Their success has inspired many farmers both locally and further afield to revegetate their properties and through their business – South East Direct Services the Jacksons have established hundreds of kilometres of vegetation in the Upper South East of South Australia.

Tasmania Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Mark and Georgina Cornelius

Property: 'Woodbury Hill', Tasmania

Mark and Georgina Cornelius have embarked on a new venture, a forestry venture. Mark has replaced his fishers hat for a forestry hard hat.

Mark and Georgina have built on the work of others, previous forest owners and researchers. They have developed expertise in forest management which has resulted in large tracts of native forest being well managed. Mark is a ‘hands on’ owner undertaking works himself and closely supervising operations undertaken by contractors.

Mark has also been involved in a new innovative marketing approach, and taken a leadership role with a marketing group.

Mark and Georgina have a ‘whole of forest approach’; integrating wood production, conservation and a range of other activities to provide an income, grow an investment and enhance their lifestyle.

This work is undertaken during a time when forest management is subject to considerable scrutiny.

Victoria Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Harry and Gina Baess

Property: 'Hazyna Timber', Foster, Victoria

Harry and Gina Baess are the winners of the Victorian AFG Tree Farmers of the Year for 2010. They farm a 23 hectare property near Foster in Victoria, which they purchased as a rundown windswept block in 1976, after which they began planting trees. Their property is at an elevation of 350 metres and has an average rainfall of above 900 mm. They grow high pruned pine, hardwood and a range of nuts as well as grazing cattle and sheep.

On-farm processing is a feature of this property, with trees being hand fallen, and then extracted using a combination of a winch on a farm tractor and a four-wheel-drive loader. The logs are then milled with a home-built sawmill. Furniture timber is air-dried and then kiln-dried in a home-made kiln. Selling timber for both furniture and construction has been carried out over the last 15 years.

Timber is graded and packed into 1m3 lots and sold to regular clients and also direct to the public. Furniture grade timber is dressed and sold direct to the public, often through regular advertising in the local newspapers. Sawdust is collected in 12m3 loads by a contractor for use in calf bedding and also by a local garden supplier. The timber products produced from the Baess property made up 60% of the property income, with 30% coming from cattle and sheep and 10% from nuts.

The Baess family believe they can demonstrate that their farm can support both forest and stock in a sustainable manner and that combining these enterprises results in greater profits then having either enterprise on its own.

Western Australia Tree Farmers of the Year 2010
Bill and Liz Hollingworth

Property: 'Quechinup Forestry', Mt Barker, Western Australia

A nurseryman, landowner and enthusiastic advocate for commercial and environmental tree growing, Bill Hollingworth, with the steady support of his wife Liz, has achieved great respect and recognition as a pioneer for ‘diversity in farm forestry’ at home in WA’s great southern region. He has extended his knowledge, research and promotion of trees further afield, including into parts of China where the Casuarina’s are grown, as well as in Israel.

Most notable in practical forestry has been:

• the creative enhancement of landscape and biodiversity values using trees and remnant bushland on his own Mt Barker property, Quechinup;
• the consolidation of an exciting tree nursery business which grew and thrived in the two decades leading up to the forestry business crash of 2009; and
• investment in Casuarina obese plantations on otherwise hostile, saline land. The sheoak trees are targeted for maximum biomass yield and land rehabilitation.

In the late 1980s Bill established a range of eucalypt species woodlots which are being managed for sawlog at Quechinup. The highly propective woody biomass market at nearby north Albany is a key part of commerciality for the project.

Pivotal to his early and successful building of a reputable nursery, was Bill’s drive to combine species diversity, research and marketing – for farmland needs – into a knowledge rich business, where his practical skills and infectious passion for trees gained high recognition. This occurred both in the rural community, the WA landcare movement and abroad where dryland tree growing was in demand.

Bill’s personal commitment to trees was characterised from his teenage days by an attitude of: “If it is to be, it is up to me”. He planted bluegums for farm windbreaks in 1963 as a kid, started growing nursery seedlings at age 13, became a cadet forester in the 70’s, opened Bandicoot Nursery in 1988, and studied Casuarina silviculture under a Churchill Fellowship just five year ago. All in all Bill has been a pioneer with a voice! A man of action.

Also active in local government and private forestry organisation leadership during this past decade, Bill, along with the business he and Liz have established, was recently hard hit by the collapse of commercial bluegum seedling orders and overall support for tree farming enterprises nationally and within the state. However, Bill has retained a positive mindset, and continues to promote trees, and re-position his role in this, his passion.