PFT staff reap benefits of 10th National Carbon Farming Conference and Expo

Posted 09 June 2022

PFT Operations team members attended the 10th National Carbon Farming Conference and Expo, Albury, 23-26 May 2022 covering major topics and themes such as the farm of the future; domestic and international climate policy settings and mechanisms; evolution in methods and measurement; carbon farming, carbon trading and the carbon markets; beef herd methane reduction; tree carbon, tree plantings and plantations; the ‘business’ of carbon farming from accounting to legals; climate policy; and how farmers can take advantage of solar and wind opportunities in developing a ‘whole of farm’ carbon farm plan.

Following the conference, the team linked up with VicForests Gippsland Farm Forestry Officers Wally Notman and Robert Chewe and visited Wally’s agroforestry project on his family property in Buln Buln, a small agroforestry demonstration site at Lardner Park established in 1970, and another at Toorwood with woodlots of long rotation Eucalypts incorporated into the agricultural landscape.

The following day the team, accompanied by Wally and Rob were in the hands of Andrew Lang visiting Sugar Gum plantations on his property near Lismore (130ha of farm forestry) and a local FSC certified sawmiller of farm timber, Yarra Timber Salvage.

The team went on to attend the Bambra Agroforestry Farm Autumn Tour in the Otways where Rowan Reid (forest scientist and author of Heartwood) presented his "lecture in the paddock" including demonstrations of a portable bandsaw, solar kiln, pruning tools, tree guards and varied planting designs of many specialty timber species.

This was followed by a tour of the nearby Stewart farm, Yan Yan Gurt West, led by Andrew and his family, including the use of multipurpose trees to support regenerative farming with 18% of the farm revegetated in belts, corridors and blocks along land class boundaries, creeks and drainage lines forming corridors of connected trees and shrubs, providing a range of products including timber, bush food and native flowers and a farm production system that has gone beyond carbon neutral.

CLICK HERE for additional information on the Carbon Farming Conference or visit Carbon Farmers of Australia website.

CLICK HERE for additional information on the Bambra Agroforestry Farm Autumn Tour hosted by Rowan Reid.