A picturesque trip looking at a number of sustainable farming properties, willow removal, riparian restoration and some words from Australian Hemp Council president Tim Schmidt and reveg legend Herbert Staubmann.
The first stop on this trip was the the banks of the Meander River, where we looked at the work of the Quamby Bend Landcare Group and private forestry company Forico.
Farmers of the Quamby Bend Landcare Group have controlled willows and other weeds on over 10 km of the Meander River over the last 20 years! These projects have been supported by Landcare Tas and have helped greatly to reduce the impact of floods and stabilize riverbanks by planting native vegetation instead.
This year the Quamby Bend Landcare Group with State Gov funding got together with Forico and planted over 2000 native plants to provide a biodiverse habitat and reduce erosion. It was great to see this project in action.
Next stop - Lunch! A delicious lunch was provided by 41 Degrees South Salmon Farm.
We weren't JUST stuffing our faces. We learnt about the environmental practices of inland fish farming including their system to clean water from the fishponds by running it through a wetlands area.
The next stop was Woodlands, where farmer Tim Schmidt grows beef and a variety of crops. Tim is also the president of the Australian Hemp Council, and told us about his hemp growing business. He is selling his own grown hemp as oil and other products in shops and on markets in Tasmania, as well as through his online shop, The Tassie Hemp Shop.
Tim has used different methods to stop erosion of the Meander River that flows through his farm. He
also planted over 1300 plants this year (funded through the Landcare Actions Grants and supported by the JM Roberts Charitable Trust).
These plantings will provide biodiversity benefits as well as benefits for the farm through shelter for stock and beneficial insects. Herbert Staubmann from Habitat Plants Nursery in Liffey used Tim’s planting to demonstrate to us how to make such a planting a success!
Gallery
Morning Tea generously provided by the Janette Mitchelson of the Quamby Bend Landcare Group. Image: © Nick Hanson
Adam Crook from Forico explaining their work of willow removal and revegetation on the Meander River. Image: © Nick Hanson
Enjoying a sunny day on the Meander River. Image: © Nick Hanson
Checking the progress of some of this years Landcare Action Grants planting. Image: © Nick Hanson
Peter Stronach, acting CEO of Landcare Tasmania, explaining the benefits of native plants on the Meander River. Image: © Nick Hanson
Jakob Sprickerhof, project officer for Landcare Tasmania, baffled that this dead looking willow branch is resprouting. Image: © Nick Hanson
Landcare Action Grants site on both banks of the Meander River. Image: © Nick Hanson
Checking out salmon, trout and eel at 41 Degrees South. Image: © Nick Hanson
The salmon ponds at 41 Degrees South. Image: © Nick Hanson
Learning about how to grow ginseng. Image: © Nick Hanson
Herbert Staubmann, Habitat Plants Nursery, and Tim Schmidt, Woodlands Farm, explaining how to plant a successful shelterbelt with native plants. Image: © Nick Hanson
A huge thanks to Quamby Bend Landcare, Forico, 41 South Salmon Farm, Australian Hemp Council, Habitat Plants, and all those who made this day a success.
