Sharing a love of shelterbelts

Increasing biodiversity by using sustainable farm practices is one of the main aims of Mount Gnomon Farm. Eliza and I actually met when I was working as a Landcare coordinator, and she (journalist) interviewed me about different Landcare projects that were happening in north-west Tasmania. It was almost inevitable that a few years later we are putting into practice some of those things we talked about on our own property.

One of the main goals of Landcare is to find a balance between biodiversity and production. In my Landcare job one of the most rewarding things I did was develop a project on native shelterbelts. The project resulted in the printing of a booklet about the benefits of growing native shelterbelts, and some tips for farmers on shelterbelt design. It’s exciting to see farmers in the region now using the guidelines in the booklet and installing shelterbelts on their farms.

Last year we put in two of our shelterbelts: 600 native plants organised into three rows per belt. Each row has its own attributes. The first row is made up of small native shrubs like tea trees and needle bush (hakea). These plants will give lots of dense shelter, but they also make suitable nesting and feeding habitat for native birds. The mid row is made up of taller trees, such as eucalypts and blackwoods - trees that will reduce wind and provide shade. Eucalypts also provide feed for birds. The third layer is tall shrubs or mid-sized trees. This row provides more habitat, but also helps guide the wind over the taller mid row.

By having three rows of diverse and complementary local natives, a shelterbelt creates vital habitat for native animals. While there are healthy stands of remnant bush in north-west Tasmania, it’s often fragmented and bird surveys show that some species are disappearing from certain locations. Native shelterbelts help make a link between habitats – they’re a protective corridor. They also extend native habitat further onto farms, so more of the farm will see the benefits of birds eating pest grubs and insects.

Shelter on farms is really important for free range pig production, as pigs have limited ability to regulate their own temperature. While the temperate climate of the north-west suits free range pigs, in winter and spring the pigs need protection from the cold south-westerly winds, and in summer they need shade.

Shelterbelts will reduce Mount Gnomon Farm’s carbon footprint. The shelterbelts are 10 metres wide, the minimum width requirement for carbon sequestration and future carbon trading. Pigs aren’t ruminants, so they produce less carbon emissions than sheep or cattle, but our free rangers do root up the ground, which quickly releases soil carbon. Farmers have traditionally stopped their pigs from digging by putting a ring in their snouts, and while this would help cut the carbon emissions on our farm, we think that animal welfare should come before the environment in this case. Planting trees around our property is one step to balance this out.

This winter we’re putting in another two shelterbelts. We got more than 600 seedlings sitting in the garden waiting for somebody to plant them. While we enjoy planting trees, we’d love you to come and join us and learn how to install a native shelterbelt. We’re planning a big day on Sunday August 29. Eliza will cook a Wessex Saddleback roast for lunch with home-grown organic veggies for everyone ... plus some other treats I suspect too. If you would like to join us, send us an email, we plan to start at around 10am.