A conference in Manjimup next week will outline the benefits of trees on farms for South West growers

A number of expert speakers will attend a conference in Manjimup on Thursday which will aim to educate South West farmers on the benefits of planting trees. Increasing on-farm productivity, wood production and carbon mitigation will be the topics discussed at the Integrated Trees On-Farm Conference on May 31, hosted by the South West Timber Hub and the Southern Forests Community Landcare at the Manjimup Wellness Centre. Academic, author, farmer and consultant Rowan Reid — who is a widely recognised leader in Australian agroforestry — will be among the guest speaker line-up. Mr Reid owns Bambra Agroforestry Farm in southern Victoria and has extensive experience with trees on-farm, having planted more than 50 tree species grown for timber, fodder, food and seed production. South West Timber Hub project manager Wendy Perdon said the conference — supported by the Forest Products Commission — would appeal to South West farmers as well as professionals within the forestry, agricultural and carbon industries. “This conference will tackle the fundamentals — why we need more timber, the benefits of integrated trees on-farm from those who actually know and what’s in it for farmers, from an agronomic, environmental and profitability perspective,” she said. “The speakers are exceptional including forester and farmer Rowan Reid and experts from the agricultural, carbon and forestry fields.” Tickets for the conference can be bought on the Eventbrite website.