Grazing and trees: The perfect combination

Beef producers from across South East Queensland are well aware of the extra income that their timber stands can provide in tough times. Producers wanting to learn how to maximise their returns from both grass and timber can benefit from expert presenters at the Australian Forest Growers (AFG) conference at Gympie including previous Tree Farmers of the Year, John and Jane McLaughlin from ‘Mounefontein’ west of Kingaroy, a 5,156 ha beef cattle held by the McLaughlin family for over 100 years.

Landholders will also hear how to operate profitably on all types of land tenure, conduct legal harvesting operations and get environmental and income diversification benefits and leave their stand in a better condition for the next generation. It’s a win-win-win.

The conference kicks off with an icebreaker at the well-known Gympie Woodworks Museum where the steam-powered sawmill will be in operation demonstrating the region’s historic links to forestry.

Over 2 days and 20 sessions, over 50 speakers will present including from our own University of the Sunshine Coast’s Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry. The three concurrent streams will feature Growing, Products and Markets and Integration.

The middle day will feature six field trips heading in all directions from Gympie to examine local growing and processing in action. This is followed by the presentation of the national Treefarmer of the Year to be presented at the Conference Dinner.

The Conference is being organised by a committee whose members include local graziers, academics, wood processors, departmental officers and industry groups based across the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast regions.

AFG is the peak body representing people concerned with the growing of trees for all purposes in Australia. Members include farm foresters, woodlot owners up to large commercial growers from all over Australia.

For conference enquiries contact Terry Greaves on (02) 6162 9000 or terry.greaves@afg.asn.au.