Almost 30 people from communities across the Red Gum Plains came to the Landcare Expo to find out about options for ‘Planting back the Plains’.
With Craig Bush keeping people to both time and on topic, the group heard from a variety of speakers about how to get trees on your farm or property, whether it be for carbon sequestration, biodiversity outcomes or diversifying of farm income. The speakers provided detailed information about what each of the programs could offer
residents along with some of our local champions sharing their own personal accounts of planning their farming activities for the future carbon economy.
Callam Reynolds, from Re-gen Ecosystems, is one of the service providers facilitating the Trees on Farms program. The Victorian Trees on Farms Program (VToF) provides grants to rural landowners seeking to integrate trees into their land. It encourages the management of trees for timber production and allows for integration of environmental plantings to provide shade, shelter and other on-farm benefits.
Round one of the Victorian Trees on Farms Program is open until June 30, 2026.
Krista from Cassinia Environmental spoke passionately about the Victorian government’s BushBank Program, for private landowners to take part in protecting biodiversity across Victoria. If selected to take part in the BushBank Program, all landowners will receive BushBank funding and guidance for their restoration project. Cassinia may also assist with project delivery.
Ben Williams from Trust for Nature gave a tour of the Red Gum Plains and its iconic flora and fauna. The Trust has more than 50 years’ experience of landscape scale conservation and the work that has been done over the past 30 years across the Red Gum Plains.
Jen Smith from the Gippsland Agricultural Group spoke about her personal journey in understanding carbon and its role in farming for hers and Brad’s property. She highlighted the importance of everyone in developing their ‘carbon literacy’ and the need to incorporate this into your farming practice. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t move it”.
Nick Blandford, a local farmer from Meerlieu, rounded off the night by taking attendees on his journey to understand his own farm’s carbon emissions and development of measures and strategies to reduce his carbon footprint through a change in his farming practices.
A quick Q and A session enabled people to ask their questions and share further experiences on the plains. With the business end done, the group enjoyed a barbecue cooked to perfection by Phil and Sue Vaughan and their bank of helpers. Homemade sweets topped off the night.
