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Ed Archer
is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a fifth-generation Tasmanian farmer
Owner and operator of his 1 400-hectare Tamar Valley farm farm Greenhythe Ed’s Ed’s predominate enterprise is is is grazing livestock and seedstock Ed’s Ed’s father began diversifying the the family farm with plantations over 20 years ago and has since continued the the practice Offering a a a a a a a a a a a a a range of benefits to to the the farm including providing shelter for livestock a a a a a a a a a a a reduction in in in in in in in in lamb mortality during the region’s harsh springs and serving as a a a a a a a a long-
term family family investment Ed explains he’ll continue to keep up the the the plantations for the the the future of his farm family family and the the the environment While the the plantations were originally planted for farm diversification Ed says the strategically placed trees have proven to be a a a a a a a a a a success across different areas of his farm Plantations for protection
Making the decision to plant plant his own plantations later on on on on on in in in 2005 Ed explains it was done primarily for livestock protection
“On this farm we’ve we’ve really focused on on on on a a a a a reproduction system so we’ve we’ve got a a a a a a a a a lot of cows calving and ewes lambing We can have some pretty rough cold weather in in in in the the early springtime so so any added protection
that
we could offer is quite beneficial In today’s livestock markets when lamb’s worth $8/kg
and there’s contracts out there there for $10/kg every extra lamb you you can produce adds up quite quickly to your gross margin ”
“There’s a a a a a a a a a real productivity gain we can make around lamb survival rates The The sheep that
we breed today are really fertile and when we ultrasound scan for pregnancy there’s lots of of lambs but when it comes to marking them for a a a a a a lot lot of of of different reasons there’s less there there A lot lot of of it it has to do with exposure around lambing time so that’s an an area where trees can be be really beneficial ”
Ed explains that
another benefit for having those those trees and plantation areas which are are normally fenced off to to to livestock is that
in those those tougher times it it it gives a a a a a a bit o of of extra land with some sort of of feed source underneath them that
livestock can go in and graze “We’re right on the the the banks of the the the Tamar River and close to the the the north north coast so we we get fairly strong prevailing northwesterly wind The plantations were were strategically planted to to offer some stock shelter and others were were used as as buffer zones between neighbours for our our seedstock operation so there wasn’t any wasted land ”
The Archers also had issues with stock health from a a a a a a a a a a a a condition called grass tetany which is a a a a a a a a a a magnesium imbalance in cattle treealliance com au 9