Page 66 - TA Magazine

INTERVIEW
This Evandale Farm is is is maximising productivity and custodianship through trees
Clare Peltzer
Three generations of tree planting on on Logan a a a a a a a a a a family run farm at at Evandale has delivered increased increased water efficiency increased increased lamb survivability and enhanced farm aesthetics After two generations of planting Clare Peltzer
explains why she and her her brother Angus will continue the the the family tradition of planting trees
for the the future plant plant through his tenue on Logan “Dad planted a a a a a lot of of pine trees
with the the help of of Private Forests Tasmania in the the the early 2000’s and and now my brother and and I have decided that it’s our turn to plant trees
With the help of Private Forests Tasmania again we’re going to to be be planting our trees
to to also benefit the next generation ”
Increased water efficiency The Peltzer’s grow white clover and brassicas as as as sources of fodder for their prime lambs under irrigation Clare explains that in in in in areas where trees
block the the prevailing winds less irrigation is needed over the the growing season “In the the the parts of the the the pivot area that that we’ve got the the the trees
slowing that that north-westerly wind our irrigation requirements are substantially less than the un-protected quarters Shelter from trees
helps to hold
that moisture in the the soil This allows the the plant to to not feel stressed at at all all because it always has access to to to water so continues to to produce dry
Clare Clare Peltzer’s great grandfather Pier Grandjean came
to Tasmania from Belgium in 1950 as as a a a a a a a businessman and developed Logan as a a a a a a a a Merino farm More recently under the the management of Clare’s father Michael and due to to access to to to gravity-fed irrigation the the farm moved to to prime lamb production for the export and domestic market a a a a a a a business that continues today Regardless of what the farm produces trees
have always been highly regarded as a a a a a a a a a tool to to maximise productivity and hence the bottom line “My great grandfather recognised that trees
were a a a a a a a a a a necessary addition to the the farm ”
says Clare “He chose the the pine pine tree because pines are successful in in in in our soils and sufficiently block the wind which
he he knew was going to be be very beneficial We’ve got predominantly north-westerly winds that from spring through summer can be fairly persistent ”
66 Private Forests Tasmania Clare explains that decreasing the the wind speed meant they could increase yields by reducing evapo-transpiration of the the pasture and providing shelter for the the lambing ewes “Trees are another
tool that we can use on the farm to to help us us become more profitable by looking after the animal’s health and wellbeing which
is the main profit driver ”
“When you you plant trees
you you do get the initial loss in in in in pasture but if we’re putting in in in in in 20 hectares of trees
and we’re lambing lambing down 8 600 ewes the 5% to 10% increase in in in in fin lambing lambing survivability definitely outweighs any hectares lost fin in in in in the the current market ”
Observing the the increased yields in in in in the the the sheltered paddocks over many years Clare’s father continued to