When we first bought our farm about 30 years ago, it was a run down ex-dairy farm. It is two kilometres of dirt track from a main road. The dairy was no longer functional and it had few fences that would keep an animal enclosed. Much of the land was salt affected and non productive. The agent suggested we run the tractor through the house and start again.
We gathered seed from the few trees around and carefully grew young trees in our first purchase, a glasshouse. We planted rows and rows of trees in an effort to reduce the water table, fix the salt problem and return health to the soil. Keeping the trees alive was a struggle. We fought rabbits, kangaroos, heat, lack of water and salty soils.
Since the covid lock down we have been cleaning up one of the tree rows. It’s a huge job, with a chain saw and fire. We’ve removed lots of dead branches on the ground. It’s become a problem because the rabbits have taken a liking to the shelter and are being very destructive. We cut tree limbs off fences and pruned trees and bushes. Hard work but we can see results starting to happen. AND bonus, we’ve taken the time to enjoy the winter sunshine and the outdoors.
Our favorite spot is in a remote spot that we nearly gave up on when we first started establishing the trees. We finally got some really tough little pine trees to grow where nothing else would. The sound of the wind in the pine needles really changes the ambiance of the little grove of trees.
AT PATHO 