Subject: Re: hedgerows (fwd)

From: [email-masked] (Victor Guest)
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 1994 09:53:07 WST

>I am doing reasearch on hedgerows as productive spaces on farms.
>My thought are that farmers would be more willing to keep and 
>maintain them for wildlife corridors and wind and soil erosion 
>control if they were also producing lumber, nuts, fruits and other 
>perennial crops. Anyone have experience using black walnut, 
>hickory, chestnuts, hybrid willow "Austrees"
>and shrubs such as blueberry, lamarkii or others for thier 
>commercial value as well as a hedgerow? I am primarily studying 
>land that is used for potato production.

Farmers in Western Australia have been watching some work done at Dowerin
where hedgerows of Tagasaste and Acacia I think, were used to not only
protect sandy soil from erosion, but the effect of the Tagasaste etc. was
an increase in yield. Plus Perenial Grazing. The hedgerows were on the
contour I think and across the prevaling  winds. they were x runs wide of 
the farmers sowing equipment.

At a lancare conference at Northam last year we saw these rows of 
Tagasaste being established for grazing and although they weren't
being especially connected to wildlife corridors the birdlife was 
extensive in them.

Machinery was being built to shape them as hedges so that sheep could 
get the grazing from food out of their reach.

Combinations of cattle and sheep were also being used after establishment.

>Phil Ferraro, Director
>Institute for Bioregional Studies
>449 University Avenue Suite 126            "Developing Local Solutions to 
>Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island	    Global Problems"
>Canada   C1A 8K3
>(902) 892-9578

Regards,
          Vic
--
Victor Guest   V.G.Guest                      Perth, Western Australia
[email-masked]                         3 McKee Plce Kingsley. 6026
                ----: Sustainable Agriculture :----   Tel. (09) 3092108
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