Archive for November, 2008

Agriculture is the solution!

At long last the government has finally acknowledged agriculture as the industry sector most able to quickly sequester carbon back into the soil and has granted funding to that area.

Why plant vast areas of mono-cultured trees that take years to be effective in putting carbon back into the soil?

Why go for a forestry system that needs bare, cultivated soil, fertilisers and sprays to establish when you can use grass, riparian areas and other crops that can provide carbon sequestering results within six months!

Up until recently, agriculture has been completely left off the world agenda for carbon credit trading. We have been working with Lousia and Michael from the not-for-profit Carbon Coalition to get the word out amongst our Tassie farmers and we are planning a seminar early next year.

Our longterm vision is to make our own little farm not just a carbon-neutral system — but a carbon sink that helps restore this very unbalanced world of ours.

If big industrial business paid us for putting carbon back into our soils, we would not only boost farmers’ finances so we can grow healthier food, but the land would be much better off.

Get more information here.

Community construction

Money from the sale of our nude shearer’s calendar is going towards this building project. Our Levendale-Woodsdale history group is adding to our exhibition space at the historic Woodsdale school by constructing a men’s shed and shearing interpretation centre.

Yesterday, I headed out there to talk to Ray who was digging the first of the shed foundations. If you’d like to buy a calendar, visit the museum or look at moving your school children into our district to help our Primary School email our museum manager, Sue Atkinson.

Runnymede Rummens

Our nude shearers calendars are printed and too hot to handle! As soon as we got our stock we raced them down to the Runnymede Cricket club to show the team and the reaction was priceless!

If you’d like to order one for Christmas click on the button below or email our museum manager. They are a fundraiser so your money will help construction of our Levendale-Woodsdale Museum and $1 from each sale goes to the Royal Hobart Hospital Burns unit.

Thank you to the brave boys like Boonie who got in the raw for the photo shoot!

Mountain Inspiration

On my research trip we were lucky enough to stay a night with the inspirational Ian Stapleton.

Ian was the founder of remote outdoor education centres, Mittagundi and Wollangarra that have helped young people to help the mountains.

Kids walk into the site using a pack horse to cart their provisions.

They are then set to work in the mountains.

Through these centres, Ian has inspired many ‘lost city youth’ to discover the satisfaction of achievement, the importance of community and the joy of a purposeful day’s work.

Ian has now retired to Harrietville, where he and his wife Olivia have build a wonderful little cottage for his friends to stay at the foot of Mt Feathertop.

Made totally from recycled material, John and I have been inspired.

This little cottage is clad in old corrugated iron, that Ian ran flat with the Landcruiser.

With all the recent hype about living in an environmentally friendly way it was great to spend time with someone who has been practicing these principals for decades.

Ian has helped me no end with my novel through writing up the history of the Treasure family.

In his wonderful book From Fraser’s to Freezeout [see the cover illustration above] I’ve gain insight into the history of the High Plains where John and I spend time each year.

I’ve also glimpsed traits in these forebears in my own little Treasure children! Ian is a gifted writer of several books — all non-fiction — but written with creative spark and integrity.

If you’d like to order one of his books, write to him at Feathertop Track, Harrietville, Vic 3741 for pricing and more information on his other titles.

He has an aversion to computers so you’ll just have to make do with Snail Mail.

Fire and Ice

Here’s a snap of Lanky’s Plain where the Treasure family have run cattle for nearly 100 years, up until a grazing ban by the Victorian Government three years ago.

This shot is the first of a series, where John and I will monitor the plains to see how the landscape fares under a different governmental management regime.

The other shot is of Mt Hotham from the Plains.

Mt Hotham

If you look closely you can see 1000′s of hectares burnt out by raging hot fires and on top, scarring on the landscape from ever-expanding ski-fields and ski-villages.

In my new novel, I’ll explore the irony of banning local people from cattle grazing and banning them from fuel reduction burning, versus the impact on the landscape of big business and land management from Melbourne.

Country Wedding Heaven

Congratulations to my mates Rich and Shazza who were married in true country wedding style near Maffra last weekend.

My mate Shazz is a dairy farmer and good old country gal from way back and so it didn’t surprise us to see milk churns as decorations, a Jack Russell as a ring bearer and wedding guest gifts in the form of stubby holders that read, ‘To have and to hold and to keep your grog cold!’

It was such a beautiful wedding and one of the funniest and I won’t forget the moment when bride broke the straps of her dress dancing to ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy’. Yee ha! Go Rich and Shaz!

Gone Bush

I know I’ve been quiet lately on the blog entries, but I’ve been working flat out on my next novel and as part of research for it, I went bush for a while.

Life imitates art. In my new manuscript, The Cattlemen, I had written a scene where my character wakes up with her kids to find the world turned white with snow.

The night we actually went to stay on the Dargo High Plains at Treasure’s Station, we were delighted to live through the same beautiful and memorable experience.

My time up there on John’s family’s place with the kids in the snow will add a whole new reality to the snow scene in my new novel.