A big flood back in the 1970s, and the consequent salinity that appeared on John and Lee-ann Toll’s mixed farming operation at Gunbower, were the catalyst for a change in land management that has only grown over the years.

At the time the family decided to plant a few trees to mitigate the damage.

Today those few trees have expanded to about 80,000 in number and cover around 10 per cent of the 800ha property.

“We started with a couple of acres after some of the ground turned white with salt,” John said.

“At the time nobody thought we could get the land back, but we ripped it up and added some gypsum and pig manure and away we went.

“We ended up with a spectacular row of trees.”

And they have been planting trees ever since.

The plantations have led to the establishment of a 3.8km wetland about 100m wide, which in the past year received its first allocation of environmental water from the Murray-Darling Working Wetland Group.

The wetland is a natural depression the family also use to capture the irrigation water run-off from nearby paddocks.

“The surrounding paddocks are lasered to drain into the depression and it will be interesting to see what happens with the rushes and lignum when we get our next environmental allocation,” John said.

The livestock, in particular the 500 Wiltipoll sheep and their lambs, are used for selective grazing to help manage growth and weeds.

“The sheep are moved in and out of the wetland before they do any damage to the native tree and grasses, which makes them an essential part of our management,” John said.

Around 18 months ago the family did some work on a channel to enable them to send water into what they call Hamish’s wetland, which is a permanent water source they have stocked with native fish.

John said when they first started planting trees it was hard to source localised varieties suitable to the area. Now the farm is a diverse mix of plantings including red gum, black box, pendula, salicina and stenophylla.

Over the decades trees have grown and trees have died and the plantations and wetlands have continued to evolve.

John has found some varieties like the spiny saltbush to be too invasive, while other plants like the plains red gum have thrived.

He has also worked out when it comes to planting trees it is far better to plant them further apart then too close.

“I reckon 15 to 20 per cent of the trees we first planted were too close and we have learnt our lesson there.

“If a natural flood does occur and self-seeded trees grow, I have found they usually sort themselves out over time as well.”

When it comes to protecting young trees, John has gone from using milk cartons to chicken wire to mesh and steel posts and it goes without saying, good stock-proof fencing is essential.

He said it had been amazing to watch the evolution of the farm over the years and to listen to the ideas and input from his three children — Hamish, Zoe and Sarah — who are also keen to explore environmental outcomes while keeping Circle T as a working farm.

“Back in the early days we planted willow trees and didn’t prioritise looking after the land and soil like we do now,” John said.

“We are planting mixed species in our paddocks to improve soil health and biodiversity, and we selectively graze pasture in short rotations to protect growth and of course we keep planting trees.

“Zoe and I have trialled planting different species for her native floristry business, which has also been interesting and a great learning curve for us all.”

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Sunday, 14th May 2023

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