Forestry companies are offering farmers high rents to grow bluegums in sharefarming arrangements on farm land. Tree establishment,management, harvesting and marketing are financed and organisedby the companies, reducing the farmer's risk. Payment canbe arranged as an indexed annuity, or a share of the crop at harvest. The extra income and time give many sharefarmers the freedom tostart new projects, or upgrade the rest of their farming enterprise. Earnings from farm forestry add diversity to farm incomes andcan provide a buffer against cyclical downturns in prices of otherfarm products such as wool and meat.
Harvesting can be deferredor brought forward to provide income when it is most needed.
Somegrowers use investment in longer rotation tree cropsas a kind of superannuation. Trees can increase overall farm productivitythrough the beneficial effects of shelter on pastures, crops andlivestock. Western Australian studies have shown the combinedproductivity of tree crops integrated with traditional agriculturecan be greater than for either component alone. Integrated farm forestry can make an aesthetically pleasing landscape,add to a farm's market value, and make it a more interestingand enjoyable place to live and work. Benefits for the environment By intercepting rainfall, and removing water from the soil, treescan prevent saline ground water rising to the surface, where itseffect on agricultural production and nature conservation is disastrous.