New ‘Tree Farmer’ hub opens doors to cash and conservation for North Coast landholders

A new website connecting landholders, farmers and community organisations – and helping them navigate emerging opportunities – has launched on the NSW North Coast.

The Tree Farmer online knowledge hub features articles, videos, research and practical resources focused on environmental markets, tree growing and nature repair across the region.

Environmental markets create opportunities for landholders to be financially recognised for restoring and protecting nature. They place a value on ecosystem services such as biodiversity protection, carbon storage and water quality improvement, enabling landholders to sell these benefits to investors, businesses and governments.

Byron Shire farmer Dr Joe Harvey-Jones, who is the project lead, said Tree Farmer was created to provide practical, locally relevant knowledge to help people better understand both the opportunities and the challenges.

“Environmental markets are evolving quickly in Australia, but the information can often be complex and difficult to navigate,” he said. “Our goal is to empower North Coast landholders to make informed decisions about their land, their trees and the future of their landscapes.”

As part of the launch, Tree Farmer is offering a limited number of free online courses and workshops designed specifically for people living and working in the Northern Rivers. Delivered in partnership with the Centre for Community Capital, the courses provide practical foundations as well as opportunities for collaboration.

The program combines self-paced online learning with interactive workshops and peer-to-peer exchange.

Landholders are also invited to complete a short Environmental Markets Stakeholder Survey for a chance to win a book prize pack from the Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy. Insights gathered will help guide future resources, training programs and collaboration within the Tree Farmer knowledge hub.

Developed by the Subtropical Farm Forestry Association, Tree Farmer is supported by the North Coast Regional Landcare Network through the Caring for Catchments program, which aims to strengthen environmental outcomes and collaboration across the region.

For more information or to register for an upcoming course, visit treefarmer.au