Our Story

Our Story

AGSTA farm forests are a member of the Hurford Forests family.  A grouping that owns and manages more than 5,000 hectares of forested land in Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland.

These forests contain both plantation and native forests.  All are managed on a sustainable basis for long-term production while also providing all of the co-benefits for bio-diversity and habitat.

Our forests are working forests, much of the area had previously been cleared for agriculture and has been re-established as productive forest either through planting or through managed natural regeneration.

Ex pasture areas continue to support cattle production, both as an important part of our ’Silvo Pastural’ management system, providing important income for the farms along with help in controlling weeds and reducing fire/fuel hazard.  AGSTA also utilises ‘cool burns’ to maximise forest health and minimise wild fire risk.

We have more than 70 years experience in managing our own Native forests and this year are celebrating 20 years since our first planted forests were established in 2004. Since that time we have planted more than one million seedlings averaging 50,000 trees planted each year.

Our earliest trees planted are now approaching first and second commercial thinning rotations.

This is an important part of forest management reducing competition and stress on the best trees and allowing more light to reach the forest floor for better ground cover and soil health.

Before any trees are removed from the stand operation plans are produced.  Trees are individually inspected and marked to ensure the best quality trees remain in the stand to grow on to produce large sawlogs for future high quality timber products.

Those trees that are removed are generally of poorest form or quality but are still able to produce a range of products - small sawlogs, agricultural roundwood for fencing or horticulture, power poles and firewood and wood chips for a multitude of uses - either recycled back into our soils to add to organic matter and moisture retention or sold into markets for landscaping, horticulture, power generation or paper production - nothing is wasted.

Farm forestry is a long term multigenerational project.

When we first commenced planting we followed what was being done by the larger plantation operations with blocks of largely single species - eucalyptus planted in rip mounded rows across the contour.

Over the years have trialled a range of different variables in ground preparations, specie mixes and silvicultural management.  We have never used any pesticides on our trees preferring to find specie and site combinations that are naturally resilient to pests and diseases.

Today, we minimise ground and soil disturbances in our plantation preparation preferring to use either spot cultivation or planting directly into undisturbed soil using a wood chip mulch to aid in moisture retention and weed suppression.

We plant a wider specie selection matched to the site - typically four or more species.

Our techniques and methods will continue to evolve as we learn more.

Thank you for taking an interest in our farm forest journey.