The Hambly family purchased their property in 2005 and had no experience with oil mallee planting prior to that time.

Bob Huxley comes from a family that has been farming at Gabbin in the eastern central Wheatbelt since 1922

Increasing salinity, wind erosion and chemical drift were all issues facing this Lake Bryde farm.

Tom and Donna Henning have long had an interest in tree crops – both for the benefits trees bring to the land and for the long term commercial potential.

Kit Leake and his family are primarily wheat farmers and have been involved in farming for four generations.

If you have unproductive land, chances are Brookton farmer Andrew Pike knows what to do with it.

Mario Varone and his family started farming in SE Hyden in 1957.

Mario Varone and his family started farming in SE Hyden in 1957.

Both families are members of the Facey Group, which is the regional farmer run group working on research, information sharing, trials and experimentation aimed at improving farm practices to keep farms healthy and profitable and the region sustainable into the future.

The opportunity for farmers in marginal areas to include perennials in their production systems is brightening, with new plant species belonging to the genus Rhagodia being trialled for their suitability as alternative perennial fodder shrubs in the lower rainfall agricultural regions of WA.

Trevor grew up on a farm in Coorow and only moved to Bolgart in 1994 when he and his parents bought ‘Waddi Park’. Recently the property has been mainly managed by Trevor and his wife Renae.

The Upper Great Southern Oil Mallee Growers Association initially contacted Wheatbelt NRM to assist them in addressing the number one concern amongst farmers who have integrated mallees on their properties – edge effect.

In 2011 David and Don Thomson commenced planting oil mallee seedlings in alleys through their Wheatbelt NRM Soil Conservation Incentives project.

Active Corrigin Farm Improvement Group members, Harry and Aaron Gayfer, first learnt about the benefits of oil mallee belts and saltbush plantings on one of the group’s annual bus tours many years ago.

Tony Williamson runs Morella Farms, a property between Merredin and Bruce Rock. Growing crops is his ‘bread and butter’.

Horticultural scientist, Lisa Blanch and her family operate the Talbot Nursery in Beverley, a wholesale business specialising in the propagation of native plants.

Alan Gelmi has a long-running involvement in Landcare initiatives and has always researched alternative avenues for the production and sustainability of his farming land.

Greg and Glenys Rutherford have been farming for much of their lives and have faced many challenges during this time.

Rod and Neil Carter became involved in the Soil Conservation Incentives Program following contact with the local Environment Officer and Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Project Officer to discuss alternative management options for a highly wind-eroded site.

The Butler family have always placed a high value on trees and try to plant a few trees every year as part of the farm’s strategic plan.