Welcome to the Mitchell Forest Farming System

Why do we use the term “Forest Farming”? Jack coined this term some years ago as the best description of the philosophy and practice of his unique mixed species cabinet timber plantations: “forest” because the plantations are naturalistic and ultimately become a permanent forest; and “farming” because the plantations are established and maintained using best practice sustainable farming methods.

Jack Mitchell’s successful Forest Farming System is the culmination of a passionate lifetime interest in the rainforests of South East Queensland and designing methods for growing high value native rainforest timber species – otherwise known as cabinet timbers - in mixed species plantations. And Jack continues to refine and improve the Mitchell Forest Farming System.

Jack emphasises that his mixed species timber plantations are just that: carefully designed diverse mixtures with a number of species within single blocks; not blocks comprised of adjacent single species plots. Site preparation, plantation management and pruning techniques result in fast growth rates and the production of high value, high quality timber.

The Mitchell Forest Farming System offers an exceptional business investment opportunity for private growers whilst enhancing the environment:

Jack Mitchell’s believes that timber plantations can be compatible with natural landscapes and at the same time ensure that commercial timber production in mixed species plantations is ecologically sustainable and relieves the harvesting pressure on native forests here and overseas.

Jack Mitchell’s plantation design and species selection ensures the capacity of Forest Farming plantations to restore and enhance ecological services in degraded landscapes as well as revitalising native timber industries through a diversified investment portfolio and the sequential and selective harvest of commercial saw logs.

The Mitchell Forest Farming System is designed for private growers who have always been the innovators and experimentalists in the plantation forestry industry worldwide. There are a number of best practice plantings, based on the Mitchell Forest Farming System, available for inspection in coastal eastern Australia from northern New South Wales to Central Queensland.

Jack believes in the enormous potential of our native rainforest tree species to significantly expand Australia’s plantation estate on over-cleared and under-utilised land. Through a profitable and sustainable best practice management system that continues to achieve and improve; degraded landscapes are ameliorated and carbon is effectively stored long-term.

Forest farming differs from conventional commercial plantation in a number of aspects:

• Using predominantly native species in mixed plantations, not the creation of monocultures;
• There is very minimal supplementary irrigation other than natural rainfall;
• Minimal tillage - there is no ripping or cultivating prior to planting;
• No clearing of native forests - plantations are established on already cleared land;
• Where ever possible, creating linkages with wildlife habitats of native bush land;
• No clear-felling - the use of various species with different characteristics ensures a planned sequential harvest;
and

• Permanent forest – through natural regeneration and enrichment planting the creation of a self-regenerating renewable timber resource.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FOREST FARMING SYSTEM, CLICK HERE>> FOR TO “WHY IT WORKS”