NEW UPDATED PAPERBACK EDITION OF HEARTWOOD (2026)

First Edition (out of print)

Heartwood: The art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit, by Rowan Reid

Buy it now: LINK TO SHOP
312 pages including a new 16-page Preface for the 10th anniversary

Cheaper to buy and cheaper to post

Step into the remarkable world of Rowan Reidforest scientist, passionate tree-grower and owner builderin this new updated edition of Heartwood.

Drawing on more than forty years of hands-on experience, global adventures and practical forest science, Rowan shows how trees grown on family farms can transform landscapes, enrich biodiversity, capture carbon and provide timber for everything from guitars to homes.

Through engaging stories and practical wisdom, Heartwood reveals a fresh approach to forestryone that balances the needs of farmers, communities and nature. Discover how Rowan's journey began with degraded farmland and led to the creation of an ecologically diverse mix of forests and parklands that are now providing an everlasting supply of high-quality timber.
Join the growing movement of landowners weaving trees back into their landscapes, ensuring healthier, more productive, and more beautiful farms for generations to come.
NOTE: This version of Heartwood does not contain the colour photos or technical boxes we had in the original hardback edition.

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The Heartwood Podcast

#6 Thinning to grow fat trees fast

In this podcast Rowan explains how managing the 'personal space' around each tree can help create a more valuable forest. He also touches on the fallacy of the promise of a commercial thinning and why the expectation of a market for small diameter trees has undermined the viability and the attractiveness of plantation forestry on farms around the world.
LINK to Buzzsprout

Bambra Agroforestry Farm on ABCTV Landline

Landline on ABCTV featured a story about our agroforestry work. It includes the harvesting and milling

of one of our trees and shows how we are using the timber in our new house frame. The story also has an overview of the Stewart Family farm (Yan Yan Gurt West) and their commercial native flower project.

You can watch the full feature HERE.

Bambra Tree Sleeve:

Wallaby, Kangaroos and Sheep tree guard

The flexible tree guard designed by Rowan Reid to allow grazing by sheep and protection from wallabies
See Bambra Tree Sleeve information page for details and watch the YouTube video on the guard HERE

Purchase posts and sleeve in our SHOP

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Bambra Agroforestry Farm on Gardening Australia

Click on the WATCH button in the picture to watch the segment on the ABC website

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Welcome to Rowan Reid's web page

Rowan Reid (B.For.Sci. & M.For.Sci.) is a forester amongst farmers. His passion for trees began as a child in the coastal eucalypt forests of southern Victoria and has led to a life teaching and working with farmers around the world:

1. Owner of the Bambra Agroforestry Farm. More than 10,000 visitors have toured his Bambra Agroforestry Farm, which is set up as a 42-hectare outdoor classroom for farmers, scientists, students and tree lovers, and a living laboratory for his own learning.

2. Co-founder of one of Australia's most successful Landcare groups, the Otway Agroforestry Network.

3. Originator of the Australian Master TreeGrower course, which is currently delivered by the Australian Agroforestry Foundation (a not-for-profit organisation).

4. A Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne for 20 years up until 2011. Rowan continues his academic teaching and research as a Senior Fellow of the university.

5. Author of "Heartwood - the art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit" and many other books on agroforestry and farm trees.

Web Site Contents

Bambra Agroforestry Farm: tours and courses

Rowan's new book: Heartwood - the art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit

Shop: buy tools, books, tree guards and other stuff. We only sell what we use ourselves.

Publications: lots of free book chapters, articles and papers written by Rowan Reid

Practical information: on growing and managing trees on farms

Tree Species: some examples of the species we grow for high quality timber

Ask Rowan: send an email question. Free service.

Consultant services: Rowan is available for farm consultancies, presentations, workshops etc.

Bambra Agroforestry Farm

In 1987 Rowan Reid purchased a degraded farm in southern Victoria and began planting trees for conservation and profit. There are now more than 70 productive tree species producing timber, bush-food, fruit and other products. We are now harvesting, milling and drying our farm grown timber.

Rowan runs tours of the farm and delivers short courses in our classroom. More than 12000 people have visited the farm over the years. For more information about our events see our farm page

Where's Bambra Agroforestry Farm?

Follow Rowan's Bambra Agroforestry Farm

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Youtube

Rowan's short videos: Opinion, science and practice based on real experience

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What is Agroforestry?

For me, agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into farming landscapes for conservation and profit. It's all about farmers using trees to improve the environmental, social and economic values of their land. I've been working with Australian farmers for more than 30 years. From the wheatbelt of Western Australia to the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland I don't think I've ever seen a farm that would not benefit from more tree cover or better forest management.