About us
Who are OAN?
We are farmers working with farmers to explore how growing trees can make farming more environmentally sustainable and economically rewarding. Set up with government support in 1993 by local farmers, OAN is a grassroots not-for-profit community organisation with more than 200 member families, most of whom are local farming families. OAN is supported by a management team, an advisory committee and a group of trained peer group mentors - all are local landholders themselves. We are based in the Otways region of Western Victoria, Australia.
Our approach is very different to that used by many other organisations that encourage farmers to grow trees. We are not a government agency, industry organisation or environmental group that wants to get trees in the ground to meet a particular political, industry or environmental goal. We are a landholder group working for and on behalf of our members.
The network provides guidance, knowledge, contacts and experience. We negotiate with government, conservation groups and industry to facilitate partnerships that are in the interests of our members. We run field days, deliver education and training courses, produce books and information sheets, undertake research, explore new market opportunities, lobby government and industry, and provide one-on-one extension support for our members.
We are fortunate that Federal and State Governments, the local catchment management authority (CCMA), and a number of philanthropic organisations have recognised the public benefits arising from our activities. We have also attracted the interest of agricultural commodity groups, timber and bushfood buyers, furniture makers and conservation groups who can see value in working with us.
You can read our constitution here.
Image shows, left to right, Andrew Stewart, Mike Robinson-Koss, David Curry and Rowan Reid. All founder or long term members of the OAN.