The idea of local farmer, Ingrid Biram, with the guidance and suggestion of farmer and friend, Bill Higgins, has set in motion a positive project taken on by local Lions and Rotary clubs, working together over recent months to deliver a new and practical on-farm timber milling business for farmers who have fallen timber on their properties and no fences due to the 2020 bushfires.
The cut timber can be used for palings, droppers or posts up to 6x6m. The milling service is free to farmers.
Glen Schaeche and Rotary dynamo, Bernie Farqhuar, organised local Lions and Rotary clubs to come together to support the Lucas Mill Timber Milling project.
Bernie said he thought it was the first time Rotary and Lions had combined and worked on a project such as this.
Four Rotary clubs - Sorrento, Canterbury, Melbourne and Dromana - paid for the Lucas Mill to kickstart the project and Lions have paid for a purpose-built trailer, built locally, and a Toyota vehicle to pull the heavy duty trailer around East Gippsland to farmers’ properties.
Bernie said the first project team of onsite millers, Glen Shaeche and local farmer, Mark Biram, already have 32 farmers’ properties registered to go and cut fence posts on. The service is funded by Lions for six months and the cut timber is supplied free to the local farmers. It is a wonderful local project driven by locals and funded by Rotary and Lions in concert.
Mill operator, Glen, said the potential was mind blowing and New South Wales areas also wished to start the same model project in their fire zones of last year.
Attending the official launch of the project, Melbourne Rotarian, Jim Orchard, said he was delighted his club could be involved in such a dynamic practical project assisting the farming community of East Gippsland.
Current Lions District Governor Elect, Steve Boyce, of Sale, said the project was not only the right project, but a great project that the Lions and Rotary clubs can be proud of.
IMAGE:
The Lucas Mill demonstration on launch day last Friday at the Biram family farm at Sarsfield. The mill operators were Mark Biram and his son, Jarrod. K53-841
