A mix of old and new in eco-friendly farms: Mapping our rich future

SOUTH-WEST farms of the future will be a mix of environmentally-friendly and traditional industries.By 2030 properties could host native vegetation, biofuel plants, solar and wind farms to complement livestock and crops.The scenario was presented in Portland yesterday by scientists using climate-change predictions to produce 3D images of what a next-generation farm might look like.The Futurescapes Climate Change Demonstrator uses a new e-science technology called eco-informatics, which converts scientific data, like rainfall, temperature and solar radiation, into a visual representation of what the future may hold for farm productivity.Department of Primary Industries' principal research scientist Dr Chris Pettit said the computer-generated graphics could help farmers adapt to the climate change challenge."We can never predict the future but we will have the power to realise the future collectively," Dr Pettit said."By using the virtual reality tool we can help empower communities and farmers to realise their future under a changing climate and help the region make the best informed decisions."The Futurescapes project is a joint initiative of the Victorian Government and Monash, Melbourne and La Trobe universities.Among the information used to develop the hypothetical farm is the Victorian Climate Summit prediction that temperatures will increase in the region by one to 2.7 degrees and rainfall will decline 10 to 20 per cent by 2070."We can begin to look at what this may mean for farmers and communities and how we can best start strategising and adapting early," Dr Pettit said."As the project continues we can include more climate-change models and look at what crops and commodities the region should consider in the future."The Futurescapes technology is expected to take another three years to complete.