Agricultural products can be grown in the same plot of land as trees and shrubs, a management practice known as agroforestry. Agroforestry can increase the biodiversity of a farm and even provide a new revenue source for the business.

Recently, the Rodale Institute hosted a webinar with Propagate, a business that assists landowners in adapting an agroforestry system. CJ Buzzy, the agroforestry specialist and project manager at Propagate, stated, “One of the key things they offer is the ability to design a system… and get it in the ground in a very efficient manner.” Propagate also helps farmers find financial support for their projects.

Agroforestry does not look the same throughout the world, as it differs based on location, the farm’s purpose and financial availability. “Like any agricultural system, there are a lot of considerations that go into agroforestry,” Buzzy said.

No matter what method is used, all agroforestry projects require “intentional integration,” according to Dr. Leigh Archer, Rodale’s director of perennial systems research.

Some agroforestry practices include silvopasture, alley cropping, windbreaking and riparian buffers. A silvopasture design can be achieved by introducing trees into an existing forage system (silvopasture by addition) or by thinning an existing forest to allow sunlight to penetrate and support forage growth (silvopasture by subtraction). Both of these systems have “a lot of really critical design considerations” to sort through, stated Buzzy.

Alley cropping involves growing complementary crops between rows of trees and shrubs.

Trees and shrubs can be incorporated to protect valuable crops from weather events. For example, while wind in general is beneficial to agriculture, Buzzy warned that too much can start to desiccate the leaves and dry the soil out. Incorporating windbreaks onto farm property can decrease wind damage and prevent unwanted materials, pesticides and chemicals from entering the property.

Buzzy recommended farmers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic use “really hardy, fast-growing” tree species as windbreakers, such as black locust and hybrid poplar.

Trees can also be used as parts of riparian buffers, helping to slow down and prevent runoff into waterways.

Many different trees and crops can be incorporated into an agroforestry system, but two of the most studied options are Chinese chestnuts and European hazelnuts. These nut varieties have been bred to make them thrive in agroforestry settings.

Chinese chestnuts are highly resistant to chestnut blight, and new cultivars of European hazelnuts have been created to resist Eastern filbert blight. Archer believes incorporating more hazelnuts and chestnuts into the U.S. food system could be “a really beneficial opportunity.”

When designing an agroforestry system, Buzzy recommended finding trees and systems that “fit your context instead of trying to make your context fit a specific tree… You wanna plant the tree where it’s gonna do the best.”

It’s okay to want to have a certain species incorporated into your system, but the best species to use is one that will thrive in the environment.

The Rodale Institute continues to research the most effective crops, practices and management tools to use in an agroforestry system. For more information on their research projects, visit rodaleinstitute.org. Visit propagateag.com to get assistance for your agroforestry project.

by Kelsi Devolve