It’s no question that silvopasture systems can be beneficial to the land, farmers and animals. But what do farmers need to know about building a silvopasture system?

The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on agricultural research and education, hosted a webinar to discuss the benefits of silvopasture and describe their current projects in the field.

Silvopasture is the practice of growing trees and forages and raising livestock on the same land. CJ Buzzy, the agroforestry project manager at Propagate, mentioned this practice is “a lot of things, but one thing it is definitely not is restrictive.”

Farmers usually implement a silvopasture system to improve three factors: the farm/farmer, the animals and the environment. The two main things a silvopasture system can provide are feed and shade for livestock.

Providing feed can decrease supplemental feed costs for farmers and help diversify the animals’ nutrition. With the presence of shade, livestock will be more willing to go out and eat, extending their foraging time and gaining more weight.

Silvopastures can benefit the environment, as the trees help to increase insect and bird biodiversity and contribute to carbon sequestration. Buzzy mentioned how trees are great at decreasing erosion from heavy rain events by reducing water runoff. Farmers can also utilize the trees as an additional source of income if desired.

Even with all of these benefits, installing a silvopasture system requires a lot of planning and maintenance. Austin Unruh, the founder of Trees for Graziers, stated, “A silvopasture system can be designed to be very profitable, but it’s profitable in the long-term.”

An initial investment is required to start the process, and it adds on another level of complexity to the farmer. Planting trees is “a very permanent thing,” added Unruh. “You want to make sure that you’re gonna do it well and design the system right.”

When planning and designing your silvopasture, you need to analyze your area for limiting factors. What equipment will you be using on your pasture, and how much space does it need? What animals will you have, and what are their diet requirements?

Buzzy added, “There are certain things we can’t change, and one of the main ones is climate.” Before choosing the tree species you want to use, make sure your soil can support their growth. You can improve the soil by relieving compaction and seeding forage that won’t overly compete with the young trees trying to grow.

The goal of your project can also impact your design decisions. You may be looking for a certain tree species that grows quickly to provide shade as soon as possible, or a tree species that would be valuable in the timber market for additional income. Make sure to have a plan for rotational grazing as well as irrigation in cases of severe drought.

There are a lot of resources to help farmers start their silvopasture project, from funding to advising. The Rodale Institute currently runs a demonstrative hog silvopasture system on their main campus in Pennsylvania. Their goal with this project is to use the trees to provide both shade and feed for the hogs. They plan to compare the soil health, tree health and hog health and behavior of the system to a normal hog pasture at an apple orchard.

Leigh Archer, the director of perennial systems research at the Rodale Institute, encouraged people to learn from their project. Archer emphasized that they do this research “so we can make some mistakes, so… farmers can hopefully not make the same mistakes.”

Additionally, businesses such as Propagate and Trees for Graziers can assist farmers through the design and building process. Propagate can conduct site visits, help with planning the farm design, find financing and even assist with the planting. Trees for Graziers focuses on helping farmers integrate trees to directly serve livestock through shade, shelter and feed.

For more information, visit rodaleinstitute.org, propagateag.com and treesforgraziers.com.

by Kelsi Devolve