It's official - the Agroforestry Living Textbook has begun! Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers who dug holes, planted trees, placed canes and stakes, carted woodchip or just came to eat some cake - we did it!
Two chapters of the Living Texbook of Agroforestry have now been planted:
Silvoarable/silvopastoral system (photos above)
Different mixes of broadleaf native trees have been planted in single rows to provide shelter for our animals that graze the herbal leys in our eight year arable rotation. Each row delineates a 32m wide 'alley' and is surrounded by eletric fencing to prevent damage from deer. We're incredible grateful for the funding we received from the Woodland Trust for the trees and fencing equipment needed for this area - thank you!
Silvohorticulture (photos below)
Over in FarmED's community support agriculture (CSA) market garden we planted over 250 different fruit trees to enable the CSA to provide a wider diversity of produce to their members throughout the year. As the market garden plots run roughly north east to south west we have planted the fruit trees in a wave form with smaller rootstock on the southern most side and large standards on the north. Interplanted between the fruit trees are a selection of native broadleafs to provide habitat for beneficial insects.
We will now work to demonstrate the benefits of planting trees on farms to encourage more landowners and farmers across the country to start practicing agroforestry. We'll also get started putting together a short film about the planting this week and will share this as soon as its ready.
Interested in designing your own agroforestry system? Take a look at the FarmED Agroforestry Design Masterclass and book your place now!
We will have a few more trees to plant in February next year, so if you missed out on volunteering this time and want to join in, watch this space! .
Once again, thank you to all involved!