| On Topic landowners do not have a clear goal .
He said : “ Farmers and smallholders are coming to us with a desire to plant trees but they don ’ t always know what they want out of it . We want them to think carefully about what they want to plant and why , the longevity of having trees and how soon they want to see the benefit .
“ Do they want to use their trees as browsing for their livestock , for shelter , as an edible crop they can sell on , either to a producer or directly to the public , or a source of timber or woodfuel ?
“ There are so many ways to incorporate agroforestry , it ’ s vital to make sure landowners have a clear focus on how it can work best for them .”
Other issues to consider include making sure there ’ s good access to the field and the trees themselves for both harvesting and maintenance , and whether the site is in the right condition for planting . A field that ’ s too wet or too dry at certain times of the year will influence what can be planted .
The presence of pollinators will also be a factor as someone planting fruit trees won ’ t get as good a crop as they could if , for example , there ’ s a lack of bees .
Someone who has made agroforestry work for his business is Stephen Briggs , who farms 254 acres at Whitehall Farm , Cambridgeshire .
By integrating trees into his farm , Stephen Briggs aimed to mitigate the impact of wind erosion on his fine grade one peat soils , enhance biodiversity and create a diverse mix of crops better able to meet the challenges of climate change . Apple trees were planted as agroforestry edible windbreaks , leaving alleys ( 24m wide ) between the rows for cereal and vegetable production .
8 % of the land is planted with trees and the remaining 92 % is cropped under the existing cereal and vegetable rotation .
Six years on , the yield and economic output of the trees is equal or greater than that of the cereal crop in the alley and will to continue to grow . The new scheme has simultaneously provided another incomeearning crop , protected and nourished the soil , attracted pollinators and encouraged local wildlife .
“ Since integrating apple trees in rows within my arable rotation of wheat , barley , clover and vegetables , my farm has established the largest agroforestry system in the UK . Eight per cent of the land area has a tree crop on it with 92 % of land remaining in arable production . The three-dimensional agroforestry combination provides an annual and longer term economic return from both components by utilising more space above and below ground , better captures resources such as sunlight , nutrients and water , protects soil and enhances biodiversity . What ’ s not to like ?”
But you don ’ t have to have a large farm to embrace agroforestry .
“ Agroforestry is bespoke ”, said Syuart Holm . What works for one person won ’ t necessarily work for another which is why the Woodland Trust will visit anybody who is interested to advise how to make the most of their land . For example , if an arable farmer wanted to plant a fruit crop with the intention of selling it for juicing , we ’ d perhaps recommend late yielding varieties that could be harvested after the arable crops . It ’ s all about finding the best fit . “ There ’ s a lot of work involved . It ’ s not a quick fix but it ’ s a strong fix and those we plant with say it ’ s well worth the effort because of the positive impact it has had on their business and the environment .”
Together with the Soil Association and Royal Forestry Society , the Woodland Trust is staging an agroforestry conference at Cranfield University on June 22 where farmers can discover the many benefits of planting trees on farms . The conference will showcase some of
the UK ’ s leading agroforestry systems and look at the main steps and questions faced in getting them off the ground .
National and international speakers are included in the line-up , along with those currently practicing agroforestry techniques , and Charlotte Smith of BBC Radio 4 ’ s Farming Today will chair the sessions .
For more information and to book tickets , search “ Agroforestry 2017 ” at woodlandtrust . org . uk
Stephen Briggs , Whitehall Farm
Find out more about how the Woodland Trust can help you plant trees , visit woodlandtrust . org . uk / plant
www . farmingmonthly . co . uk April 2017 | Farming Monthly | 13