Photos , this page : Lifetime Lens
Clockwise from top left : author Matt Grason planting hickory nuts in seedling tubes , weeding a patch of elderberry cuttings , and weeding a box of black cherry seedlings . Hostile Takeover Tree Nursery grows hickory , chestnut , hazelnut , walnut , paw paw , persimmon , elderberry , oak and others from seed to support genetic diversity and promote adaptation to local conditions .
facilities that are suitably dry , cold , and pest-proof . It will require new packaging , labeling , marketing , and shelf space in markets .
Farmers who are interested in growing tree crops will need support . Making the shift to agroforestry is capital intensive . Farmers need to see clear market opportunities and have access to technical assistance and processing equipment . Fortunately , there is state and federal funding available to help farmers adopt agroforestry practices ( ask me how !). Also , farmers who adopt agroforestry and other climate-smart agricultural practices have the opportunity to tap into credits sold through carbon markets .
One of the disadvantages of trees is that they often take 5 to 10 years to produce regular crops — although after that point they will produce regular annual or biannual crops . Already working on thin profit margins , farmers cannot afford to take their fields out of
production . But they don ’ t have to ! Trees can be planted on the borders of fields and spots that aren ’ t suitable for planting , like on steep slopes and areas prone to flooding . In this way , farmers can experiment with diversifying their income streams while getting added biodiversity and ecosystem benefits .
While the task in aggregate is daunting , the path is clear , and the potential advantages are great . It will just take people coming together with heart and commitment to a shared vision that utilizes nature ’ s abundance for the benefit of us all .
Matt Grason is a tree crop enthusiast raised in Maryland and living in Washington , DC . He writes grant proposals for climate-smart farm endeavors through his business Lush Life Consulting ( lushlifeconsulting . com ). And he grows and sells bareroot , mostly native nut and fruit trees from seed at his nursery in Brookeville , MD . You can buy his seedlings in early spring and late fall at www . hostiletakeoverllc . com .
Footnotes
1
Crop Production 2023 Summary ( January 2024 ), USDA , National Agricultural Statistics Service
2
Toensmeier , E . ( 2016 ). The carbon farming solution : A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food Security . Chelsea Green Publishing .
3
Members of the Climate Coalition Food Resilience Working Group of Montgomery County . ( Spring 2023 ). Our Unfolding Food Emergency . PLENTY . www . plenty-agmag . com / plenty-spring-2023
4
Project Drawdown . ( 2020 ). The Drawdown Review . p . 84 to 88 . Retrieved May 5 , 2023 , from https :// drawdown . org / sites / default / files / pdfs / TheDrawdownReview % E2 % 80 % 932020 % E2 % 80 % 93Download . pdf .
5
Tallamy , D . W ., & Shropshire , K . J . ( 2009 ). Ranking Lepidopteran Use of Native versus Introduced Plants . Conservation Biology , 23 ( 4 ), 941 – 947 . http :// www . jstor . org / stable / 29738829
6
Agroforestry : Enhancing resiliency in U . S . agricultural landscapes under changing conditions . ( 2017 ). https :// doi . org / 10.2737 / wo-gtr-96
7
Michael Judd . ( Spring 2021 ). Food Forests : Luscious landscapes you can eat . PLENTY . https :// www . plenty-agmag . com / plentyautumn-2021
8
Swearingen , J . ( 2021 ). 26 Native Plants Used by Indigenous Peoples in Maryland . Marilandica , Volume 12 , Issue 2 . Maryland Native Plant Society . https :// mdflora . org / resources / Publications / Marilandica /