Agroforestry
Agroforestry is a buzz word – but what does it really mean? In a nutshell, agroforestry is putting trees in fields, or forestry in agriculture. Agroforestry has seen a swell in public interest recently, but it’s actually an age-old approach to farming that has sadly declined over the past decades. Whether it’s about cows seeking shade under trees, or willow coppice forming a shelterbelt to our vegetables, there’s nothing ground-breaking about the practice and its benefits have long been recognised.
We believe that growing more trees adds both resilience and diversity to our farm and our food supply. This is at the heart of our approach to farming. Our agroforestry strategy is masterminded by Eric, who recently gained an MSc in Agroforestry and Food Security from Bangor University. So far, they have devised and implemented three different systems:
Cob nuts in pasture: this is the simplest system and we have allowed space for more rows to be planted in the future, either with cob or something else.
Cob nuts and plums: alternating rows of cobs (double staggered rows) with a range of plum varieties, again with pasture in the alleys.
Walnuts, pears and soft fruit: by far the most complex system (and one we may end up wishing was considerably simpler!), this also includes red and black currants, gooseberries and rhubarb.
We have more plans up our sleeves and still plenty of planting to do. If you are interested in learning more, or helping out, please do get in touch: eric@goodsmallfarms.co.uk
