Alexander Bentley, Agroforestry Woodland Officer for the Forestry Commission in the North West and West Midlands Area, talks about the resurgence of agroforestry in Herefordshire – enabling farmers to diversify and enhance their outputs.
Herefordshire is no stranger to incorporating trees into farms and rural businesses. It is a landscape littered with orchards, copses and forests. Over 19% of the county has established tree canopy cover, placing it comfortably above the English county average.1
Funding and grants for agroforestry are available, helping to make agroforestry a reality for farmers.
A deep-rooted cultureThe majority of Herefordshire farmers have had conversations about tree planting options for their land and businesses. This deep-rooted culture regarding trees on farms helps to explain why agroforestry in the county is continuing to gain momentum.
Mortimer Forest at the Herefordshire-Shropshire border. Copyright: Forestry EnglandMany farmers, growers and foresters are utilising agroforestry’s versatility to help grow on-farm resilience by future-proofing systems, diversifying outputs and supporting local ecological networks. Agroforestry schemes cover a variety of topics including:
fruit and nut sales timber and wood products improving livestock welfare carbon sequestration biodiversity soil and water niche markets, such as ornaments, truffles and seed orchards Silvopasture agroforestrySilvopasture (the integration of trees into grazed systems) currently makes up the majority of Herefordshire's existing and proposed agroforestry.
Tree fodderTree fodder (the edible parts of trees for livestock) contributes to a substantial proportion of livestock diets, 12% for cattle and 21% for sheep. During periods of drought and stress, this can rise to 55% and 76%, respectively.2
Highly palatable species, such as willow contain beneficial compounds including salicylic acid (a natural antiseptic), cobalt (commonly supplemented for weaning lambs) and antiparasitic properties – improving animal welfare in a cost‑effective manner.
Shropshire sheep at Hancocks Meadow Farm in Herefordshire. Credit: Shropshire Sheep Breeders Association Shade and shelterIn addition to fodder, trees provide shade and shelter. Canopy cover improves temperature regulation and reduces condition loss in extreme temperatures, which is an increasingly essential factor in livestock management.3
For example, heat stress in pregnant dairy cows can reduce milk production and fertility in offspring for up to three generations.4 Distributed shade lowers mastitis risk,5 extends grazing seasons and can reduce costs.6
This led to many Herefordshire dairy farmers branching out to adopt dynamic agroforestry grazing systems and rotational practices.
Timber productionIn well-designed systems, timber production can also deliver long-term economic returns. Herefordshire hosts several timber-focused silvopasture systems producing high-value hardwoods such as black walnut, wild cherry, cricket bat willow and sweet chestnut.
Because of the timber outputs and the benefits already mentioned, the integration of trees into grazed areas is often dubbed as ‘living barns’.
Livestock stocking rates (the number of livestock units per hectare that can be grazed sustainably on an area of land), grazing duration and tree density must be carefully managed to prevent crop damage and to maintain forage productivity.7
Sensitive agroforestry system designs that are tailored to specific land conditions, in addition to adopting appropriate management practices, can provide a variety of benefits.
For example, regular pruning can ensure there is enough dappled shade for livestock, adequate light for a sustainable sward to develop (a mixture of grasses, legumes and forbs), sufficient forage yields and optimal timber growth.8
Silvoarable systemsIn Herefordshire, silvoarable systems (the integration of trees into arable settings) are not as widespread as silvopasture. However, they have established a stronghold in southern areas of Herefordshire as a way for farmers to diversify outputs and create a resilient system.
Alley widths are typically set by machinery size to provide enough space for equipment such as sprayer booms or combine headers to fit evenly within alleys to minimise diesel use and soil compaction.
The output of these integrated trees almost always has a direct marketable product. Herefordshire is home to silvoarable systems that grow apples, pears, stone fruits, cobnuts and elderflowers. The design of silvoarable systems often utilises a land-equivalent ratio calculation to identify the multicrop yield for the parcel.9
A silvoarable harvest in progress at Throne Farm in Herefordshire. Copyright: Stephen Ware, Throne FarmSilvoarable systems typically convert only 5–10% of cropped land to trees, with many farmers reporting improvements to their soil organic matter, crop shelter, water retention and integrated pest management. This has proven to maintain stable arable yields for the land parcel, alongside the additional crop in some well-designed systems.
Agroforestry systems must be carefully designed and tailored to each field’s individual conditions. Important design elements to consider include:
suitable row orientation to limit shading appropriate rootstock selection, which determines a tree’s features such as its height and spread pruning roots to manage below-ground competition and system performance pruning the tree canopy to manage above-ground competition and system balance Agroforestry alliances across HerefordshireThe large-scale uptake of this regenerative agricultural practice in Herefordshire has led to the early formation of an agroforestry focused farm cluster. This is where landowners and businesses get together to share markets, equipment and lessons learned to help facilitate the successful and sustainable integration of trees into their agricultural practices.
Read more guidance on our funding and grants for agroforestry GOV.UK page, or contact your local Forestry Commission Agroforestry Woodland Officer using our contact form on GOV.UK.
Herefordshire Tree, Hedgerow and Woodland Strategy (Appendix 2) ↩︎Farming with trees ↩︎Silvopastoral system is an alternative to improve animal welfare and productive performance in meat production systems ↩︎Broad phenotypic impact of the effects of transgenerational heat stress in dairy cattle: a study of four consecutive generations ↩︎Heat stress abatement strategies ↩︎Silvopasture: an agroforestry practice ↩︎Tree Species Guide for UK Agroforestry Systems ↩︎Agroforestry in the UK ↩︎The Agroforestry Handbook ↩︎ seen at 11:00, 8 June in Forestry Commission.