Agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and/or animal systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. Agroforestry practices, including silvopasture, alley cropping, windbreaks, riparian buffers, and forest farming, can be utilized to address resource concerns and achieve landowner goals.
As a distinctive land management strategy, agroforestry enables landowners to achieve productivity and profitability alongside environmental stewardship, fostering healthy, sustainable agricultural systems that can be passed on to future generations.
What are the benefits?
Trees provide livestock shelter from summer heat while diversifying their diet. Studies also demonstrate increased milk yields and conception rates among cattle.
Wildlife habitat is also created through agroforestry systems. Agroforestry can help meet the needs of adequate year round food supplies; suitable cover and structure; well distributed water; and adequate habitat.
Agroforestry systems create diverse habitats and resources for a variety of species including insects, birds, mammals, and soil microorganisms.
Studies show that, at even a modest level of adoption, agroforestry could sequester more carbon than any other agriculture land management approach out there.
Incorporating trees increases nutrient and water uptake on a landscape, provides natural habitat, slows surface water and encourages infiltration during precipitation events, and provides a physical barrier to pollutants moving toward a waterway.
Integrating trees, forage, and livestock creates a land management system that produces marketable products while maintaining long-term site productivity. Economic risk is reduced because the system produces multiple products. Production costs are reduced and marketing flexibility is enhanced by distributing management costs between the tree, forage, and livestock components.
Silvopasture
Silvopasture intentionally integrates trees into livestock pastures. A silvopasture system can be created by adding trees to a pasture or removing them from wooded areas. These working trees offer shade for livestock and can provide an additional source of income by producing high value crops.
Alley Cropping
Alley cropping is the cultivation of crops in between widely spaced rows of high-value trees or shrubs. This system can diversify farm income through timber, fruit, or nut harvests, while trees also reduce wind stress, stabilize temperatures, and regenerate soil.
Forest Farming
In forest farming, high-value specialty crops are grown under a managed forest canopy. The forest may also consist of high-value fruit, nuts, or timber products. Commonly forest farmed crops include medicinal plants and mushrooms.
Windbreaks
Windbreaks are rows of trees and shrubs planted along field edges to prevent wind erosion and protect crops from wind damage. Though they take land out of commodity production, integrating tree and shrub crops can offset this loss. Windbreaks also enhance water availability for nearby crops, improve yields, and reduce dust and pesticide drift.
Riparian Forest Buffer
Riparian forest buffers consist of trees, shrubs, or other plants growing alongside a stream, lake, or wetland. These buffers protect water bodies from adjacent agricultural fields by slowing runoff, filtering nutrients, and stabilizing soil during heavy rains and flooding. Tree canopies near waterways help keep water temperatures cool for fish while fallen branches offer habitat. The trees planted in the buffer may serve as an additional source of income and/or can add habitat for birds and pollinators.
Food Forests
A food forest is a system that mimics the structure and function of a natural forest ecosystem dominated by both native and non-native food and medicinal trees and shrubs and incorporating plants for pollinators, nutrient cycling, and other ecological functions.
Have an interested landowner or producer?
Give a copy of this flyer to landowners and producers looking to learn more about the basics of agroforestry!
Funding Agroforestry
Wisconsin has conservation practice standards for all five agroforestry practices, therefore supporting financial assistance through EQIP. For more information visit NRCS Conservation Practice Standards for Agroforestry.
Financial assistance through CSP may be available to those looking to use agroforestry practices to enhance existing conservation work on the land. Refer to CSP Enhancements and Bundles for more information.
The most common agroforestry practices through CRP include windbreaks, woody riparian buffers, hardwood tree planting, and pollinator habitat. Find more information at the Farm Service Agency CRP webpage.
The CAGP aims to increase ecosystem sustainability and diversity by scaling up agroforestry practices. To achieve this goal, assistance is available for selected projects through regional partners, management of funds and technical assistance. For more information, refer to their website.
Interested in learning more?
From general practices to design and implementation, we've compiled a comprehensive list of resources to support your work.
If you have a resource you'd like to share, please contact jenny@wisconsinlandwater.org.
Learn more about agroforestry from our partners:
