English These resources look at how you can integrate trees into your farming system including on farm woodland and hedgerow management and agroforestry. We’ll also be looking at how to leverage payments on farm trees and how to access carbon payments.
Info about the Hedgerow Carbon Code being developed by the Allerton Project
A ground-breaking project to unlock the environmental potential of hedgerows has been given the go-ahead with a government grant of £81,561. The scheme, being developed by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) at its demonstration farm, the Allerton Project, will develop a Hedgerow Carbon Code, which will encourage hedgerow habitat improvements and provide a tool to calculate the carbon capture potential of hedgerows. The project is one of just 27 to receive funds from the £10 million Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund.
Communicating carbon reduction schemes to farmers; busting preconceptions, driving efficiency and profit – Nuffield Report
To understand the opportunities for UK livestock farmers to effectively reduce onfarm greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration potential. To seek out good examples of communication and knowledge transfer to farmers on this subject and examine what is working in terms of inspiring action and behavioural change.
Farm Carbon Toolkit website
We’re an independent, farmer-led enterprise, supporting other farmers to measure, understand and act on their greenhouse gas emissions, while improving their business resilience for the future.
Farmers Weekly Learning Centre (with access to ‘Carbon trading for farmers’ under ‘Business collections’)
The Farmers Weekly Learning Centre is where you can improve your career prospects and agricultural knowledge through online courses. Browse our growing library of CPD Collections to find a course that will help you.
Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK – Committee on Climate Change report
The UK’s net-zero target will not be met without changes in how we use our land. Those changes must start now. The Committee’s previous work1 has shown it is possible to reduce land-based emissions of greenhouse gases while contributing to other strategic priorities for land such as food production, climate change adaptation and biodiversity.This report focuses on the policies to drive that change. Farmers and landowners will face many challenges over this transition, but the framework set out in this report can help to make it a fair one by creating new opportunities and revenue streams that reflect the benefits they bring to society.
Agroforestry and the Basic Payment Scheme – Government guidance
An explanation and examples of some agroforestry options that are compatible with the Basic Payment Scheme
Woodland Carbon – info on Woodland Trust scheme
Under our Woodland Carbon scheme, new woodland planted on your land locks up carbon emissions and supports nature’s recovery with the added bonus of extra income.
NFU Tree Strategy
The NFU recognises the enormous challenge our farmers have ahead of them to step up and contribute to the nation’s tree planting target. Our aspiration is for British farmers and growers to be global leaders in climate-friendly food production, alongside their role in maintaining and improving our environment. The NFU has set the ambitious goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the whole of agriculture by 2040. Some of this, will be achieved through carbon sequestration measures such as growing bigger and and wider hedgerows and planting trees across farm where they can, alongside managing soil to also build carbon reserves.
From Blockages to Building Blocks: What is Needed to Encourage Agroforestry Uptake in the UK? – video recording of Oxford Real Farming Conference 2022 session
There is rising interest in the UK in agroforestry, or “farming with trees”. With its potential to increase farm productivity and resilience and work as a “nature-based solution” towards national and global policy goals on climate change and biodiversity, farmers and policy makers seem united in wanting to see it work. However, significant barriers to agroforestry uptake need to be recognised and addressed in future policy. As part of Defra’s Tests and Trials process for co-designing options under the Environmental Land Management scheme, regional workshops have been held with farmers and other stakeholders to identify the building blocks that will support the planting and profitable management of trees within farm enterprises. Each has focussed on a specific type of agroforestry: silvoarable, lowland and upland silvopasture, silvopoultry and silvohorticulture. The session will present and invite feedback on the findings so far, focussing in particular on payment mechanisms and required advice/guidance through the course of a long-term agroforestry venture.
Silvopasture for livestock, biodiversity and soil health – Innovative Farmers field lab
Seven farms are integrating trees with livestock on their farms and are monitoring the impact on livestock behaviour, biodiversity and soil health metrics
Tree planting and farming hand in hand. How to plant without affecting your subsidies – Woodland Trust Case Study
This case study describes the agroforestry trial that the Woodland Trust is collaborating on with the Allerton Project at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) demonstration farm. The trial is looking at how trees and sheep grazing can work effectively together whilst also contributing to GWCT’s game management system, and providing other on-farm and environmental benefits. The case study describes the aims of the trial against a backdrop of tree planting potentially affecting farming subsidies and grants. It describes the technical details of the trial, the nature of the collaboration between the Woodland Trust and the GWCT, and the questions that they are hoping to collectively answer.
Trees mean better business improving free range egg production – Woodland Trust case study
This case study describes how David Brass, of the Lakes Free Range Egg Company, has come to appreciate the commercial and welfare benefits that planting trees can deliver on free range egg farms. It explains that 20% of the ranging areas used by the company are now tree-planted, and this has become a stipulation for all farms supplying eggs to them. It outlines how planting trees has cost benefit advantages by increasing the proportion of Grade A eggs produced and improving animal welfare, and describes the research that has supported this. There is a section describing the benefits of wooded ranges and encouraging natural behaviours, and the beneficial impacts this can have on production. There is also comment on how more farmers are seeing the benefits of tree planting since being driven to plant through enforced regulations. The study includes some useful ‘Key facts’ and ‘Tips on planting for poultry.’
George Young farmer profile (incl. videos)
Fobbing Farm is a 1,200 acre (485 hectare) zero tillage and zero insecticide arable and livestock farm in south Essex. We are not on the highest quality land, so my farming approach works with that. When I came home to the family farm in 2013, we were reasonably conventional farmers, occasionally ploughing, with standard chemical inputs, growing milling wheat; 7.5 tonnes (t) / hectare (ha), oilseed rape; 2 – 4 t / ha, and peas; 2.5 – 4.5 t / ha, with cattle primarily on permanent grass marshes and not integrated into the rotation.
Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer farmer profile
Having gained experience in forestry, both working with the Borders Forest Trust and the National Trust for Scotland, our first objective with Lynbreck Croft was to secure grant funding to expand on the woodland inherited with the croft. We have planted 30,000 native trees on the croft and promote new natural regeneration; using livestock to do this as part of the solution. High animal welfare is paramount to the success of our business and we work hard to ensure the animals are able to express their natural behaviours.
Wakelyns Agroforestry: Resilience through diversity
Integrating trees for timber, energy and fruit production into an organic crop rotation, Wakelyns (a 22.5 hectare innovative farm) was established by the late plant pathologist Prof. Martin Wolfe to put into action his theories of agrobiodiversity being the answer to achieving sustainable and resilient agriculture. The farm has been the focus of research into organic crop production and agroforestry for 20 years. Some of the key theories investigated and the evidence produced by Martin and researchers from the Organic Research Centre are summarised in this review which is invaluable to any farmer or land manager with an interest in carrying out agroforestry on their land.
Andy Dibben grower profile
Abbey Home Farm is a diverse mixed, family owned 1,600 acre farm near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, that has been organic for 30 years. John Newman is farm manager for the arable, livestock and estate enterprises. I am head grower of the fruit and veg and make all the decisions within the 15-acre horticulture holding.
Paul & Nic Renison farmer profile
We started a Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) in 2013, when we planted new hedges and reinstated walls and pockets of woodland – all with the aim of increasing shelter. At the time, biodiversity and water holding capacity wasn’t really at the forefront of our minds. With the HLS we fenced off a lot of our waterways / watercourses – it has been a bit of a game changer – we now have the feeling that the water leaving our farm is clean.
Agroforestry at FAI Farms (Silvopoultry) video
This document was created as an accompaniment to a podcast as part of a Farming the Future A-Team Foundation-funded project that aimed to promote agroforestry as a way of farmers and landowners simultaneously and sustainably growing food, transitioning into the new ELM Scheme and contributing to ‘public goods.’
A National Network of Agroforestry Farms project page with links to relevant case studies, podcasts and lots of other useful resources
One of the solutions proposed by the Government to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 is to plant at least 30,000 hectares of trees per year. 50% of these are designated for farming land, yet the UK’s domestic food production has rapidly declined over the last 40 years, threatening food security and sovereignty. Large-scale tree planting has the potential to reduce production even further and could contribute to the climate and ecological crisis it aims to avert.
Agroforestry Handbook
Written for farmers and advisors this book will help you assess the potential business benefits of agroforestry for your farm or client and to understand the possible benefits to the wider environment.
Agroforestry at Shimpling Park Farm video
In this video, John Pawsey describes the agroforestry at Shimpling Park Farm. In December 2020 they planted 3 fields totalling about 50 acres with 3,500 trees that mimic the species in the adjacent SSSI woodland and are ideally suited for the farm soil type. Between the trees they are growing organic arable crops (cereals and pulses) and plan to also graze their sheep. The trees are planted in lines in the fields at 36m intervals, with 4m wide alleys. John talks about what inspired him, the reasons behind some of the practical decisions, how they plan to use and manage the trees and expected benefits; for livestock, people, wildlife and the environment. This was made for ‘A National Network of Agroforestry Farms, ’a ‘Farming the Future’ A Team Foundation – funded project. Find out more about it and access a quick reference guide by visiting the project page: https://www.agricology.co.uk/national…. View the full farmer profile for John Pawsey here: https://www.agricology.co.uk/field/fa…
Soil Association Scotland Agroforestry in Action programme (online agroforestry hub)
Put simply, agroforestry means farming with trees.
Farmers worry that planting trees means giving up productive land and losing the basic payment, which it doesn’t.
Agroforestry can mean anything from shelter belts, hedgerows and timber plantations to a fully integrated farming system, where livestock and/or arable crops and trees are interdependent.
Soil Association Agroforestry
Combining trees with crops or livestock is more productive, better for wildlife and healthier for the planet, but only 3% of the UK’s farmland currently practices agroforestry.Find out how we’re working with farmers to achieve our goal of over half of UK farms having agroforestry systems in place by 2030.
The Farm Woodland Forum
The Farm Woodland Forum aims to facilitate the generation and exchange of information that supports best practice in and improves opportunities for farming with trees. We are an informal group of farmers, foresters and researchers with a common interest in farming with trees in all its aspects.
Woodland Trust agroforestry
Agroforestry is a land management approach that combines trees and shrubs with crop and livestock farming systems. This practice delivers a multitude of benefits both for the farm and for nature. But it is yet to realise its full potential. Find out more about how agroforestry works, the rewards, why agroforestry needs to become the norm and how you can make a start.
Mike Mallett farmer profile & podcast
Mike Mallett is farm manager of Maple Farm Kelsale, a 138-hectare family farm situated 3 miles from the Suffolk coast. The farm converted to organic in 2004 and is mostly arable with some permanent pasture, large areas of woodland, some vegetables and fruit, and laying hens. Arable crops grown include wheat (including heritage varieties), beans, spring triticale and peas, and there are two years of clover or vetch-based leys within the rotation. Meadows are grazed by visiting sheep. Most of the cropping revolves around the layer hens which live on 18 hectares of 3 fields (there are approximately 2,700 hens currently).
Agroforestry’ general search on Agricology
A selection of resources for farmers interested in pursuing agroforestry.
Stephen Briggs farmer profile
We mainly produce cereals: spring and winter wheat (5-5.5 tonnes/hectare, 13.5% protein for milling), spring barley (malting), winter oats, spring oats (5-6.5 tonnes/hectare). Spring wheat is sold via direct sale to a local windmill producing Cambridgeshire grown and milled bread. Our oats are produced for a specialty gluten free market. Clover is grazed by sheep. Cover crops grown include mustard and phacelia.
Abacus Agriculture Agroforestry Services
This isn’t a new concept and has been practiced for thousands of years though more common place in Europe where farmers are cropping fruit trees and livestock together. In the UK agroforestry is an emerging innovation providing multiple benefits for the farmer looking at new enterprises that can complement an existing farm system whilst making use of the sun’s energy to produce additional cropping and income – 3D farming.
