Transcript
Webinar: Unlocking the Agroforestry Advantage
This webinar, hosted by The Land App, was held in partnership with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group to announce the release of a new agroforestry design toolkit.
Key Speakers
Dan (The Land App): Host and demo lead.
Edd Colbert: An agroforestry design advisor who partnered with The Land App to build the new tool.
James Ramskir-Gardiner (Forestry Commission): An agroforestry advisor who provided an update on available grants.
Nick Rouse (Trees outside of Woodland project): A project officer sharing insights from his work in Shropshire.
James Robinson: A dairy farmer and England chair for the Nature Friendly Farming Network.
Hannah Marshall (Woodland Trust): An outreach advisor discussing alternative funding.
What is Agroforestry?
Ed Colbert described agroforestry not as a single practice, but as a "toolbox" of practices designed to address specific farm challenges and seize new opportunities.
Challenges:
Climate volatility (hotter summers, wetter winters)
Wind exposure affecting crops and livestock
Rising input costs (fencing, animal bedding)
Opportunities:
Farm diversification
Producing varied food crops (fruits, nuts) and timber
Creating premium added-value products
Agri-tourism Ed highlighted that every farm already engages in some form of agroforestry through existing hedges and woodlands, and the goal is to view these assets with a new perspective.
Agroforestry Design Toolkit Demo
Dan demonstrated the new toolkit, which is available for free within The Land App.
Accessing the tool: The toolkit is a "data download" feature accessed via a farm's SBI number.
Design types: The tool offers three design options: linear (for silver-arable), infield dispersed (for wood pasture), and a traditional orchard layout.
Linear design parameters: Users can input the width of their machinery, the purpose of the planting (e.g., shelter, fruit, nuts), and choose an orientation (manual or automatic).
Outputs: The tool generates a design with recommended tree types and spacings, while also accounting for excluded areas like existing buildings or public footpaths. It also produces a report detailing the number of trees and the percentage of land covered by the tree rows.
Dispersed design: This option focuses on tree density, allowing users to align with grant requirements like SFI's "very low" or "low" density categories.
Funding and Grants Update
James Ram Gardner provided an overview of the grants available through the Environmental Land Management scheme.
SFI Actions (AGF1, AGF2): These offer revenue payments for maintaining infield agroforestry on "less sensitive land" at a very low or low density. These are three-year agreements.
Capital Grants (AF1, AF2, AF3): These grants cover the cost of planting trees, including species supplements.
PA4 Agroforestry Plan: This grant pays applicants to create a comprehensive plan for their farm, which is a requirement for higher-tier applications.
Crucial Update: A temporary pause has been placed on new applications for capital grants (AF1, AF2, AF3). However, the SFI revenue payments (AGF1, AGF2) and the PA4 agroforestry plan remain open and are still available for applications. Other schemes like the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) are also unaffected.
Woodland Trust Funding: Hannah Marshall announced the Woodland Trust's "Trees for Your Farm" fund, which offers up to 100% funding for trees and protections to farmers across the UK.
Round Table Discussion Highlights
Uptake: Nick Rouse noted a "pleasantly surprised" level of interest in agroforestry, with momentum picking up in recent years.
Farmer Perspective: James Robinson shared that he has seen tangible benefits on his dairy farm, with existing shelter belts helping to reduce heat stress, which in turn benefits milk yield and animal fertility.
Evidence Base: Ed Colbert cited evidence showing that shade and shelter from trees can increase milk yields, reduce ammonia emissions, and improve biodiversity (e.g., earthworm counts, ground beetles).
Peer-to-Peer Learning: The panelists agreed that peer-to-peer learning and case studies are vital for promoting agroforestry, as are advisory services from organizations like the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust.
"Design First, Fund Later": The overwhelming consensus was that farmers should first design an agroforestry system that works for their specific farm and business needs, and then seek the funding that aligns with that plan, rather than designing a plan solely around the grant rules.