It has many names: multi-story cropping, agroforestry, forest farming. All of these refer to farming within treed land. It’s a great way to seamlessly integrate the farm into the landscape and diversify the products your farm offers. 

Originating in Brazil, where tropical rainforests reign, agroforestry is a necessity. The rainforest is fertile ground for those who work within its confines. Due to the world’s highest biodiversity, productivity is also high. Even selective lumber production is possible. 

Despite the origins of multi-story cropping, it’s a good choice for farmers with forest on their land. If your land occurs on the margins of a forest, converting some of it for production isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t have to be major.  

What Is Forest Farming?

Put simply, agroforestry combines small-scale farming with conventional forestry. What results is a self-sustaining system that works within local ecological bounds. The most common form involves thinning a forest to allow the best conditions for crops to grow in the understory. 

Crops are usually those suited to the environment. They range from native ornamentals to fungi, fruit, timber, and forest food crops, including both wild plants and nuts. The most obvious choice is to cultivate plants that already exist in the forest by removing others that hinder their growth. 

Other methods exist as well, including silvopasture, a combination of forestry and ranching that utilizes trees to improve livestock and forage health. Trees offer shelter from high heat, cold, and intense winds. They also assist in the nutrient cycle on the ranch.  

Alley cropping is another way forestry can be a part of the farm. Similar to silvopasture, this system uses the tree canopy of strips of forest to protect crops below. Specialty crops that require certain ecological niches to thrive are great for planting between rows of trees.  

Benefits of Forest Farming

Depending on the existing farm, converting the farm to an agroforestry system can be inexpensive and may offer high returns as the years go on. The returns don’t stop at the financial level, as managing forested land offers ecological benefits as well. 

Agroforestry improves local water quality, as tree roots hold more water in the soil and recharge groundwater supplies. This same capacity relates to carbon stores as well, storing up to 22 pounds of carbon per year in the first 20 years alone. This directly correlates with better air quality and better temperature control. 

Forests offer farmers a specialized area for growing all kinds of crops. Mushrooms are excellent in forest farming systems, using the trees and their waste products to grow. Several specialty crops, like ramps, syrups, and edible roots, are dependent upon trees to grow. This offers the farm a way into the specialty market. 

The greatest benefit that comes from forest farming is the ecological benefit. Trees are host to numerous beneficial insects, birds, mammals, and, in their decaying state, fungi, archaea, and bacteria. They support a diversity of species, especially when native trees are the chief species present. 

Which Land is Suited to Forest Farming?

Farms that already exist in an ecological niche that is comprised of forest are the best for incorporating an agroforestry system. This could range from an actual forest that already exists on the land, all the way to the reforestation of previously cleared forest. In the latter, the installation of an agroforest is more costly up front, but it is also an act of conservation. 

Land with riparian areas surrounded by trees is perfect for agroforestry. In this setup, trees filter the water that ends up in local waterways, improving its quality. Planting with native plants and removing invasives ensures toxins and impurities are filtered out before they enter the watershed. 

One important note about agroforestry: it doesn’t need to be a large-scale operation. Even on small farms with a bit of forest, trees offer cover for sensitive cultivated food crops.

Considerations

Before you install your forest farm, look at the big picture. Inventory your natural resources. Determine which trees are present and if invasive trees need to be managed before the forested part of the farm gets into full swing. Consult your local ag extension office to develop a forest management plan. 

Get a sense of how your local market operates, and align your existing crops with that market. Your agricultural extension, state ag department, or your state forestry agency should have useful information if you can’t locate a local registry. Talk to people you trust in the market for the crops you have or want to grow. 

Know that forest crops often require farmers to be highly proactive about selling. There are numerous avenues, occurring even outside the farmer’s market or restaurant industry. Take a look at other suppliers who sell on the internet, or who work in agritourism. Mail order, pick-your-own, and direct market associations are viable options as well. 

When it comes to wild plants, there are regulations to consider, especially regarding the international trade of certain plant species. Consult the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to determine if you’re working with one of these plants.  

The post Forest Farming: Why it Might Make Sense for Your Land appeared first on Modern Farmer.