So, you planned and planted an agroforestry project. Now what?
Earlier this year, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy planted thousands of trees and shrubs in a new demonstration silvopasture project on 8 acres of pasture at the SAHC Community Farm, with a lot of help from volunteers and our partners at Contours Lines! Contour Lines, a nonprofit, specializes in efficient establishment of agroforestry systems with a high seedling survival rate. Contour Lines has planted over 7,000 agroforestry systems in three countries. They are hosting a 2-part workshop series with SAHC to teach more people how to plan and plant a silvopasture agroforestry sites on contour, combining sloped soil management with sustainable agriculture.
This month, we are hosting Part 2 in our 2-part silvopasture workshop series. We invite you to come learn about agroforestry maintenance. This class will focus on the termination and management of cover crops, pruning, organic pest management, and mulching practices.
This workshop is great for anyone who is interested in learning more about silvopasture and agroforestry systems in the southern Appalachian mountains.
Cost: $20/per person (No one turned away for inability to pay)
About the project: SAHC received a $6,000 Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant to support this project, and nonprofit organization Contour Lines Corp. (contourlines.org) is donating plant material, design and expertise for hands-on workshops to help execute the silvopasture project on the SAHC Community Farm. The Catalyzing Agroforestry Grants Program is an initiative funded by the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition (ABFFC) and Edwards Mother Earth Foundation (EMEF) that is managed by Virginia Tech University in partnership with Rural Action, Appalachian Sustainable Development, The Yew Mountain Center, North Carolina State University.
Register for This Workshop
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Silvopasture at the Community Farm
Goal:
Our aim with this acreage is to make productive and educational/demonstrative use of the hilly pasture on the SAHC Community Farm, which sees a lot of visitors (both adults and school groups from the community). We currently have no other agroforestry or silvopasture production open to the public in our community, and we feel this will be a valuable learning site for current and future growers in the area! Carbon sequestration, value added products and perennial/no till crops are just a few of the beneficial environmental and economic factors which lead us to initiate this specific multi crop plan. We are confident it will be a great fit for our farm and the needs of our region.
During our first phase we converted 8 acres of pasture land into silvopasture by cutting in swales slightly of contour. We planted a multi-species perennial crop of trees and shrubs for multiple outputs. Varieties planted included locust, mulberry, paw-paw, hazelnut, sycamore, indigo, cottonwood, elderberry and others. In our second phase, we will continue maintenance and management of the silvopasture project area, which will produce food, fodder, fuel, shade, habitat, water conservation and other impacts.
Partnership with Contour Lines:
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and Contour Lines Corp are teaming up to plant this demonstration agroforestry plot. The site is designed as an educational tool that will demonstrate regenerative agriculture and soil conservation techniques. This site will serve as a model for larger scale land restoration projects including native species reforestation, diversified fruit and nut production, and silvopasture farming.
