Though not quite as old as some of the trees we care for, the Woodland Trust has several employees who have been around for a while! My colleague Pete Leeson is celebrating his 30th year at the Trust and I have been here nearly 25 years. We wanted to mark this longevity and share what we’ve learned over the years with others, so we decided to launch a new farming podcast and an agroforestry event!
In 2017 we held a sell-out agroforestry conference which awakened the UK to the possibility of agroforestry. Ever since Ben Raskin of the Soil Association and I have been mulling over what was needed next. How do we give both farmers and foresters the tools, knowledge and confidence to come together and make agroforestry a mainstream land use for the benefit of business, communities and nature? One of our ideas was an agroforestry festival – and after much planning, it’s taking place 6-7 September.
Three reasons to join us at the Agroforestry Show 2023:
Meet the farmers practising agroforestry and the forestry sector providing the expertise and trees to do it: I’m excited to hear George Young explain how trees are an important component of his farm’s regenerative transition, supported by the Trust’s Trees for your Farm scheme. There will also be lots of opportunities to pick up useful tips from experienced agroforesters, such as Stephen Briggs and foresters including Caroline Ayre of Evolving Forests and Steph from tree nursery F P Matthews.
Find out how the finance will stack up: A great opportunity to learn about the government grants currently available and future plans for support across the UK. I’m also looking forward to hearing Tim Coates, farmer and founder of Oxbury Bank – the UK’s dedicated agricultural bank – on how to fund an agroforestry scheme.
See agroforestry in action: Take time out of the busy seminar programme for a guided walk around Eastbrook Farm to experience agroforestry in action, from woodland pigs, the newly planted wood pasture roundels designed by the Trust’s Mark Franklin, and the silvoarable alley cropping to a hedge safari with Prof Pippa Chapman of the University of Leeds or a dung beetle safari with Sally-Ann Spence.
Visit the Agroforestry Show, 6-7 September 2023 at Eastbrook Farm, near Swindon, Wiltshire to find out how trees and woods can boost your nature-friendly farming systems. NFFN members can enjoy a 10% discount on a two-day standard ticket with the code FRIENDOFWT.
Take a tree amble with Pete Leeson
Pete’s passion led to his new podcast, Tree Amble, a series of conversations with people he has worked with and their positive stories about changing their approach to farming. The first series includes farmers, advisers and other sector experts from across the UK. And of course, there is an ongoing theme of trees on farms.
Episode one is set on an organic dairy farm in Cumbria. When Mark and Jenny came back to Jenny’s family farm, they intensified production but soon discovered it wasn’t working for them. They now produce organic milk and fabulous cheese and ice cream from a grass-based system with no inputs, with in-field trees for shelter, shade and browse.
Inspired by their story? Join the Hedges, Edges and Farmland Trees session at the Agroforestry Show with NFFN’s James Robinson and Ruth Pybus.
Episode 4 features David from Wakelyns Farm in Suffolk, which has perhaps the most significant long-running agroforestry project in the UK at over 25 years old. Hear how David’s parents created Wakelyns and how he is continuing this amazing resource, made all the richer by the many people involved. David will be sharing his experience of a biomass-based agroforestry system at the Agroforestry Show.
Listen to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.