Agroforestry can take many forms—riparian buffers, silvopasture, alley cropping, forest farming, and more. Ultimately it means planting more trees on farms.
Trees help draw down carbon, reduce runoff, lower surface temperatures, and improve the health of our soil, water, and air. Agroforestry also helps farms protect their fields from increasingly extreme weather. Increasing biodiversity on the farm can generate financial, environmental, and social co-benefits that help farmers get the most out of each acre.
Pasa’s new Agroforestry Training Program connects aspiring agroforestry practitioners with experienced farmers and land stewards for hands-on agroforestry education and skill-building.
Alley cropping is an agroforestry practice defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “the planting of rows of trees and/or shrubs to create alleys within which agricultural or horticultural crops are produced.” Like other agroforestry systems, the roots of alley cropping techniques likely predate what many consider the dawn of modern agriculture. By revisiting and reimagining these practices, today’s land stewards can conserve and enrich natural resources while diversifying their income streams.
Learn about Pennsylvania farms experimenting with the agroforestry practice of alley cropping.
