This session is hosted by NFFN in partnership with the Woodland Trust

Agroforestry is being mentioned in many places as farmers review their options for business and potential new payments schemes. But the term ’agroforestry’ covers so many options for farmers but it often conjures up pictures in people’s minds of vast expanses of new tree planting in forest sized spaces!

In reality the choices of agroforestry systems are many with various approaches and scales in how you can integrate more trees within your farming systems and business outputs. Agroforestry can bring a raft of benefits financially, for welfare of livestock and for nature and related bio-diversity and this is very possible to achieve in the Uplands. It may also be useful in accessing potential new environmental schemes and could be eligible for funding.

If you would like to know more about the ‘realities’ of agroforestry in practice and where it can fit within Upland farms, then join this session to listen and question farmers and advisers working with agroforestry every day. It might make you think again….

Speakers/hosts include:

Helen Chesshire is lead farming advocate at the Woodland Trust, responsible for working with both the farming sector and policy makers to promote the benefits of trees on farms.  Otherwise known as agroforestry, the deliberate integration of trees within agricultural crops and livestock is a win –win for sustainable food production and the natural environment.  The Woodland Trust can provide advice and support to farmers interested in agroforestry.  Helen grew up on a diary and sheep farm in the Midlands.

Nic Renison originates from a dairy farm on the Welsh borders and spent her first ten years working within the family business. The simplicity, integrity and honesty of that cycle and its value to the producer, environment and consumer hasn’t left her conscience. She now farms in Cumbria with her husband and children. Nature and farming create the heart of their business and over recent years they have introduced agroforestry into their farming system. After previously working for AHDB, Nic is now embarking upon developing the farm business including the egg mobile, direct sales of meat and a glamping enterprise.

Andrew Barbour works in the family farming and forestry business in Highland Perthshire. Running both a cattle and sheep enterprise on land that is over 1000ft altitude, providing shelter plays an important part in the business. He has developed shelter woods on the farm and has experience of the management of pastoral woodlands and how they integrate with grassland management. His knowledge of agroforestry within farming systems provides a valuable resource for other farmers.

Pete Leeson has been at the Woodland Trust for 27 years fulfilling a number of roles including site manager and land agent living and working in Cumbria.. He now works to bring about landscape scale change through working with farmers, landowners and partners. His interest is in finding ways to restore a more nature friendly approach to land management, to reconnect habitats and to support local people in this process.