Partnering for Agroforestry
Before you plant your perennial crops, ask yourself this one question:
“Who are my partners?”
Implementing agroforestry can be difficult, especially when it comes to transitioning land use, acquiring financing, and securing land tenure and access. We have compiled a series of videos and resources showing new kinds of partnerships between landowners, tree farmers, and investors or between landowners, community stakeholders, and investors to accelerate widespread adoption of agroforestry practices. Check out some of these stories to find unique partnerships that might appeal to you.
Share with a friend and support the understanding and adoption of agroforestry in the Midwest!
The Partnering for Agroforestry video series was completed with support from USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC). The NAC accelerates the adoption of agroforestry by leading, catalyzing, coordinating, and conducting research and science-based outreach.
Check out the Featured Partnerships
All Seasons Farm
All Seasons Farm is an organic grass fed dairy farm in SW Wisconsin and has been operating as an organic producer since 2006. In May of 2022, volunteers helped plant 1,100 trees along pastures at All Seasons Farm.
Nettle Valley Farm
Nettle Valley Farm is a 70 acre pastured pork farm outside Spring Grove, Minnesota, which manages an incubator farm program to host young livestock farmers who are interested in silvopasture and other agroforestry practices. The incubator farm program works to start young beginning livestock farmers in the industry.
Organic Compound
(coming soon)
Organic Compound has over 40 acres of a diverse agroforestry system, filled with hybrid hazelnuts, american elderberries, silvopastured poultry and so much more. The farm hosts events, farm tours and community gardening activities. The family farm’s success is a combination of partnerships including one with Tree-Range® Chicken to launch the first commercially scaled regenerative poultry production units. Business relationships, shared investments, generational lands and community support have anchored this farm’s success.
Lily Springs Farm
(coming soon)
Lily Springs Farm is a 100-acre property located on the shores of a spring-fed lake in western Wisconsin. The farm hosts events, classes, and on-site lodging rental and tourism. Lily Springs Farm partners with their community to cultivate rows of elderberry, aronia, black currant and raspberry along with hazelnut, apple, plum, apricot, and cherry, and other tree varieties.
Silverwood Park
Silverwood park is an historic site that dates all the way back to the 1800s. Its mission is to share the legacy of this family farm and how it has become a thriving force for agroforestry, gardening and community gatherings.
Delight Flower Farm
(coming soon)
Delight Flower Farm is a commercial cut flower farm just west of Champaign, IL that includes a cut-flower CSA, farmers market sales, and on-farm workshops serving the Champaign-Urbana area. Owner Maggie Taylor worked with Savanna Institute to apply for NRCS funding for her farm to establish alley cropping and windbreaks.
Southern Ohio Chestnut Co
(coming soon)
The Southern Ohio Chestnut Farm is a multi-farm business co-founded by Chris Smyth and Badger Johnson, operating on properties in southern Ohio. With a focus on Chinese chestnut varieties, the company currently manages 25 acres through a long term, 75-year lease with the Woodcock Nature Preserve.
Iriquois Valley Farmland REIT
(coming soon)
Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT is investing in land security for organic farmers, supporting crop rotations to diversifying livestock, dairy, and broader spectrum agriculture, including agroforestry.
Red Fern Farm
Before you start your farm it’s important to consider what your farm partnerships are going to look like. In this video, Kathy Dice of Red Fern Farm shares some insights on how to successfully navigate the long term partnerships that are critical to success in an agroforestry system.