Farmer Mark Shepard petting a pig beneath trees

🔊 New Forest Farm Tour with Mark Shepard

by Jacob Grace | Mar 15, 2023 | Climate, Podcast, Tree Crops

When you talk with someone who’s familiar with agroforestry in the Midwest, the name “Mark Shepard” usually comes up pretty quickly. Mark’s book Restoration Agriculture was published ten years ago this year, and through his book and his speaking appearances, Mark has become an inspiration to countless farmers and landowners interested in agroforestry and perennial agriculture.

This video tour of Mark’s farm is currently the most-viewed video on our YouTube channel! Don’t miss it:

Mark operates New Forest Farm in southwestern Wisconsin, which serves as a living demonstration of his vision for diverse, perennial agroforestry. We’ve been fortunate to work with Mark a number of times over the years, including swapping tree varieties with him and featuring him and his farm in our videos and educational materials.

Mark began growing hybrid hazelnuts on his farm in the early ‘90s. Here is what he’s learned:

Our latest podcast episode is taken from an interview and farm tour we recorded with Mark at New Forest Farm back in 2018. It was the day after southwest Wisconsin had received catastrophic heavy rains, and as Mark tells us in the video below, he and his car were nearly washed away in the floodwaters. Experiences like this have only strengthened his sense of urgency in expanding restoration agriculture across the Midwest.

For Mark Shepard, combating the climate crisis has gotten personal:

More from Perennial AF

🔊 “You Can’t Believe It Grows Here” – Project Pawpaw with Adam D’Angelo

by Jacob Grace | Apr 15, 2024 | Podcast, Tree Crops

Adam D’Angelo is the founder of Project Pawpaw, a crowdfunded plant breeding effort focused on North America’s forgotten fruit: the pawpaw. In the latest episode of the Perennial AF podcast, Adam talks about why the pawpaw is a perfect candidate for plant-breeding efforts.

🔊 A Thorny Topic: Black Locust and Honey Locust for Agroforestry

by Jacob Grace | Apr 1, 2024 | Podcast, Tree Crops

A lot of people hate black locust and honey locust trees, but some people think they hold great potential for agroforestry. Greg Judy, Austin Unruh, Steve Gabriel, Brett Chedzoy, Eliza Greenman, and others share their perspective in this episode.

PFG2023 Recordings Now Available for Free on YouTube

by Renee Gasch | Mar 27, 2024 | Perennial Farm Gathering

In 2023, the Perennial Farm Gathering brought together 600 people, 60 presenters, and 20 sponsors online over three days of community-building for perennial agriculture. Keynotes by authors Robin Wall Kimmerer and Ross Gay kept us rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the creative joy that tending a garden can bring. Now, you can watch PFG2023 videos on our YouTube Channel for free.