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

🔊 “Spreadsheets on the Radio” – Farm Viability and the Fruit & Nut Compass with John Hendrickson

by Jacob Grace | Mar 20, 2024 | Finances, Podcast, Tree Crops

Spreadsheet wizard John Hendrickson helps host Jacob Grace get started with the Fruit and Nut Compass, a free spreadsheet tool for producers to track the financial viability of their enterprises.

6 Research Papers Published by Savanna Institute Scientists in 2023

by Renee Gasch | Mar 19, 2024 | Research

To advance the field of agroforestry research, Savanna Institute staff collaborate with scientists worldwide to study tree crops and perennial farm systems. Our researchers work to make sure Midwest farmers and landholders have access to the latest information available to plan their farms. In 2023, staff from our research and commercialization teams contributed thought leadership on hazelnut genetics, chestnut value chains, and soil science for academic journals in the field – all to guide the development of perennial agriculture in the US. Explore the research published by the Savanna Institute in the organization’s tenth year.