Publications
Latest Releases
Illinois Agroforester’s Report: 2020-2022
Black Currants: A Superfruit for the Midwest
Partnering for Agroforestry: Case Studies
Most Requested Resources
Interest in agroforestry is growing across the Midwest. Check out Savanna Institute’s popular free infosheets about agroforestry. Our most requested resources are related to the key agroforestry practices and choosing perennial tree crops.
Understanding Agroforestry Infographics
Key Perennial Crops
Growing Small Fruit Crops
Resources for growing perennial fruit shrubs
Shrub crops are a relatively easy entry point for farmers wishing to explore agroforestry. Elderberries and black currants are two hardy perennial crops that bear fruit in the second or third year after planting.Â
Download the Grower Guides to learn more about growing elderberries and black currants.
American Elderberry: A Native Perennial Crop for the Midwest
Black Currants: A Superfruit for the Midwest
Agroforestry Education Collection
Expanding opportunities to learn and engage with regenerative agriculture
To grow agroforestry in the Midwest, we are working to build the educational and outreach tools needed to reach people who want to plant trees for the climate, for food security, and for legacy.
Illinois Agroforester’s Report: 2020 – 2022
Urban Agroforestry Training Programs: A Joint Report
Perennial Pathways: Planting Tree Crops
- A comprehensive, 110-page guidebook to designing and installing farm-scale edible agroforestry
- Indispensable for new agroforestry farmers throughout the stages of farm startup
- Available as a free PDF download and also as a book shipped directly to you for $26
Impact Investment Plans
What will it take to catalyze agroforestry in the Midwest?
The Savanna Institute has talked with experts across the value chain about the top ten bottlenecks for the Midwest Hazelnut and Eastern Chestnut industries. Our Impact Investment Plans help Midwest farmers and businesses understand how they can access opportunities available in these promising perennial crop markets.
Download the free reports to learn more.
Overcoming Bottlenecks in the Eastern US Chestnut Industry
Overcoming Bottlenecks in the Midwest Hazelnut Industry
Long-term Lease Resources
Practicing agroforestry requires long-term access to land. This collection of land access and landowner scenarios from some of the Midwest’s perennial farmers offers answers to key questions for agroforestry planning.
Download the resources to think through your own unique land access approach.
Generating Value Through a Long-Term Agroforestry Lease: Tipsheet for Landowners
Inspirations for Creating a Long-Term Agricultural Lease for Agroforestry Workbook
Livestock Impacts on Silvopasture Tree Establishment
Silvopasture is the integration of livestock, forage, and trees in one farming system. To answer fundamental questions faced by farmers practicing silvopasture in the Midwest region, the Savanna Institute tested three production methods at four partner farms. Learn more in this research brief.
Food Safety in Silvopasture
Livestock are often viewed as a liability when it comes to food safety on farms. However, they are also key to making farms function more as healthy ecosystems. Livestock can be used in agroforestry systems for clearing weeds, controlling insects and pests, scratching and digging to prepare ground for planting, spreading and cycling nutrients through excretion, and cleaning up fallen nuts and fruits. Learn more about managing risks in this guide.
Do you have a question about adding trees to your land?
One-on-one Support for Farm Planning
Get help planning your perennial farm system. Our Technical Service program is here to guide you through the process of planning, financing, and planting trees on your farm.
Give a gift that heals the climate
When you purchase a gift from our giving guide, you help plant more trees to draw down carbon and improve water quality for generations. Instead of buying plants from nurseries which increases our carbon footprint through transportation and delivery, this package helps us work in smaller packages of seeds and scion to get our Campus Nursery and plantings off to the most sustainable start. One lb of seed plants one acre and ensures further revenue to support education, research, and demonstration.