Agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees and woodland areas into agricultural land, offers significant ecological and economic benefits. This intersection of forestry and agriculture represents a great opportunity as the necessity for more efficient and ecologically friendly food production systems grows more urgent. It is a fascinating field and one to consider as you plan out your forestry degree. Trees planted among or alongside agricultural crops can provide such benefits as:

Preventing soil erosion

Protecting crops from wind damage

Ensuring proper drainage

Sequestering carbon

Allowing more diverse crops to be grown on the same parcel of land

The ecological benefits alone are enough to justify implementing agroforestry on a larger scale. The economic benefits of increased crop yield and diversity are substantial as well. The sites below have great info on agroforestry, agronomy, tree farming, and other sciences at the intersection of forestry and farming. These sites are not being rated comparatively. They each offer expertise and insight on a different facet of this complex and fascinating topic.

Agroforestry Research & Organizations

Interest in agroforestry is steadily growing as more and more research confirms the ecological and economic benefits of combining forestry and farming.

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Agroecology Resources

Agroecology takes into account the unique ecosystems fostered by various combinations of plant and animal species in agricultural settings. Incorporating elements of agriculture, forestry, and ecology can have incredible effects on the productivity of a particular parcel of land.

Groundswell International: Agroecological Farming This group focuses on sustainable agriculture, ecological agriculture, low-external input agriculture and people-centered agriculture. This kind of agriculture and food production creates strong communities and sustained farming over time. Community Agroecology Network (CAN) Community Agroecology Network is an international organization actively working in eight regions of Mexico and Central America. Their programs promote agroecological farming practices that produce healthy food and healthy environments, food security, and more. Rothamsted Research: Agroecology This organization works to understand the ecological mechanisms that deliver sustainable crop production. Their research focuses on the areas of weed ecology, soil ecology, insect migration and more. Agroecology in Action This laboratory is involved in several field projects in California, testing the effects of biological corridors in annual cropping systems. The research performed by this group provides the basic ecological principles for how to study, design, and manage sustainable agroecosystems that are both productive and natural resource conserving. Agroecology This website supplies information and resources for developing sustainable food systems, research, and creates application of agroecological science to solving real world problems. They also conduct training courses and intensive workshops to support activities linking agroecology and sustainability. Appalachian State University: Sustainable Development Teaching and Research Farm The department of sustainable development at Appalachian State University has a Teaching and Research Farm and Agroecology Laboratory that educates students and assists local farmers in researching best practices. Students utilize the farm to enhance their classroom lessons about agroecology, agroforestry, and sustainable farming practices. Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) The Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture program resides within the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. Their current mission is to advance sustainable and organic food and farming systems in Illinois. Aarhus University Department of Agroecology Research The department of Agroecology Research is organized into six research sections. Their research includes crop health, soil fertility, climate and water, soil physics, and plant pathology. Holzer AgroEcology Sepp Holzer’s AgroEcology is a natural form of agriculture based on the cycles and interactions in nature. These strategies have proven to be both ecologically beneficial and economically successful.





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Agronomy Info

Soil quality is deeply affected by the plants that grow in it, and the methods of farming used on it in agricultural settings. Agronomy is the study of how different conditions affect soil quality, and how to optimize soil quality for agricultural purposes using natural, ecological methods.

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Forest Farming

Some crops are much more productive if they grow under a forest canopy in partial shade. Forest farmers take advantage of this to produce high-value crops while maintaining large swatches of valuable forested land.

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Alley Cropping & Windbreaks

Alley cropping is the practice of interlacing rows of crops with rows of trees, hedges, or other plants that can provide protection and shelter to the crops. This is an increasingly popular way of increasing the yields and diversity of crops for some farms.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association: Alley Cropping in MOFGA’s Demonstration Orchard Jack Kertesz spearheaded the alley cropping demonstration at MOFGA’s orchard. This demonstration showed how annual and perennial crops could be interplanted in a young orchard to gain income while waiting for fruit trees to mature. Sustainable Harvest International: Alley Cropping The mission of Sustainable Harvest International is to provide farming families in Central America with the training and tools to preserve tropical forests while overcoming poverty. One technique they endorse is alley cropping, which restores nitrogen to the top layer of soil so that farmers can use the same piece of land year after year. INGA Alley cropping The Inga Foundation works to help communities and farmers in Honduras change from slash and burn to the tried and tested alternative system. Their research has provided the solution of Alley Cropping, which restores degraded land, provides food security, and generates sustainable livelihoods for farmers. The Loret Miller Ruppe Program in Forestry: Alley Cropping This site is maintained by the University of Minnesota, and explains the benefits of alley cropping. These benefits include improved economic stability, improved crop performance, reduced use of pesticides, and environmental stability. Brightholmlee Trees The Boundary Tree Planting project began in 2012 with an intention to replenish native broadleaf hardwood boundary trees. They now plant on privately owned agricultural land, bringing together their rural community and benefiting local agriculture.





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More Forestry Resources

Forestry and agriculture have always been deeply linked, and the more that we come to understand how the linkages work, the more we can use that information to both preserve forested land and increase the efficiency of farming efforts in a virtuous cycle that benefits both humanity and our environment.

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