Agroforestry

Agroforestry is the deliberate integration of trees and perennial crops into agricultural systems to provide additional production, ecological functions, and long-term landscape structure. At Wild East, our agroforestry systems are primarily designed as silvopasture, combining perennial tree plantings with grazed pasture, while also incorporating fruit, nut, native, and other multipurpose species.

Our initial agroforestry design covered approximately 12 acres of the farm. The system was designed as a long-term framework, with the planting pattern, infrastructure, access, and eventual succession

We help landowners design productive perennial systems that fit the conditions of their property and the way they want to use their land. Our own agroforestry system at Wild East serves as a working example of this process.

Site Analysis and Layout

The design process begins with understanding the property. We used three-foot contour mapping and aerial imagery to study the site's slopes, aspect, existing field patterns, and drainage. Google Earth allowed us to draw proposed planting lines, measure their lengths, and calculate tree quantities and spacing before installation. We then ground-truthed the design and adjusted it based on actual conditions in the field.

We considered keyline patterns during the design process, but the relatively flat character of the primary pastures made north-south orientation more useful for maximizing solar exposure. The resulting tree lanes generally follow this orientation while incorporating curves, allowing us to fit more trees into the available area without creating an entirely rigid pattern.

The practical requirements of the farm are part of the design from the beginning. Standardized spacing allows fencing and field pens to work throughout the system, while designated headways provide room for machinery to turn and move between production areas.

Fruit-Based Silvopasture

The primary silvopasture planting combines fruit trees, shrubs, and longer-lived canopy species. Apples, Asian pears, pawpaws, Asian persimmons, and mulberries were planted at 25-foot spacing, with hazelnuts occupying the intervening spaces at 12.5-foot spacing. Each lane also contains a native canopy tree intended to eventually become part of the mature structure of the planting.

The native canopy trees create a pathway for succession within the system. The fruit trees are expected to have a productive lifespan of approximately 30 to 50 years, while the native species can continue developing after the original fruit trees have declined. This provides an opportunity to maintain substantial tree cover and structural diversity as the planting matures rather than eventually returning the land to open pasture.

Matching Species to Site Conditions

Different parts of a property often call for different approaches. Our nut planting occupies a more marginal portion of the farm with heavier, poorly draining clay soils and lower-quality pasture. We therefore selected species capable of tolerating those conditions, including pecans, butternuts, English walnuts, black walnuts, and shagbark hickories.

This planting is partly an experiment rather than a commercial nut orchard. We are interested in its potential for future staple food production as well as shade, livestock fodder, habitat, and other functions. Trees were planted at relatively high density with expected mortality and future thinning incorporated into the design.

Succession and Natural Regeneration

Succession is also considered as part of the long-term design. On a dry ridge near the top of the farm, American persimmons, oaks, tulip poplars, and other native species have begun establishing naturally among planted chestnuts.

We can use this regeneration to guide the eventual composition of the planting. Some trees can be removed while others are retained based on their performance and function. Over time, the system can develop through a combination of planted and naturally occurring species while remaining compatible with grazing.

Perennial Crops on Marginal Land

Perennial crops can provide productive uses for areas that are poorly suited to annual cropping, mechanized production, or routine livestock access. We planted blueberries on a steep west-facing slope that is impractical for regular machinery or mobile livestock infrastructure. The planting can instead be managed primarily on foot with hand tools.

Multiple blueberry varieties were selected with different harvest periods to support a potential U-pick enterprise. Over time, the planting may expand into a broader perennial-based visitor enterprise incorporating other fruit crops, flowers, and harvest opportunities.

Other plantings serve different purposes. Native species have been established along denuded riparian areas and drainage ditches, while willows were planted along a property boundary to create a rapidly growing privacy screen and provide some protection from spray drift from a neighboring nursery.

Establishment and Management

Tree establishment requires the greatest attention during the first several years. We focus on giving trees favorable conditions at planting through adequate planting holes, fertility, and protection. Some mortality is expected in a large planting, but careful establishment can reduce losses from preventable problems.

The design provides a framework rather than a fixed endpoint. As the system develops, natural regeneration, tree mortality, selective thinning, livestock integration, and changing site conditions will continue to shape the landscape.

The result is intended to be a productive agricultural landscape that becomes more structurally complex as it matures while continuing to accommodate livestock, infrastructure, access, and farm production.