Silvopasture practices and perspectives in the Northeastern United States

Abstract

The use of silvopasture systems on farms in the Northeastern United States has never been documented. Our objective was to gather baseline data to describe silvopasture practices and perspectives in the Northeastern United States. To accomplish this, we investigated the structure, management of, and reasons for use of silvopastures in New York state and New England through a series of interviews and inventories on 20 farms purposefully chosen as practicing silvopasture. Thematic content analysis was conducted to summarize interview results and identify trends related to silvopasture practices. Three farmers in this study had been practicing silvopasture on their farms over 30 years; the rest were new to silvopasture in the past 10 years. Only three of 20 farmers interviewed in this study had experience practicing silvopasture prior to implementing it on their farms. Forest conversion to silvopasture was the primary starting point for silvopastures observed on regional farms. Orchard, open field edge, outdoor living barn, and plantation silvopastures were also documented on multiple farms. Shade and a desire to maximize use of farm woodlands were primary reasons for silvopasture utilization. This research provides evidence that silvopastures are being used to diversify regional farms. For the practice to be advanced in the region further research is needed on the topic.

Agroforestry and Biodiversity

“…Silvopasture is the most prevalent AF practice found in USA and Canada [52,53]. Both hardwood and evergreens are used with warm and cold season grass species.…”

Incrasing stakeholder engagement for sustainable natural resource management in Southern Sumatra, Indonesia

“…The next research project was "Paludiculture model based on silvopasture as an alternative of peatland restoration". Paludiculture is sustainable production of agriculture on rewetted peatland [9], whereas silvopasture is one of agroforestry practices that integrating livestock and tree management [10]. Sustainability of peatland and restoring the function of the peatland that at the same time could increase the welfare of the people who live nearby the peatland is one of the research project proposes.…”

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

“…(2017) also discuss increased management complexity for integrated crop-livestock systems worldwide, and Orefice et al . (2017) for agroforestry systems in the US northeast. Increased labor needs and management complexity were noted as amongst the most negative aspects of agroforestry in the European study by García de Jalón et al .…”

“…This finding is echoed by Orefice et al . (2017) who found that managers of silvopasture systems in the northeastern US were usually focused on benefits to either the livestock component or the tree component, and seldom on both together as an integrated whole. We could learn from the example of agroforestry research for the tropics (García-Barrios and Ong, 2004), and from cover crops research in temperate zones, with a long history of trials to determine the best species mixes for specific climates, cropping systems, and functional goals, and a large suite of extension resources (e.g., Ingels, 1998; Smith et al ., 2011 a ; Clark, 2012).…”