WOOL SHEEP IN THE ORCHARD (SILVOPASTURE SERIES EP 10 )

Meadowfed Lamb is part of a farming cooperative at Preservation Orchard in Hadley, MA. Their flocks of dual purpose Finnsheep, layers, and broiler chickens help manage the orchards that supply fruit and nuts for Carr’s Ciderhouse. Sheep (~30 head) are given enough pasture to graze every 24 hours. Three 8’x12’ chicken tractors, each with 50 broilers, follow the sheep, adding fertility and pest control services. This relationship is mutually beneficial—Meadowfed was able to move into an already established orchard and pasture, while Carr’s has benefited from the mowing, pest control, and fertility the livestock provide. ABOUT THE SERIES With support from the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC), a collaboration of Regenerative Design Group, Wellspring Forest Farm, and Inhabit Films announce the release of a free video series documenting Silvopasture systems in the Northeastern USA. Silvopasture (grazing livestock with trees) systems are complex, dynamic and site specific. The practice is both rooted in indigenous land stewardship and its benefits are well documented by scientific literature. Adoption by farmers and land stewards of silvopasture is relatively low, but growing in interest. This project began with an inventory of self-identified silvopasture practitioners in the Northeast US region which resulted in 145 responses across 9 states (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, NY, RI, NJ, PA) of people who reported stewarding 26,782 acres, with 5,267 of those acres in Silvopasture. From these respondents a range of examples were selected for videos and case studies to offer a snapshot of the practice along with ideas and inspiration for others to follow. Videos will be released biweekly through the Farming with Trees collective, a decentralized network encouraging collaborative projects in Agroforestry that are grounded in the wisdom and knowledge of people, communities and ecosystems. Find out more at www.FarmingwithTrees.org.