A word of caution on chestnuts
I’ve written before about why we at Trees For Graziers focus on silvopasture, particularly silvopasture for livestock feed. I believe that if we want to see agroforestry adopted at scale, meaning tens of millions of acres, it’s going to be through silvopasture with...
Using the Conservation Stewardship Program for Silvopasture
As I write in The Grazier’s Guide to Trees, the Conservation Stewardship Program can be a very useful way of getting trees established on a farm, even in states that currently do not support silvopasture. This “CSP Strategy” just got a whole lot more interesting...
Precautionary Principles In Silvopasture
(Note: In the photo above, unprotected willow stakes were destroyed by white-tailed deer.) When it comes to developing silvopasture plans, there is a need for a combination of humility and critical thinking before one commits to a plan. Humility, because the list of...
The Dip
As I’ve worked on over a dozen silvopasture projects over the last few years, guiding them all the way from plan through planting and then several years of aftercare, I’ve noticed a regular pattern. It’s a phenomenon I call “the dip”. You see, tree plantings start out...
In Defense of Non-Native Trees in Agroforestry
The other day I got an email from a pastured pork producer in Iowa, someone who is well established and respected in the business, has already established trees on his farm, and wants to continue adding more tree diversity for his pigs, both for shade and for...
Why we focus on trees for livestock
[The above picture from the USGS shows the area in North America dedicated to crop production. It’s a lot.] At Trees For Graziers, we have determined to focus our attention first and foremost on the practice of silvopasture, and even more specifically on...
Updates to The Grazier’s Guide to Trees
Hey folks, I published the first edition of The Grazier’s Guide to Trees in January of 2022, exactly one year ago as I write this. In it I shared all that I knew at the time about the best practices for establishing silvopasture, focusing especially on planting...
Our Next Steps: Propagating Honey Locust
Hey folks, I wanted to share with you an update on where we’re at with honey locust propagation. We’ve hit a roadblock lately with propagation, so we’re making adjustments which will delay rollout of more honeys in the near future, and if you’ve been looking forward...
Taking fencing to new heights
One of the main non-negotiable expenses on a grass farm is fencing. One way or another, you’ve gotta keep the animals in. There’s a ton of different options, and all have their upsides and downsides. Treated posts are readily available, but can’t be used on...
Pigging out on mulberries
There’s not much I like better than mulberry season. Mulberries are the first great harvest of fruit for the year, and the trees don’t hold back their bounty. A good tree will produce many gallons of sweet, juicy berries. Our little acreage will soon have no shortage...
A tree crop revolution for hogs and poultry
Let’s just say it how it is: pastured hog and poultry rearing have a big problem. Both are dependent on expensive inputs of annual feed crops, and are not yet living up to their full regenerative potential. A sort of grazing renaissance has taken place over the past...
What’s it worth? Comparing the cost of sugar from honey locust and molasses
I’m always trying to communicate the value of trees in a way that makes sense for graziers. Just how much is shade worth in dollars and cents? Can you put a price tag on nitrogen fixed in the soil? How about the value of honey locust pods? Honey locust pods can vary...
The best pasture in the country
It may come as a surprise to you that the most productive, best pasture in the country is not on some rich flat soil in the middle of Iowa, nor in the fertile rolling hills of Lancaster County Pennsylvania. Rather, the best pasture in all of the United States may just...
Silvopasture and hunting: a match made in heaven
I had the chance back in February of 2021 to be interviewed by Cal Hardage for the Grazing Grass podcast. Before we got into the interview proper, we were talking about leasing nearby land for grazing, and some of the opportunities Cal was pursuing. There was a nearby...Products
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Austree Hybrid Willow 18" Cutting (spring delivery)
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Illinois Everbearing Mulberry (fall delivery)
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The Grazier's Guide to Trees
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