Agroforestry - the many benefits of combining trees and livestock farming

Join us on Thursday 13th February 2025 at 09:45 AM at Telfit Farm to learn about the amazing advantages of integrating trees into livestock farming practices. Discover how this sustainable approach can:

• Improve animal health, reduce lamb mortality rates, reduce Vet & Med costs (Tannins provide natural anthelmintics)

• Increase livestock growth rates and milk production

• Provide high quality fodder (20% + CP), rich in minerals (In particular Selenium and Cobalt) and secondary compounds (Salacyilic acid)

• Enhance soil health and grass growth

• Increase biodiversity

• Mitigate climate change, increasing resilience to wet and dry weather

• Qualify for SFI and other payments

• Provide alternate income streams

• Protect and cool water courses

• Sequester Carbon.

• And more .........

We will be joined by Agroforestry expert Jon Haines from the Soil Association

Jon supports farmers and landowners across the UK to adopt agroforestry for farm business resilience. He has a passion for unlocking the benefits of existing trees can deliver to their farming systems. He brings knowledge and experience of both arboriculture and from across the agriculture sector. Jon has a passion for helping farmers see and unlock the value in their existing treescapes. He coordinates regional and topic specific agroforestry networks across the country, where farmers can share first-hand experience of integrating trees on their farms.

What to expect

Jon will conduct the morning workshop inside at Telfit sharing his knowledge on the subject.

Following a free lunch, Ian Bell (Northern Soil Regen) will present the new the Agroforestry scheme at Telfit.

Niki Child, Landscapes for Water Project Officer from The White Rose Forest (which has supported the project through Trees for Climate funding)will join us on the day and be available to answer any questions on funding eligibility if people are interested, process, design in terms of managing constraints and maximising opportunities, species selection etc.

We will then go on a farm walk with Jon , Ian and Niki to look at and discuss the Telfit Agroforestry scheme as its being planted.

Telfit farm and scheme.

Telfit is an upland / hill beef and sheep farm, owned by the Leatham family who kindly offered to host the workshop. The land is very exposed, with a lot of steep slopes and little tree coverage, a mix of inbye meadow and pasture, allotments and moorland. Some of the initial main aims were to increase shelter for cattle and sheep, provide tree browse / fodder and subdivide pasture for Adaptive grazing.

The scheme was designed in 2022 and put to potential funding sources the following winter, WRF chosen and approval granted in 2024. Fencing started in June 2024, tree planting started November 2024 and should be complete by the workshop date. It involves 20ha of wood pasture, numerous in field trees, 3.5km new hedges to subdivide pastures for grazing management, 5m wide shelter hedges, riparian planting to protect the water course and clough planting to prevent erosion and provide pollinator banks.. In total over 40,000 trees.

This is an opportunity open to all, from those all ready engaged and in particular farmers new to these ideas. Its a chance to network with like-minded individuals and experts in the field. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and be inspired to implement agroforestry on your own farm!

Please remember to bring clothing appropriate for the weather for the farm walk and in the interests of biosecurity, footwear that can be disinfected.

If you have any dietary requirements please let us know.

Clipex fencing used at Telfit to subdivide exposed pasture with a new hedge.

Subdivision at Telfit of a large exposed pasture with new hedges, re-establishing old field boundaries. To provide shelter, enable grazing managment and provide tree fodder. Browsing controlled by single electric top wire.

The Telfit farm planting scheme

Host or Publisher Ian Bell - NS Regen