Silvopasture
What is silvopasture?
Silvopasture is the integrated management of trees, forages and grazing livestock for a production benefit. Most importantly, silvopasture is an intentional practice; allowing livestock to graze in a natural woodland area without active livestock and forage grazing management is NOT considered silvopasture.
There are two main approaches to creating silvopasture:
Establish trees into existing pasture. The right choice of tree crop (often matched to soils) allows you to carry on a profitable livestock operation while creating a long-term investment in timber or forest products. Young trees allow plenty of light for forage production. As trees develop, shade and wind protection will enhance livestock performance.
Establishing forages in the woods. By establishing select forages in a managed forest environment, the area can be jointly managed for grazing and timber production. The key to successful silvopasture is forage production. Factors influencing this system include having the light necessary for forage growth and response and proper rotational grazing.
Silvopasture has many benefits, including economic, environmental, and animal welfare. However, establishing silvopasture on your land may also bring some challenges, such as water access, adequate fencing, establishing new trees, introducing forage in existing woodlands, and maintaining proper light levels.
As you learn more about the practice of silvopasture, we encourage you to explore the reading list and resources provided below. Check back often as new resources are being added regularly. And be sure to join our email list and Facebook page, where the real networking of the Network happens! Peers and experts are ready to talk about silvopasture and how it could work for you.
Recommended Reading
Silvopasture: Establishment and Management Principles for Minnesota
This guidebook from University of Minnesota Extension introduces key concepts such as establishing silvopasture on your land, tree planting, forage selection, and livestock care.
Farming Forests, Reforesting Farms: Cultivating Resilience with Silvopasture
A lovely overview of silvopasture from a demonstration farm in North Carolina.
Silvopasture Can Mitigate Climate Change. Will U.S. Farmers Take it Seriously?
The potential climate impacts of silvopasture as reported by Civil Eats, a nonprofit news organization focused on America's food system.
Silvopasture Case Studies
These case studies from the SFA feature farmers throughout Minnesota who have been using silvopasture practices for three or more years and whose stories offer tangible examples, support, and encouragement to others.
Videos
Digging Deeper Into Silvopasture
Presenters discuss practically how to get started implementing Silvopasture on your farm, including planning design considerations, using EQIP, cost-share programs, and other funding opportunities.
Silvopasture: A Global and Historical Perspective
Take a tour of silvopasture around the planet. This agricultural practice has been in use for centuries from the tropics to temperate climates. Learn about research on the utility of silvopastoral systems for agricultural production and their implication for contributing to economically and environmentally resilient agriculture.
Silvopasture in the Midwest
This webinar captures the history and use of silvopasture as a practice throughout the Midwest. You’ll find a refresher on silvopasture as a practice and its concepts, highlights of research from silvopastoral systems in the region, and a tour of farms and farm systems that utilize the practice.
Silvopasture in Minnesota
This webinar is focused on producer experiences using silvopasture in their operations. From beef to goats and from Northern to Southern Minnesota you will tour a diversity of operations, climates, and landscapes. This webinar is an on-the-ground tour of working farms.
Minnesota Silvopasture Resources
Managed well, silvopasture can improve profit and ecological function on the 660,000+ acres of unmanaged, grazed woodlands in Minnesota. Three MN resource professionals share their knowledge on grazing system infrastructure, management considerations, and programs available to assist producers.
Introduction to Halal Meat and Opportunities for Goat Farmers
This webinar gives an overview of the Minnesota market for halal meat, barriers and opportunities, and fundamentals of raising goats in silvopasture.
Facilitating Silvopasture Adoption in Minnesota
A panel of speakers present on the basics of silvopasture, farmer benefits from silvopasture, and EQIP funding available through the new Minnesota NRCS silvopasture standard.
Economics of Silvopasture
Take a deeper dive into the costs of silvopasture establishment and the economics of silvopasture production systems. The presenters share findings from research conducted throughout the United States.
Adaptive Grazing and Silvopasture
Silvopastures are complex agroecosystems with the potential to provide an array of sustainable products and services. From healthy pasture-based foods and forest products to clean water and carbon sequestration, highly skilled grazing management is critical to the success and optimization of these systems. This webinar will present an overview of Adaptive Grazing Management and a look into its application to Silvopasture.
Opportunities with Silvopasture: More than Just Animals in the Woods
A virtual farm tour hosted by Iowa County Farmer-led Uplands Watershed group, in collaboration with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Savanna Institute, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, and the Conservation Professional Training Program.
Silvopasture
Find out how to add value to your Midwest agroforestry farm by incorporating livestock in this video by University of Wisconsin Extension.
Silvopasture Systems in New York and Their Contributions to Capturing Carbon
In this webinar recording, Cornell experts share three increasingly common examples of silvopasture in New York and discuss their contributions to reducing atmospheric carbon.
Podcasts
Dirt Rich Podcast, Episode 9: Silvopasture in Minnesota
An intro to silvopasture practices, covering a little history, how silvopasture looks today, and the economic and biological benefits these systems can provide to Minnesota farmers.
Dirt Rich Podcast, Episode 10: Implementing Silvopasture
Regenerative grazier Tyler Carlson shares his experience in working with both existing woodlands and establishing silvopasture on cleared land for those looking to get started.
Dirt Rich Podcast, Episode 27: Home on the Tree-Range
Learn about a pastured chicken & hazelnut enterprise near Faribault, MN.
Tools and Resources
Silvopasture Resource Manual
Compiled by the Sustainable Farming Association, this manual is a starting place to quickly and easily connect with information and people to improve understanding and implementation of Silvopasture.
Farmmaps
Farmmaps is a searchable database of case studies highlighting sustainable agricultural practices, including silvopasture.
Cropland Grazing Exchange
The CGE matches livestock farmers with crop farmers who have forage (crop residues, cover crops, etc.) to harvest.
Conservation Grazing Map
The Conservation Grazing Map helps farmers and ranchers find public lands that are available for grazing livestock.
NRCS Silvopasture standard #381
Silvopasture is now a funded USDA practice for farmers in Minnesota. Funds that are primarily used are EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) dollars. Contact your county Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to learn more.
Silvopasture: Establishment & management principles for pine forests in the Southeastern United States
This site is an online course and a resource to enable natural resource professionals and landowners to understand and apply the economic and ecological principles of Silvopasture.
USDA National Agroforestry Center: Silvopasture
Silvopasture resources from the USDA, including a webinar library and SARE Project Index for Agroforestry which allows you to sort by practice. These may be helpful for people interested in watching silvopasture webinars or learning more about other silvopasture projects.