Join Extension staff and our partners this fall to learn about ways farmers apply agroforestry practices on the landscape. Participants will visit working farms using different agroforestry systems to how they manage and cultivate plants and transition their land to silvopasture for grazing. Sign up for one or more events to explore how you can use agroforestry tools on your land.
Events held rain or shine and will be completely outdoors.
Forest Farming at The Smokey House Center
Friday, September 4th, 3:00 - 5:00 PM
The Smokey House Center
426 Danby Mountain Rd, Danby, VT 05739
The Smokey House Center is nonprofit organization managing over 5,000 acres in Southwest Vermont. Smokey House manages its land as a "living laboratory" and conducts applied research exploring how agriculture and forestry can support new land-based economies in the face of climate change that weave resilience and abundance across human communities and the ecosystems they exist within. They serve as a demonstration hub for forest farming, and attendees will be able to see a wide range of forest farming approaches, from wild-simulated plantings in the forest to more managed systems for herb propagation and distribution. The event will include a discussion of how these different systems fit into a comprehensive forest farming approach and the trade-offs of different types of plant cultivation and management.
Forest Farming at Wild Hudson Valley
Sunday, September 6th, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Wild Hudson Valley
408 Lake Mills Rd, Leeds, NY 12451
Wild Hudson Valley is a forest farm and educational organization with a mission to inspire learning and build connection through shared experiences in nature, history, and wild foods. As working farmers with years of experience cultivating American ginseng and other woodland crops, co-owners Anna and Justin will provide insights into how forest farming can support farm livelihoods. We will learn about their farm business and how they built a business model around forest crops. The event will focus on plant propagation and include field tours of some of their planting areas.
Rotational Grazing and Silvopasture
Thursday, September 17th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Presidential View Farm
232 Presidential Hwy, Jefferson, NH 03583
Join us at Presidential View Farm where we will discuss considerations and best practices when establishing both rotational grazing and Silvopasture systems. This twilight meeting is held in collaboration with the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) and NH Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Silvopasture by Addition and Subtraction
Thursday, September 17th, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Winnicut River Farm
3 Barker Lane, Stratham, NH 03885
Join as at Winnicut River Farm to tour a silvopasture in transition. We’ll discuss the process and work needed to transition a forest into a silvopasture and transitioning a pasture into a silvopasture through planting. Roughly 25 acres has been harvested at the farm and this tour will provide a good sense of a “work in progress” for establishing a productive silvopasture. UNH Extension and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff will be on hand to guide the discussion.
Agroforestry Research at UNH
Friday, October 9th, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
UNH Burley-Demeritt Organic Dairy Research Farm
216 Lee Hook Rd, Lee, NH 03861
Come for a tour of UNH’s silvopasture, forest farming, and food forest research sites. UNH graduate students and Extension staff will share their work and lead the discussion about agroforestry research in NH. The tour will begin at the University of New Hampshire’s Burley-Demeritt Organic Dairy Research Farm, end at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station’s Kingman Research Farm at 333 Knox Marsh Road in Madbury, NH. Participants will need transportation to drive between the two sites.
