Farming with Forests in Mind

Hadley Stock, MFFC Farmer

Agroforestry is a term I’ve been getting acquainted with lately. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it’s: “agriculture incorporating the cultivation and conservation of trees.” The USDA defines it as “the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.” And my definition? Short answer: trees in pastures. Long answer… do you have a minute?

Agroforestry is so much more than just trees in pastures. It’s a carefully designed, interwoven, and complex system that considers soil structure, pH, nutrient availability, water, topography, historical and current land use, and plans for the future. These systems aim to feed communities at every level: microbial, ecological, and economic. They create diverse landscapes and ecosystems, store carbon, filter and retain water, and provide habitats for humans, domestic animals, wildlife, and microbial communities alike. It’s a paradise for over thinkers like me. I love a good rabbit hole, and agroforestry has been a total winner for this farm nerd!

Earlier this year, Mike (Merck Forest’s Land Resource Manager) and I joined an agroforestry cohort led by NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association). This two-year program brings together 15–20 farmers and tree enthusiasts from across Vermont who are interested in ancient agricultural traditions and how to implement them today. We meet monthly at farms already practicing agroforestry, learning from specialists in a variety of disciplines. Each meeting leaves me with new insights—and even more questions—and I love every minute of it.

As fall arrives at MFFC, my attention shifts from the day-to-day of farming to planning for the next field season. This year, that includes planting trees in our pastures. But this is different from my usual planning—where I think one or two years ahead about lambs, hay bales, or crops.

Agroforestry is about creating legacy systems, ones that may not reach full maturity in my lifetime, but will serve future generations. That’s a responsibility I take seriously.

Planting trees in agricultural fields is still controversial. It challenges what people expect a farm to look like. Close your eyes and think of a farm. Did you picture open, rolling pastures? Now imagine those pastures dotted with trees. It might be harder to imagine. And for people who have farmed for years, it’s even harder to understand why anyone would plant trees in those pastures. 

Here’s what I’m envisioning at MFFC: in the rows where we mow to place portable fencing within the pastures, we’ll plant a variety of trees and shrubs. The species will vary depending on the conditions of each pasture and which trees are best adapted to those conditions. Some of the species we’re considering:

• Hickory (shagbark & yellow bud): Nuts for humans and livestock; yellowbud nuts make a delicious cooking oil; provides shade and windbreaks.

• Hybrid chestnut: Nuts for humans and livestock; leaves can be fodder; shade and windbreak.

• Honey locust: Pollinator-friendly, nitrogen-fixing, nutritious fodder, shade and windbreak.

• Mulberry: Food for humans, livestock, and wildlife; leaves and branches. Excellent for fodder, shade, and windbreak.

• Willow: Excellent for livestock fodder and craft uses.

This is just the start, and designing these systems will take time to get right. I’m excited to keep learning, refining, and building a project that will continue long after my time at MFFC. Agroforestry practices will help create resilient, diverse, and beautiful landscapes that feed and shelter communities for generations to come.