Three UK upland farmers talk about how they are integrating and using trees to their best advantage on their farms in this video by the Soil Association (supported by FABulous Farmers). They refer to the benefits of giving their livestock access to trees and hedgerows and give their insights in to why trees are good for the animals (through providing shelter, shade and browse/fodder), soil health, biodiversity, the environment (i.e. flood protection and carbon storage) and the farm income. The video features beef cattle and sheep farmer Andrew Barbour from Mains of Fincastle in Perthshire, sheep farmer Glansant Morgan from Pwllyrhwyaid Farm near Brecon in Wales, and dairy farmer Freya Meredith from Lower Withecombe Farm on Dartmoor in Devon. It also features Luke Dale Harris (Innovative Farmers silvopasture trial co-ordinator from FWAG SW) and Kate Still from the Soil Association Farming Team.
This webinar which explored the many benefits trees can bring to livestock systems, featuring UK Organic Research Centre’s livestock researcher Lindsay Whistance. It focuses particularly on:
– Trees for productivity and animal welfare
– Nutritional and medical properties of tree fodder
– Planting designs and choosing species
– Grants and funding opportunities
Podcast produced as part of the Farming for a Better Climate (FFBC) consortium. Based in Scotland, FFBC provides practical support to benefit the farm and help reduce impacts on the climate. FFBC is run by SRUC on behalf of the Scottish Government. They combine ideas trialled by their volunteer Climate Change Focus Farms and information from up-to-the-minute scientific research, and offer practical advice to help farmers choose the most relevant measures to improve farm performance and resilience to future climate change effects.
This podcast episode explores the many benefits of agroforestry systems; from improved animal welfare with improved shelter, nutritional benefits from grazing access to different tree species, and other health benefits such as parasitic control from the naturally occurring chemicals ingested with the range of plants found within a woodland flora. The webpage also provides information on integrating livestock with trees.
