The following was submitted by GSSB Member CB Katzenbach of Sweet Sourland Farm
We are forest farmers, make maple syrup, and participated in the silvopasture survey described below. It’s something we’ve been doing for many years, using small ruminants to control understory vegetation among the red and sugar maples and the sap collection tubing lines. Over the years we’ve followed Cornell’s Maple research programs, and Cornell SmallFarms. A film crew came to our farm (NJ) in the summer of 2022, and you can see fleeting images of our Barbados Blackbelly sheep in this introductory video from Farming With Trees:
https://youtu.be/lY-oAQvWcvo?
We’re looking forward to seeing the short video they made here; they will add new videos every 2 weeks. Although the survey was limited to the northeastern U.S., the same principles can apply to farms throughout the continent. Here is their statement and links for more information:
FREE VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTS EXAMPLES OF SILVOPASTURE IN THE NORTHEAST US
With support from the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC), a collaboration of Regenerative Design Group, Wellspring Forest Farm, and Inhabit Films announce the release of a free video series documenting Silvopasture systems in the Northeastern USA.
Silvopasture (grazing livestock with trees) systems are complex, dynamic and site specific. The practice is both rooted in indigenous land stewardship and its benefits are well documented by scientific literature. Adoption by farmers and land stewards of silvopasture is currently low, but growing in interest.
This project began with an inventory of self-identified silvopasture practitioners in the Northeast US region. A total of 145 respondents across 9 states (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, NY, RI, NJ, PA) reported stewarding 27,000 acres, with 5,300 of those acres in Silvopasture. From these respondents a range of examples were selected for videos and case studies to offer a snapshot of the practice along with ideas and inspiration for others to follow.
Videos will be released biweekly through the Farming with Trees collective, a decentralized network encouraging collaborative projects in Agroforestry that are grounded in the wisdom and knowledge of people, communities and ecosystems. Find out more at www.FarmingwithTrees.org
Our immense gratitude for the farmers who agreed to share their experiences.
This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, National Agroforestry Center (NAC), under the authority of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. All photos by Costa Boutsikaris, Inhabit Films. 2023.