Agroforestry and Keyline Patterning - May 30, 2020
Agroforestry systems integrate trees and shrubs with pastures and/or cropland. While agroforestry systems that date back millennia are still in use in many parts of the modern world, these practices are only recently gaining the attention of North American farmers, ranchers, and growers. Incorporating working trees into agricultural landscapes has many significant benefits including wind protection for crops, buildings, and livestock; soil stabilization and erosion prevention; additional income-earning potential from fruit, nuts, fodder, and timber; shade for pastured animals; carbon sequestration; enhanced and more complex wildlife habitat; and beautiful, diverse, dynamic farmscapes.
And when it comes to laying out and installing these systems in the landscape, the genius of PA Yeomans’ Keyline design pairs the conscious water management of contour-type patterning with the symmetrical row spacing required for most modern farming operations. Keyline design looks to the topography of each unique landscape to suggest optimal layouts for farm infrastructure, plantings, paddocks, and water harvesting structures.
In this daylong intensive you'll
- Learn about the primary forms of USDA-recognized agroforestry systems (alley cropping, silvopasture, riparian buffer strips, hedgerows, forest farming) along with several variations
- Examine and discuss some of the most promising woody species for northeastern agroforestry systems (over 60+ growing on our site)
- Discuss best practices for system establishment
- Walk through a maturing multi-species hedgerow/shelterbelt; several thousand linear feet of fruit and polewood-producing alley-crop style silvopasture; a 1000 log shiitake mushroom operation; and a managed woodlot with several small examples of silvopasture conversion
- Learn the fundamentals of keyline design and gain experience laying out patterns in the field using a laser level and survey tape
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition $75-100. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early.
And when it comes to laying out and installing these systems in the landscape, the genius of PA Yeomans’ Keyline design pairs the conscious water management of contour-type patterning with the symmetrical row spacing required for most modern farming operations. Keyline design looks to the topography of each unique landscape to suggest optimal layouts for farm infrastructure, plantings, paddocks, and water harvesting structures.
In this daylong intensive you'll
- Learn about the primary forms of USDA-recognized agroforestry systems (alley cropping, silvopasture, riparian buffer strips, hedgerows, forest farming) along with several variations
- Examine and discuss some of the most promising woody species for northeastern agroforestry systems (over 60+ growing on our site)
- Discuss best practices for system establishment
- Walk through a maturing multi-species hedgerow/shelterbelt; several thousand linear feet of fruit and polewood-producing alley-crop style silvopasture; a 1000 log shiitake mushroom operation; and a managed woodlot with several small examples of silvopasture conversion
- Learn the fundamentals of keyline design and gain experience laying out patterns in the field using a laser level and survey tape
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition $75-100. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early.