Silvopasture

Several years ago, the Savanna Institute received grant funding for a silvopasture establishment study, working with four Midwest farms to compare different methods of protecting newly planted trees from livestock. What they found is that maybe it’s better to wait a few years before letting livestock anywhere near your trees! But in addition to the research project, the farmer partners were also asked to record themselves interviewing more experienced silvopasture farmers for use in a Savanna Institute podcast that – at the time – didn’t exist yet.

Before you begin an agroforestry project, ask yourself one question: “Who are my partners?”

Eliza Greenman is a farmer, “fruit explorer”, and Savanna Institute staff member based in Virginia. In addition to working with the Savanna Institute to identify the best tree crops and cultivars for our research and plant breeding programs, Eliza is in the midst of writing a new business plan for purchasing a farm, while also continuing her efforts to track down living fruit and nut cultivars that have been lost to time.