Want help planning your perennial farm?
Savanna Institute’s Technical Service Program helps you take advantage of resources available to plant trees on your pastures, fields, and waterways. Technical Service Providers offer one-on-one support for planning, designing, and securing financial assistance for an agroforestry system. Thanks to the generous support of donors, we are able to offer technical assistance at no cost to you. Apply now to join the wait list.
Introduction to Technical Service
What does the process look like?
- One-on-one support Our Technical Service Providers (TSP’s) will work closely with you to build a custom agroforestry plan that will be your roadmap for successfully installing trees on the land you steward.
- Connect with like-minded folks You will be part of a cohort who share your passion for improving their land, with opportunities to connect via field days, farm tours, and workshops.
- Learn about agroforestry We will share videos, written materials, and updates about relevant learning opportunities.
- Write a farm narrative We’ll walk you through the process of defining your goals and ideas for your operation so that you can be sure that agroforestry is a good fit––past, present and future.
- Visit your farm Together we will walk your property and gather information that will help you choose trees that will thrive in your landscape and integrate seamlessly into your existing activities.
- Crunch the numbers We will connect you with tools to help you figure out the finances and guide you to sources of funding, including USDA financial assistance.
- Develop a design We will work together to map out where woody perennials are planted and decide how it fits in with existing farm activities.
- Implement your vision You will end up with a working plan and a path forward for planting trees on your farm, and resources to help you start the implementation process.
Want help planting trees on your farm?
Want help planting trees on your farm? Savanna Institute’s Technical Service Program is here to help. We offer support in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota. This video was made possible by the support of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
- What if I don’t live in the Midwest? We are only able to provide agroforestry technical support in the Midwestern US. If you are outside the region, we recommend browsing our partner list for more resources serving farmers nationally and globally in adopting agroforestry.
- What agroforestry practices can Savanna Institute help me plan for? We primarily work with farmers to establish alley cropping, silvopasture, riparian buffers, and windbreaks. The particular practices we work with depend a lot on what financial assistance is available in your county and state. Alley cropping and silvopasture are the most common practices we work with.
- I’m planning on purchasing land and becoming a farmer. Can I join the technical service program now? Our Technical Service Program aligns closely with requirements for NRCS cost-sharing, and as a result, we work primarily with clients who already have access to land.
- Do you do the installation too? Our Technical Service Providers lead you through the design phase of planning your agroforestry system. However, planting and installation is farmer-led. We can connect you with other organizations and businesses that can help you install and manage your system.
Thank You Partners
