Silvopasture is the practice of integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way. (Wikipedia)
Traditional farms tend to create a lot of issues – water contamination, soil degradation, animal welfare, and so on. But one of the largest issues is removing forests to have open pasture. Removing forests is rarely (ever?) a good thing.
Silvopasture is different.
It’s the belief that you can have forests and animals – and it actually HELPS the environment.
Most of the 14 acres at the farm is woodland. Years ago the entire property was farmland. It was all cleared and used for a monocrop. At some point (around 50 years ago) the farming stopped and the land was left alone. Invasive species and shrubby trees grew a plenty.
Large ruts were left all over the property from large farm tractors – which severely affected the way water travels over the land.
I’ve been working diligently through each season to remedy the water pooling, flooding, and over all damage to the soil.
Part of silvopasture is thinning the forest as nature would. Doing so allows sunlight to reach the bare forest floor which in turn allows forage to grow. This forage is what feeds the animals through 3 of the 4 seasons.
To be a bit more clear, the forest becomes a pasture with trees. The trees are healthier, the forest floor is healthier, and the animals are healthier.
To add to all of these benefits, silvopasture is a carbon sink. That means that it absorbs more carbon than it emits. So the environment is healthier too.
Oh, and one more thing! Silvopasture does not have to disturb the forest floor! That’s important because mycelium (the fungal network that we cannot see) lives in the forest floor and is vitally important to life. The fruit of the mycelium is… mushrooms!
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