UK’s first Agroforestry Show explores the benefits of farming with trees

Soil Association farmer ambassador and board member Nikki Yoxall and partner, who farm 100% pasture-fed beef cattle in a silvopasture (trees integrated with livestock) system in northeast Scotland.

Sponsored by Sainsbury’s, the event will take place at Eastbrook Farm in Bishopstone, Wiltshire, on 6-7^th September 2023. The show will bring together thousands of guests including farmers, foresters, tree nurseries, growers, graziers, advisors, funders, food businesses, policymakers, and agroforesters.

Attendants will benefit from the Woodland Trust and Soil Association’s combined experience in sustainable farming and forestry. Their expertise spans woodland, habitat and tree management and practical farm-based knowledge from decades of helping landowners make the most of woodlands and helping farmers adopt nature-friendly practices.

The inaugural show will offer a variety of learning opportunities, such as:

• Knowledge exchange workshops and inspiring talks
• Farmer and forester led discussions
• Agroforestry field walks
• Live equipment demonstrations
• Exhibitions and market stalls

Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning, who will be hosting the event on her farm in Wiltshire, commented: “Agroforestry holds so many of the answers to the climate and nature crises, and it has also been proven to boost farm productivity.

“Trees improve soil health, provide habitats for wildlife including beneficial insects, give shelter and forage to livestock, and cut carbon emissions. And they do all this while providing additional funding streams through fruit, nuts and timber.

“Much more than a trade show, this two-day gathering will inspire hundreds of land stewards to collaborate and get involved with agroforestry.”

According to the Agroforestry Handbook, farming with trees is 20– 30% more productive than monoculture farming systems and can reduce lamb mortality by up to 50%. Moreover, it offers opportunities for the forestry and farming sectors to work together and identify solutions to help overcome the current knowledge and financial barriers to the widescale uptake of agroforestry.

Meanwhile, the Woodland Trust has a decade of experience supporting agroforestry and supporting landowners and farmers to adopt the practice on their land. At the show, they will highlight the range of subsidised tree offers available to farmers and offer expert advice on transitioning to this more regenerative way of farming.

Helen Chesshire, lead farming advocate at the Woodland Trust said: “Agroforestry supports farm businesses to adapt to climate change and become more resilient to the types of financial, social and environmental shocks that are likely to be a part of the future.

“This event is about making trees work for farm businesses and the local environment that they operate within and rely on. It is a sign of hope that there are solutions to grasp – if we take them.”

Also sponsored by the Forestry Commission, Defra, Tillhill,  Farm Carbon Toolkit and Royal Forestry Society, the event comes hot on the heels of a ground-breaking report, funded by the Woodland Trust, showing how a major increase in the uptake of agroforestry is essential in England meeting nature and climate targets, whilst at the same time securing long term food production.

The report was developed from new analysis commissioned from Cranfield University, which revealed arable farms that integrate trees within arable crops – known as silvoarable systems – could lock up eight tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year in the soil over 30 years. Eight tonnes of CO2 is equivalent to the annual emissions of a UK citizen.

A limited number of bursary funded places are also available for those who require additional support to attend the event. For more information, get in touch at: info@agroforestryshow.com

For information on booking tickets, take a look at our event page.