Events

Join Innovative Farmers at Mindrum Farm for an afternoon learning about how willow can benefit your flock's health and growth. Advisors, researchers and host farmer Tom Fairfax will guide you through the farm, where we will discuss the latest on-farm trials, tree management, animal nutrition, health indicators and grazing management. Tom is part of a field lab exploring how cobalt-rich willow trees could prevent deficiencies in lambs, cutting the need for supplements. Willow is known for high levels of cobalt, zinc and salycilic acid, providing valuable supplementary feed in addition to shelter, shade, water retention and carbon sequestration. This event is a great opportunity to connect with fellow farmers and gain valuable insights. The event is free to attend and food will be provided. Further details and booking for this event can be viewed here.

Agroforestry is the integration of trees or shrubs into crop and/or livestock systems. Interest in agroforestry is growing due to compelling evidence of its ecological and production benefits, including resilience to climate change. Knowledge is a primary barrier to agroforestry uptake, including both research and educational gaps in knowledge. Over a ten-month UK Treescapes fellowship, Dr Hood co-produced research and educational priorities via an online survey, in-person interviews, and a multi-stakeholder workshop with over 50 participants from across the agroforestry sector – including farmers, foresters, researchers, policymakers, and NGOs. She received 227 research questions, which were shortened to a “top 40” list via a research prioritisation process. These questions are broad and international, spanning ecology, social science and policy. The interviews, which included a perception matrix, showed that knowledge about agroforestry funding and the long-term financial and legal implications of adopting agroforestry were major barriers. Co-produced solutions to these barriers included developing a long-term network of demonstration sites and an agroforestry advisor accreditation scheme, amongst other suggestions. These results can direct agroforestry research and educational programmes to facilitate evidence-based uptake of this promising agricultural system. Register for this webinar here.

The Farm Woodland Forum is excited to announce Dr Andy Gordon, our final international guest speaker for the 2024 FWF Webinar series from Ontario, Canada.  Webinars run for 1h30m with the guest speaker presenting and taking questions, followed by a roundup of news from the countries: Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England. There will be time for questions, and we will use the FWF network to take away and answer any outstanding queries there may be. The session will be recorded. 'Although agroforestry practices are rooted in tropical agricultural regions, many can be and have been modified with success for the temperate region. In this seminar (webinar) Dr Andy Gordon, professor emeritus at the University of Guelph in southern Ontario, Canada, will report on 30 years of temperate agroforestry research, development and implementation for the temperate region, from a southern Ontario, Canada perspective. Aspects of integrated riparian plantings, windbreaks, silvopastoral and intercropping systems and bioenergy and forest farming systems will be addressed, with an eye to the possible inclusion of such systems on the UK agricultural landscape. Click here for a link to the webinar.