Annual Meeting 2023

Theme

Trees on stock farms for climate resilience

Dates

Thursday 15th - Friday 16th June

Location

CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise) Greenmount Campus, 45 Tirgracy Road, Antrim BT41 4PS.

Programme

Thursday 15th June 

Visit to  AFBI Loughgall (arranged by Dr Rodrigo Olave)

Includes agroforestry research projects with pigs, ash silvopasture, wild cherry silvopasture and update on other related research at AFBI

Visit to tree protection at Greenmount site

Farm Woodland Forum AGM (Greenmount College)

Friday 16th June

Lecture progamme (Greenmount College)

Response of tree species to climate change: Assessing the growth of important tree species over four decades in different soils and climatic regions of the island of Ireland  (Greg Forbes, Rodrigo Olave and Michelle Allen, AFBI, and Niall Farrelly, Teagasc)

Predicting the effect of climate change and increased carbon dioxide concentrations on the silvoarable and silvopastoral experiments at Loughgall (Paul J Burgess, Michail L. Giannitsopoulos and Anil Graves, Cranfield University, Rodrigo Olave, AFBI and Jonathan Eden, Coventry University)

Trees as a livestock feed: Case studies of willow (Salix spp) and the potential of this tannin-rich tree to reduce emmissions and improve animal productivity (Katerina Theodoridou,Queens University Belfast)

The values and promotion of apple orchards as agroforestry (Andrew Ormerod, FWF)

Innovation in tree protection from livestock (Fred Farrelly, Farm Innovation)

Posters

The effects of agroforestry on transmission of gastrointestinal nematodes of livestock (Anna Ciezarek et al., Queens University Belfast)

Lamb, wool and silvopasture (Maureen Kilgore, Irish Agroforestry Forum, John Eversley,Queens University Belfast, Jim McAdam, IAF and GrowIN, William Frazer, Helen Keys, Bronagh Tesch, GrowIN)

Tree protection Fred Farrelly (Farm Innovation)

Tree-related trials in a livestock project about resilience and climate change - project outline (Lindsay Whistance, Organic Research Centre)

Farming in the shelter of trees (Irish Agroforestry Forum Graphic)

Ash dieback disease on the island of Ireland: comparison of treatments to reduce the spread of the pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus on ash tree stands (E Soldi, A Tiley, C Duggan, R Olave, R O'Hanlon and T Hodkinson

Factors controlling greenhouse gas emmissions in agroforestry systems.  Supporting a holistic methodological framework (R Olave, A Gabourel, F Castaño, L Tonelli, A Corzo, A Mantino, B Agudo, C Tozzini, and S Schnabel) 

Farm walks

a) A brief stop to look at the sycamore silvopasture of Ian, Ben and Thomas Gibson, Broughshane.  12 ha of sycamore were planted on their farm in 1991, and their cattle and sheep graze the silvopasture in rotation.  115 Longmore Road, Broughshane, BT43 7HR

b) The farm of Reami and Sinead Mathers in Cushendall.  Silvopasture with Dexter cattle and Cactus Guards and a shelterbelt system of hedgerows to protect the farm from severe north-easterly winds as well as to improve the welfare of the livestock.  115 Layde Road, Cushendall, BT44 0NH

c) Broughgammon Farm in North Antrim, to see silvopasture with rows of fruit trees and berry bushes, hedgerow restoration, wildflower meadows and many more abundant and plentiful habitats that flourish on the farm.  Charlie Cole, 50 Straid Road, Ballycastle BT54 6NP