The Regenerative Agroforestry Podcast

One of the key questions we are trying to answer is 'in what contexts does agroforestry work, or doesn't'. Dan started intercropping grains between his pecans before he knew it was called agroforestry, because it made sense to him at the time. The first part of the interview focuses on the business strategy of the farm. Whilst providing many tips and fascinating info, you'll also understand the context in which the agroforestry system sets itself...

We have the pleasure of talking with Josh Heyneke from Parc Carreg in Wales. In just 4 years Josh and his partner Abi have achieved a lot and we dig deep into his main enterprise : pastured duck eggs. Because they have quite a small acreage they have stacked enterprises and we wanted to understand the interactions between them...

Another fascinating interview with a leader and pioneer in the field. Stephen Briggs, managing Whitehall Farm in the UK, delves into the details of his apple intercropping system, and shows us how his farm operation has benefited from the positive interactions of his trees and his arable crops. He is convinced of the strategic benefits agroforestry provides, both for his business and agro-ecosystem...

In this episode Steve Gabriel shares with us his experience on Wellspring Forest Farm, focusing on his sheep silvopasture system. Steve has used the different ecological niches present on his land to build up various enterprises and has refused to separate productions, preferring rather to take advantage of interactions and edge effects. You'll find out how he uses trees to diversify the habitat of his sheep and how this very same diversity can become a key asset in time of crisis...

In this episode, Brett Chedzoy shares with us his extensive experience practicing and teaching silvopasture. Brett clearly discussed some of the key issues, challenges and opportunities associated with silvopasture. We spent quite some time covering the importance of rotational grazing and how silvopasture differs from pasture grazing. We cover specific topics such as tree fodder, animal behaviour and the different interactions between trees and animals...

Paula and Valter share with us how they are designing and implementing complex agroforestry systems. They put an emphasis on creating flexible, modular designs which fit the needs and preferences of local farmers. We talk with them through some key points of their work such as the role of mechanisation, how they plan economically viable systems and finding markets for diverse productions...

In this episode, Iain Tolhurst explains why and how he integrated trees in his vegetable operation. It's interesting to get a clear image of what his tree layout looks like, and what this means in term on infrastructure and management. He has tested planting perennial crops in the tree understory, a tempting idea that encounters some practical and commercial limitations...

In this episode, Pierre shares with us his work at the Bois de Rode Bos, where he is experimenting with tree varieties to find the most adapted ones to the evolving Belgian climate. It is amazing to realise the genetic diversity that we are not familiar with and the potential it can offer for agricultural production, yet at the same time we understand how technical this work is. Pierre talks us through his selection process, from sourcing rare genetics to trialling them on his land...

In this episode we talk with Christian Shearer and Sarah Baxendell from Regen Network to understand how they are monitoring the ecological outcomes of farming practices and offering an additional income stream to farmers who are regenerating land. These type of tools are crucial to scaling agroforestry as they help make ecologically sound practices economically viable in the short term...

In this episode, we have the pleasure to talk with Ryan Zinn from the company Dr Bronner. We explore with him how they are using multistrata agroforestry to transform their supply chains in order to increase their resilience and the improve the livelihood of the farmers they work with. We are able to understand why such a company is investing in regenerative agroforestry and what it takes for them to transform their supply chains...