Agroforestry in temperate-climate commercial agriculture: Feedback from agroforestry practitioners in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Abstract

Industrially managed annual monocultures are the primary agricultural system used to grow most crops in developed countries. These systems necessitate the destruction of natural ecological complexity for their management and contribute substantially to the environmental problems facing society in the 21st century, including climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss, water pollution, topsoil loss, and desertification. Agroforestry is a promising set of alternative practices that involve integrating trees into agricultural systems to optimize biophysical system interactions and achieve a range of environmental and economic benefits. Much of the agroforestry literature has focused on potential adopters rather than farmers who have implemented agroforestry, but researchers and farmers alike stand to gain from insights into farmer experiences. This study aims to address that gap through qualitative interviews with farmers in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland who utilize production-oriented agroforestry. Perceived benefits of agroforestry included: improved climate resilience; lifestyle and mental health benefits; improved water management; improved soil health; increased presence of wildlife; improved livestock wellbeing; improved business resilience; provision of food, fuel, or fiber; improved ecological connectivity; reduced need for purchased inputs; low labor requirements; improved yields; improved pasture or crop health; and high product quality. Perceived challenges included: early setbacks; negative interactions within agroforestry systems; high labor requirements; difficulty mechanizing; tree establishment work; delayed or uncertain yields; novel crop challenges; meat processing challenges; difficulty planning for the future; high startup costs; and high management complexity. Farmers identified the value of both farmer–farmer networking and government support in the form of flexible and context-specific grant funding, system examples, business planning, and technical assistance. Many of the challenges farmers face can be overcome with agroforestry system designs that optimize early cash flow, balance labor productivity and environmental outcomes, and allow for harmonious integration of animals and appropriate-scale machinery.