1. Presentation Objectives
What is Agroforestry?
What are the benefits of agroforestry?
Alley Cropping: How is this an Agroforestry Practice?
Presentation Objectives

2. What is Agroforestry?
It is an agricultural approach of using interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.

3. Here, do this! Use agriculture!
Use forestry!
Here, do this! Use agriculture!
As noted earlier, agroforestry incorporates technology from agriculture and forestry. Expertise in both areas are needed, neither can be ignored if an agroforestry system is to function properly and provide the desired benefits.
Forestry
Agriculture

4. …..the intentional combining of agriculture and working trees to create sustainable farming and ranching systems.
Riparian buffer
Windbreaks
Building on this simple definition, agroforestry is the intentional combining of agriculture and working trees to create sustainable farming systems. In agroforestry systems, trees or shrubs and their products are intentionally used within agricultural systems, livestock, or forests. Agricultural knowledge, careful selection of species, and good management of trees and crops are needed to optimize the production and positive effects within the system and to minimize negative competitive effects. Agroforestry systems can be advantageous over conventional agricultural and forest production methods through increased productivity, improved economic benefits and social outcomes and the enhanced ecological goods and services provided. This unique management approach is used world-wide today.
Silvopasture
Forest farming
What is Agroforestry?
Alley cropping

5. Alley cropping is a simple way of combining fruit tree-growing with garden plants.

6. +
Simply put agroforestry is the combination of traditional agriculture and conventional forestry, hence the word agroforestry.
Alley cropping!

7. Growing an annual crop simultaneously in the alley ways between rows of a tree crop. The agricultural crop generates food and potential income while the tree crop matures.
A second agroforestry practice is alley cropping. Alley cropping is growing an annual or perennial crop simultaneously in the alley ways between rows of a long term tree crop. Alley cropping systems provide a way to lower risk by diversifying production. In alley cropping, an agricultural crop is grown simultaneously with a long-term tree crop to provide annual income while the tree crop matures. Fine quality hardwoods like walnut, pecan, and oak are typical species in the temperate zone, and can produce high-value lumber or veneer logs. When nut-bearing trees are used they can provide an intermediate product for sale. Most row crops and grains, as well as specialty crops, such as taro or St. John’s Wort, have been shown to grow well in an alley cropping system.
Alley Cropping

8. Alley Cropping Benefits
Several crops happening at once
Reduce erosion (trees holding soil)
Improve water quality
Protect crops
Improve utilization of nutrients
Provide wildlife habitat
Looks beautiful
Store carbon
In addition to improving annual and long term cash flow, alley cropping systems also protect annual crops, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, utilize nutrients, enhance wildlife habitat, store carbon and improve landscape aesthetics.

11. Examples of small area Alley Cropping

12. Larger scale Alley Cropping projects

16. http://www. youtube. com/watch
Let’s watch a short clip on a small garden Alley Crop project….
U-tube “Garden Alley Crop” by TrevorsGarden

17. Questions: Based on what you have seen is Alley Cropping a good idea
Questions: Based on what you have seen is Alley Cropping a good idea? Would you be willing to help protect the orchard from vandalism? Is it fair that those that work in the orchard get to harvest and use the Garden crops they grow? Would you be willing to help plant the orchard?