Agroforestry is the utilisation of trees on agricultural land, grown in and around crops or pasture. This land management method can be more economically viable, sustainable, and biologically productive than forestry or agricultural monoculture. Agroforestry can increase the quality of the yield whilst sequestering carbon, providing two additional income streams[1]. In addition, agroforestry can help mitigate the effects of drought by retaining moisture in the soil through aggregation, which in turn increases water infiltration. The presence of trees can also reduce soil erosion, provide shade for crops and livestock, and improve soil health.  

We are working with a young landowner who is looking to experiment with their landholding and move parcels of land into regenerative farming and agroforestry. The land has historically been used for intensive sheep and cattle grazing on upland pastures. In recent years the landholding has suffered from drought, flooding and a landslip which took approximately 100 years worth of soil, resulting in a large financial and biodiversity loss. The surrounding rivers including the river Lugg have seen the biodiversity decrease dramatically in his lifetime “the rivers use to be full of trout and now in my lifetime there are not any”.   

The young landowner is working with the WACC project to begin shifting his land management practices to fit into an agroforestry system. Through support from the project he has undertaken tree planting in fenced off riparian zones, created a shelter belt and is currently planning to create a wetland in a previously waterlogged and non-viable area of pasture.   

Riparian buffer zones along dingles, streams and rivers can reduce soil erosion, provide shelter for livestock, and reduce extreme flooding events. Mature trees can be harvested which could provide an alternative income stream and in upland areas shelter belts can provide more shelter for exposed steep areas, reducing the impact of extreme weather conditions. In agroforestry systems trees can intercept run-off from rainfall events, reducing the velocity of water hitting the watercourses, working to reduce the effects of flooding in the local area.   

The next stage on the landholding will be to undertake soil analysis to assess areas which are most suitable for fruiting trees, acidic upland trees and woodland creation. The tree planting will coincide with grassland and wildflower meadow restoration, the transition to destocking and introducing more hardy native upland livestock. By selling more food locally, it benefits the local economy and can go towards a more sustainable farming community.   

Our landscape is filled with lush green fields which may look natural and beautiful, but these fields have in fact undergone huge changes over the last few centuries and are far from natural. These grasslands would probably have once had over 50 species of plants growing, including wildflowers, herbs, legumes, grasses, and grains.   

However, many of them have now been agriculturally improved and reseeded so that they contain only a few species of grass, predominantly perennial ryegrass, and some are regularly fertilised. The purpose of this is to improve productivity of the pasture, so that livestock put on weight more quickly. However, the loss of diversity and complexity in grasslands impacts animal and human health, as well as nature and even the climate.  

One of the farmers that we have been working with is considering overseeding his improved grassland with a herbal ley (or diverse sward), which will increase the number of herb and legume species within the pasture. This has several benefits for the farmer, his livestock, and the wider environment. For example, legumes, like clover and lucerne, can fix up to 250 kg nitrogen per hectare in the soil, reducing the need and reliance on costly artificial fertilisers and helping to increase yields and build soil fertility naturally.  

Herbal leys are more nutritionally varied, palatable, higher in protein, and often have medicinal properties which can enhance livestock health and reduce the need for supplements and treatments. For example, sainfoin, which is often found in herbal leys, has anthelmintic properties which means it helps to reduce worm burdens in livestock, reducing the need for artificial wormers and therefore the risk of drug resistance.  

Additionally, compared to ryegrass which has relatively short roots, herbs and legumes can have roots to a depth of around 2 metres. These longer roots help improve nutrient cycling within the soil and make more minerals available to livestock. This is important for both animal and human health – mineral content in meat has been declining over the past 50 years because of intensification and simplification of farming systems [2].   

Deeper rooting plants in a herbal ley provide natural drought resistance and a longer grazing period because roots can penetrate further into the soil to reach moisture, which may become even more important with climate change, and they can also sequester more carbon into the soil. Herbal leys can even help to improve the health of our rivers and watercourses and reduce flooding. This is because the deeper roots help to increase water infiltration into the soil, reducing water surface runoff which can wash nutrients into waterways and speed up water flow, which can rip out aquatic plants.   

Wyevale Nurseries is a family-run horticultural business on the outskirts of Hereford that produces plants and trees for the amenity and retail sectors. Wyevale Nurseries has a strong sustainability ethos and has engaged with the project to explore ideas of how the business can develop this focus further with climate adaptation in mind.  

A key area of interest at Wyevale Nurseries is habitat connectivity. Connecting areas of existing habitat or developing habitat corridors enables wildlife to move across the landscape in response to extreme weather events such as flooding, drought and wildfires. The plans at Wyevale Nurseries encompass improving the habitat either side of the Yazor Brook (blue corridor) that runs through the site. The watercourse will be fenced off from livestock and woodland buffer strips will be planted with wet tolerant tree species such as alder, willow and birch. This protects the brook from the impacts of livestock such as poaching and erosion, reduces nutrients entering the brook, whilst also providing Natural Flood Management (NFM) benefits by slowing the flow of surface water runoff. Some parcels of land across the site which are not being used for production, have been scoped to provide more complex habitat through woodland creation, creation of wetland features such as scrapes and ponds, and potential meadow restoration. Connecting existing pockets of habitat and newly created areas involves improving the hedgerow network and creating wider buffers and margins with wildflower mixes or rough grassland strips (green corridors).    

The Duchy of Cornwall are landowners of the site and have given full support to the ideas proposed and are actively working with all parties to deliver the ambition.   

Funding for this project is delivered through the Severn Treescapes project for tree planting, a potential additional grant source for scrape creation, and the Government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme for margins and ongoing revenue payments to deliver and maintain these environmental outcomes.  

Imme Davies, Assistant Manager Tree Division at Wyevale Nurseries said:

“We are excited and looking forward to being involved in the project. As a producer of field grown trees, we are able to offer nursery stock and expertise for the planned scheme along the Yazor Brook. Our production techniques already include methods to improve biodiversity and the surrounding environment, and this project will offer a great symbiotic relationship between development of habitat corridors and ongoing tree nursery production.”  

There are many different Nature Based Solutions (NBS) being explored through the Wye Adapt to Climate Change? project in order for landowners and tenants to adapt to our changing climate. Adaptation builds farm-business resilience, but also delivers long term environmental benefits. A quote from Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s CEO, Jamie Audsley, and other landowners that we have worked with amplifies the positive affect project outcomes are having on individuals and our landscape:   

 Jamie Audsley, Chief Executive Herefordshire Wildlife Trust concludes:

“This project embodies the work that Wildlife Trusts across the UK are undertaking to achieve the landscape scale goal of restoring, protecting and connecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Only by working with farmers, landowners and tenants, can we come close to achieving this ambitious goal.”

A big thank you to all who have engaged so far.