Intensive Silvopasture Establishment Trial
As we’ve moved our flock between paddocks again and again over the last decade, we’ve learned that the sheep are at their absolute happiest when they’re in one of our transitional meadows. These are places bordering the hayfields, where trees, shrubs, and a wide variety of plants mix in with pasture grasses. When they enter one of these paddocks, the sheep charge straight for the shrubs and dart from one to the next to see which leaves taste the best and where to settle in for their first course. In the peak heat of the day, they take a break from the sun and rest in the shade of the trees while they ruminate (literally). It’s a lively scene where they appear to be in their most natural habitat.
Which brings us to our Intensive Silvopasture (ISP) planting which our partners at Breadtree Farms installed this spring! The Breadtree team planted 5 acre trial with a diverse mix of trees, shrubs, and other species in a space that will mimic the mixed forage and browsing areas the sheep love best. This planting will create a dense, multi-level area of varied nutrition for them—a miniature “food forest” if you will.
The trees and plants in ISP areas grow at varying heights allowing the sheep to browse vertically in addition to grazing with their heads down on a flat plane—effectively creating a 3-D buffet. The density of nutrition in a given acre can significantly increase with ISP designs, and with it, the potential stocking density of the animals carried on the land. Intensive Silvopasture systems have the potential to deliver improved nutrition and increased growth, to more animals, on fewer acres—all while improving water quality and soil health.
The goal of this establishment trial is to explore specifically which plant species work best with our temperate climate, and which plants best support the sheep’s nutrition and growth. As we iterate with successive plantings and species, we’re aiming to increase our carrying capacity, extend our grazing season, and reduce our winter hay consumption by integrating these ultra-dense forage stands into our rotational management.
We will share our findings with the farming community as we learn more from this trial!