A conservation group is working with Wisconsin landowners to create diversified agricultural systems intended to bring long-term environmental and economic benefits.
Program organizers said agroforestry practices taking shape in Spring Green combine trees with farming to improve biodiversity and wildlife habitat while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Patrick Michaels, chief financial officer of Canopy Farm Management, said blending perennial crops and shrubs with annual crops and livestock also can bring local economic benefits. He pointed out perennial varieties offer higher revenue per acre compared with traditional corn and bean operations.
“They also support additional employment opportunities in the area because these are food crops that need to be harvested, processed and distributed in a way that requires and enables more economic activity than just commodity row crops,” Michaels explained.
The program, led by the Savanna Institute, is financed in part through the state’s water quality trading credits. The system helps companies reduce water pollution by paying farmers to lower phosphorus runoff through conservation work such as agroforestry.
Michaels added it may be the first agroforestry project funded through this model, demonstrating its effectiveness.
David Michael, a local landowner, said he and his family were looking for farming alternatives because of aging equipment and operational fatigue. They transitioned from conventional farming to leasing land for agroforestry through the program.
Michael noted they have added crop diversity with black currant, chestnut and Asian pear trees spread across nearly 100 acres and are already seeing results.
“We had a beekeeper come and put several beehives on our farm, and he detected a chestnut blossom in the honey,” Michael recounted. “So right away, there’s been an ecological impact on honeybees in that they’re taking advantage of these chestnut trees that have been planted here.”
Michael stressed the financial arrangement is competitive with dairy farming leasing rates, eliminating financial risks. He emphasized extensive agroforestry knowledge is not a prerequisite for participation because the program offers robust guidance.
Organizers said along with environmental impacts, the initiative has the potential to establish high-value perennial crop industries in the Midwest.
