Please note: This is an Agroforestry Regional Knowledge Exchange (ARKx) Farmer/Agroforester Profile. This profile information is provided with permission so that others can see successful stories and learn more about regional agroforestry practice adoption. Please respect privacy and property; contact them directly via public information regarding opportunities to connect.
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Farm Name: Lazy Pigg Farm
Farmers: Dana Lydon
Agroforestry Practices: Silvopasture
Agroforestry Acres: 5
Agroforestry Goals: Silvopasture: The poplar, locust, and willows were planted as nurse trees as well as for fodder and shade. The locust will be coppiced for fence post on a 10 - 12 year rotation. The willow will be pollarded for fodder and craft supplies on a 3 year rotation. The poplar will be pollarded for fodder as needed. In 15 - 20 years the nuts will be harvested for retail sale or used to custom finish hogs. The cypress limbs will be chipped for mulch as limb levels are raised to graze under.
Agroforestry Trees and Shrubs: Yellow Poplar - 260, Black Locust - 350, Black Walnut - 35, Bald Cypress - 35, Black Willow - 325, Shellbark Hickory - 45, Pecan - 25. The trees were planted in blocks of three rows with 10' between trees and 30' between blocks of trees.
Project Summary: We already practice rotational grazing with Dexter cattle and Katahdin sheep. Shade has been a real limiting factor on grazing in the summer. I hope to use the silvopasture project to allow more efficient grazing of this pasture as well as to increase the yield of forage. We have predominantly cool season forages and the shade will increase the amount of time the forage is actively growing. The tree species chosen are all native to increase biodiversity. Each tree species chosen needed to produce a product or additional benefit to the farm. For example the locusts will provide additional nitrogen to the pasture as we will lose some of the clover to shade. They will also provide fodder and fence posts. We are hoping to use coppice and pollard practices to increase the diversity of revenue streams to the farm. Our goal is for these ancient practices to increase the amount of productivity and income from the trees.
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