o what is this agroforestry all about then?????

Agroforestry is a concept of integrated land use that combines elements of agriculture and forestry in a sustainable production system.  With an emphasis on managing rather than reducing complexity it promotes a functional bio-diverse system that balances productivity with environmental protection.  Agroforestry systems are practised in both tropical and temperate climates and are classified as silvoarable (trees & crops) or silvopastoral (trees & animals). With both ecological and economic interactions between trees and crops and livestock the total productivity within these systems is usually higher than in monoculture systems due to complementarity in resource capture.  Trees modify their local microclimatic conditions (temperature, water vapor content of air and wind speed) and as such they can have real benefits to crops and livestock which are grown with them.  They reduce the amount of nutrients which are lost by maximizing the internal nutrients cycling.  Other such benefits include the regulation of soil, water and air quality, enhancement of biodiversity, pest and disease control. The positive impact of agroforestry on resource use, resource protection and climate change mitigation are slowly becoming better understood and documented.

We have established 125 acres of Agroforestry at Whitehall farm combining 4500 apple tress with combinable and vegetable crops. This is currently the largest agro-forestry system in the UK. This provides enhanced soil protection and greater biodiversity of flora and fauna. In addition to having a positive impact on the landscape it also facilitates greater crop and enterprise diversity making our farming business more robust.

So whats the Nuffield Farming Scholarship?

Lord Nuffield, of Oxford fame, started building cycles, then cars in Oxford. A self made wealthy man who started the Nuffield press and has a strong desire to support research and innovation. The Nuffield Farming Scholarships are now awareded to industry leaders in the UK, ireland, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Holland.

I have been very fortunate to be awarded a 2011 scholarship..I will use it to travel and to learn more about how commercial agroforestry is practised in other countries and how successful practises can be applied to temperate agriculture in the UK. In 2011 I will travel to Canada, the USA, France, germany, Switzerland, China, Australia and New Zealand and use the information gained to improve the management of the agroforestry system on our own farm and to provide a better understanding of how commercial agroforestry systems can be developed and adopted in UK & temperate farming systems.

There is a growing understanding that agroforestry can provide multi-functional land use and environmental benefits. These are not yet clearly acknowledged or understood by UK farmers or policy makers. My intention will be to disseminate the information and experience gained to the wider agricultural industry to further the understanding of the benefits that agroforestry systems can provide and to highlight their contribution to sustainable land management and mitigation against climate change.