Agroforestry (Farming with Trees)

Integrating trees and shrubs with farming systems can provide many environmental, social, and economic benefits. Potential agroforestry practices include: 

• Forest farming—cultivating crops such as tree sap, hickory nuts, shiitake mushrooms, fuel wood, and medicinal plants under a managed tree canopy. 
• Riparian forest buffers—growing trees/shrubs next to a body of water for conservation purposes. 
• Silvopasture—grazing livestock on a landscape with trees. 
  • Establishing silvopasture by planting trees 
  • Establishing silvopasture in existing woodland 
• Windbreaks—growing rows of trees/shrubs to slow the wind for the benefit of soils, crops, livestock, wildlife, and people. A great practice for any property. 
• Alley cropping—growing rows of trees/shrubs in between alleys of crops. A great practice for transitioning cultivated fields to perennial crops. 

Further Reading

Resource libraries  

• USDA overview of agroforestry practices  
• Savanna Institute resource library  

Relevant organizations  

• University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry  
• Association for Temperate Agroforestry  
• USDA National Agroforestry Center 

If you have questions about agroforestry or feedback on this webpage, contact: 

Page last updated December 2025.