We’re happy to share news about the UMaine Agroecology Lab’s Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site. Supported by the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, the project is led by Dr. Rachel Schattman and graduate student Alaina Ring.
Map of UMaine’s Agroecology Lab’s Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site
The 1.2 acre site, located at the Wyman's Wild Blueberry Research and Innovation Center, demonstrates an alley cropping agroforestry system. The site includes three rows of bush cherries (Prunus fruticosa x cerasus), two rows of elderberries (Sambucus nigra + ssp canadensis), and two rows of hybrid hazelnuts (Corylus avellana x comuta x americana) alternating with 24’ alleys that will be used for annual crops. The site will provide a space for research, education, and a grower-oriented workshop series.
According to the USDA, agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. It contributes to climate change mitigation in three ways: (1) Sequestering carbon in biomass and soils, (2) improving soil health, and (3) increasing resilience to extreme weather events such as drought or flooding.
According to Ring, there are not many demonstration areas for agroforestry in the Northeast. This new site will be especially useful for research and education, due to its location on a University of Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiments Station (MAFES) research farm. The project is a collaboration between the UMaine Agroecology Lab, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, and the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC).
“Having more resources where people can go and actually see what agroforestry looks like is really important if we want to scale up agroforestry and make it more accessible to growers. We have the wiggle room to make mistakes, try things, and create budgets and economic analyses, which are all important resources to help farmers adopt these practices.”
The team recently finished planting on the site. Educational signs at the site will be useful tools for all visitors to learn about these practices and how to implement them on their own.