"Hey Richard,
That's the ecological trajectory I've taken. Natives are recovering quickly, and I'm holding off on seeding anything else until livestock (and maximizing their production) becomes an immediate reality.
Y'all better…"
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Ben Harris
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- Benjamin Harris
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Shade-tolerant forage seed species and sources?
Started this discussion. Last reply by Ben Harris Sep 29, 2020. 14 Replies 0 Likes
As I thin some woods and open up some edge lines, I'm hoping to seed some perennial shade-tolerant forages. I'm mainly focused on wildlife at this point (I don't yet own livestock), and hope to get…Continue
Searching for tree seeds
Started Jan 11, 2020 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hey y'all,I'm in search of tree seeds - fruits, nuts, fodder, N fixers, etc. Do you have favorite seed/nut sources or cultivars? I'm looking for production and vigor. Disease resistance will reveal…Continue
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"If wildlife rather than grazing areas for domestic animals is your focus, you need to focus on native biomass rather than non-native biomass, most of which is not usable, or not efficiently usable by wildlife. What wildlife you intend to support…"
"I would agree with Brett, this is pretty impressive Ben. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Brett, I totally agree with you on trefoil and i have observed the same things here in Michigan, Trefoil is only growing out in the full sun areas of…"
"Impressive, Ben - and clear that you're carefully thinking it all through"
"That's great!
Thanks for the feedback Ben!"
"Hi Sienna,
I haven't planted anything, just created the opportunity for the seed bank to express itself. This area is in a floodplain along a riverbank that usually floods at least once/year, often 2-3 times per year. A few years ago, this was…"
"Hey Ben,
Your forest looks great so far after your selective tree thinning! Were those grasses that you currently have already present when you thinned or did you plant them?
We have a few goats and have been selectively thinning our woods and using…"
"Yeah, lots of understory trees, for sure; I've tried not to open things up too fast. A good portion of them are shell bark hickory and pawpaw, which I like for the wildlife value (and, for myself...pawpaws are delicious). Many are other…"
"Ben,
From the photo, it appears that your nice trees are well-spaced for silvopasture, but that there are still a significant number of small-diameter stems - most or all of which are probably non-commercial species and/or suppressed shade-tolerant…"
"Thanks, Brett!
Unfortunately, stilt grass is growing in the sunnier spots right now. BUT in sections of the woods that I selectively thinned 1-2 years ago, the same stilt grass has given way to a much more diverse mix of cool and warm season grasses…"
"Limited shade tolerance studies indicate that Reed Canary, Orchardgrass and Tall Fescue and Bluegrass are amongst the most shade-tolerant cool season grasses, roughly in that order. However, varieties within species seem to matter.
The…"
"Again, I am not sure where you are located, but in my regular pastures in central MI, i have a fair amount of trefoil, which i like. I wonder how that would perform in a silvopasture. If any on this forum can weigh in, i would like to learn about…"
"Thanks, Kable. I've looked at orchard grass, and it's towards the top of my list. If only it spread more prolifically... That it's so deep-rooting is appealing, for sure."
"Hi Benjamin, here is MI, our forage specialist recommended Orchard Grass as one of the grass species. Not sure what you would plant in your area. Good Luck! "
Shade-tolerant forage seed species and sources?
As I thin some woods and open up some edge lines, I'm hoping to seed some perennial shade-tolerant forages. I'm mainly focused on wildlife at this point (I don't yet own livestock), and hope to get perennial or re-seeding annuals with substantial root mass to break up heavy clay North Carolina soils. Recommendations for species / mixes / seed sources? I've done some preliminary research, but am hesitant to buy mixes without specific input from silvopasture practitioners.See More
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- Benjamin Harris
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- Durham
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- I'm the director of a nature-based children's summer camp on a 96-acre property, interested in environmental education and ethics.
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Silvopasture operations in the North Carolina area?
Started by Ben Hirsh. Last reply by Emilie Tweardy Oct 31, 2022. 1 Reply 1 Like
I recently purchased 500 acres in the southwest corner of North Carolina. The property contains around 30 acres of developed pastures. There are another 100 acres of forest that was selectively…Continue
Recap: Trees for shade, fodder, and carbon webinar (Virginia Tech, WMLand Solutions, and Working Trees)
Started by John Foye Sep 8, 2022. 0 Replies 1 Like
Hi all -- glad to be a part of the group! At Working Trees we get producers paid for the carbon stored in silvopasture…Continue
Agroforester Job Opening
Started by Katie Commender Jun 23, 2022. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Appalachian Sustainable Development is searching for a part-time, regionally remote Agroforester to join our team! This new position will be responsible for providing technical and financial…Continue
Tags: agroforestry
Considerations for Establishing Silvopastures on Wooded Sites now online!
Started by Kate MacFarland May 13, 2022. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Agroforestry Note #50: Considerations for Establishing Silvopastures on Wooded Sites is now online at the…Continue
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