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Projects

To advance agroforestry, the USDA National Agroforestry Center leads and partners on projects with a wide range of organizations. These projects help us effectively carry out research and education efforts across the United States. This webpage describes ongoing Center-led research projects, research projects carried out with partners, and outreach projects led by partners, as well as selected past projects. In general, Center projects are nationwide in scale or address key topics applicable to many parts of the country. Please reach out to the listed National Agroforestry contact for more information about these projects, or any staff member for more information on partnering with the National Agroforestry Center on your agroforestry efforts.

Center-led Research Projects

Research Projects with Partners

Outreach Projects with Partners

Selected Past Projects

Center-led Research Projects

Agroforestry Survey Synthesis

The National Agroforestry Center is conducting a series of systematic reviews investigating agroforestry adoption. Initial results found that agroforestry practices are unique and cannot be synthesized together, due to the many nuances involved. Instead, agroforestry adoption needs to be investigated on a practice-by-practice basis for meaningful results. NAC has completed agroforestry adoption syntheses for windbreaks and silvopasture with the other agroforestry practices to follow.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: Lord Ameyaw (USDA NRCS)
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Matthew Smith

Image of Key Benefits and Challenges of Silvopasture.

Trees Outside Forests Inventory

Trees outside forests in agricultural areas, including windbreaks and riparian forest buffers, are an important ecological resource often overlooked by traditional natural resource inventories. Using GIS and remote sensing technology, quantifying how much is out there as well as where these resources are fills a critical research gap needed to account for ecosystem services, particularly carbon and GHG benefits.
Project start: 2016
Cooperators: Northern Research Station—Forest Inventory & Analysis
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Todd Kellerman

Image of a map showing areas with trees.

Guidebook for Selecting Tree and Shrub Species for Agroforestry in the US

In collaboration with many partners, we are developing a guidebook for selecting trees and shrubs for agroforestry based on plant attributes. This resource will also provide species-specific information for many common species used in the five common agroforestry practices.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Numerous
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Gary Bentrup

Image of plants in a greenhouse.

Photo credit: Licensed photo by AdobeStock

Research Projects with Partners

National Agroforestry Survey

In 2022, the National Agroforestry Center, in partnership with USDA NASS, will release the largest and most comprehensive survey of agroforestry adoption ever conducted. The National Agroforestry Survey will be sent to 11,100 agroforestry producers from across the U.S., asking questions related to acres in each agroforestry practice, tree/crop/livestock species being used, establishment methods, maintenance activities, reasons why they have the practice, markets where they sell their agroforestry products, funding methods for system establishment/ and maintenance, preferred sources of information, etc. Data will be summarized and published in open access research journals starting Spring 2023.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: USDA NASS, USDA NRCS, USDA ARS
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Matthew Smith

Image of person writing on a clipboard in a field.

Photo credit: Licensed photo by AdobeStock

Carbon stocks in silvopasture systems vs treeless pastures in the Northeastern U.S.

The USDA National Agroforestry Center is collaborating with Yale to investigate the carbon storage potential of silvopasture systems in the Northeastern U.S. The study involves comparing silvopasture systems established through tree planting to adjacent treeless pastures. Results are expected to be available Spring 2022.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Yale University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Matthew Smith

Image of person working in a forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Yale University

Optimizing benefits of silvopasture systems in the interior pacific northwest: influences on fuel structure and vascular plant diversity

Silvopasture has been identified as a potential mechanism to reduce wildfire fuel loads in many parts of Europe, due to understory brush removal, wider tree spacing, and tree pruning. However, little research has been conducted in the United States on whether this may be a viable wildfire mitigation tool. This research project, which is being led by Washington State University with support from the National Agroforestry Center, will investigate how effective silvopasture management is at reducing fuel loads in Washington state. Fieldwork is underway with another round of data collection planned for summer 2022.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Washington State University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Matthew Smith

Image of person working in a forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Washington State University

Windbreak utilization through time: A geospatial analysis and survey study of Nebraska farmers

Windbreaks have been used in the Great Plains states for over a century. However, do producers still find windbreaks valuable, given new farming technologies, crop cultivars and conservation practices? This case study will compare opinions of windbreaks from Nebraska farmers from a new 2023 survey to that of survey data from the same study region from 1983 and 2009.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: University of Nebraska
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Matthew Smith

Image of a chart of common windbreak benefits.

Prairie States Forestry Project Digital Archive

In the 1930s, the Prairie States Forestry Project (PSFP), planted more than 200 million trees in approximately 33,000 shelterbelts from the panhandle of Texas to the border of North Dakota. This project will create a publicly accessible digital archive of the primary source documents including planting plans and photos.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: University of Nebraska – Lincoln, University of Nebraska Center for Digital Research in the Humanities (CDRH)
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Gary Bentrup

Vintage image of people working in a field.

Photo credit: USDA Forest Service

Update of the Conservation Buffer Guidelines

Conservation Buffers: Design Guidelines for Buffers, Corridors, and Greenways provides over 80 illustrated design guidelines synthesized and developed from a review of over 1400 research publications. This project will create an updated version based on the latest research.
Project start: 2022
Cooperators: Savanna Institute
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Gary Bentrup

Image of the publication Conservation Buffers: Design Guidelines for Buffers, Corridors, and Greenways.

Outreach Projects with Partners

Increasing Landscape-Scale Adoption of Agroforestry Systems in Central Appalachia through Market-Based Incentives

This a multi-state partnership with Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia to increase adoption of forest farming and alley cropping in central Appalachia. The Center’s role includes development of a forest farming calculator, as well as other outreach efforts and publications.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: Appalachian Sustainable Development, Rural Action, United Plant Savers, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Radford University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of an outdoor garden.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Appalachian Sustainable Development

Southwest Agroforestry Action Network

This project supports the development of a network of farmers, technical assistance providers, researchers, and others in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and southern California. This effort includes webinars, workshops, and other educational efforts.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: New Mexico Highlands University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people working in a overgrown field.

Saginaw Bay Agricultural Runoff Intercept Project

To improve Great Lakes water quality and habitat, this project involves planting buffer strips with trees, shrubs and seeding with a native grass mix. Buffer strips are planted adjacent to agricultural lands to intercept drain tile outlet pipes from the fields and distribute the flow horizontally along the banks in the newly implemented buffer strips.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Kawkawlin River Watershed Association
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people working with equipment in a field.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Kawkawlin River Watershed Association

Developing an American Forest Farming Council (AFFC) Framework

This project builds on the successes of the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition (ABFFC) to develop a formal framework for the American Forest Farming Council (AFFC). The AFFC is envisioned as a national professional forest farming association that focuses on increasing recognition of NTFPs as agricultural crops; support for forest farmers and wild stewards; supply stock and value-added NTFP procurement; research and precision technology; and public awareness.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: Virginia Tech
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of a person's hand that contains plant roots.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Virginia Tech

Sharing Successes in Forest Farming Across Central Appalachia

This project is strengthening support structures for farmers by developing regionally applicable educational materials that help service providers advise landowners related to forest farming. These materials include forest farming scenarios, videos, and case studies.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network, Inc. (LiKEN)
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people working in a forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network, Inc.

Agroforestry Outreach in the Hawaiian Islands

This project is developing a suite of agroforestry outreach materials based on producer experiences in the Pacific Islands that will increase the understanding and adoption of multi-story agroforestry agroforestry. Materials highlight producers across five diverse Hawaiian Islands through information represented in case studies, videos, and scenarios.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: Sustainability Ventures
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of palms, plants, and ocean.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Sustainability Ventures

‘Āina Accountability to Our Ancestors

This project shares best practices from an existing urban agriculture system that includes agroforestry practices: Ho’oulu ‘Āina, a 100-acre site for a wide array of land-based healing and education around agroforestry and forest stewardship. This project is developing a short educational videos and lesson plans for natural resource professionals and students, some of which are being translated into Ilocano, Samoan, Chuukese.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people working in a tropical forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Ho'oulu 'Āina

Forest Farming in Action: Developing Educational Resources to Support Forest Farming in the Appalachian Region

This project is developing case studies that highlight forest farming opportunities, as well as videos that showcase forest farming production methods and reasons for forest farming to increase understanding of forest farming by producers, landowners, and natural resource professionals. It also is developing sample forest farming production scenarios and information about market strategies.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Rural Action
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of person examining a plant in the forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Rural Action

Partnering for Agroforestry in the Midwest

This project is developing resources that describe successful agroforestry partnerships in silvopasture and alley cropping. These resources include videos, webinars, case studies, and enterprise budgets.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Savanna Institute
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people planting trees.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by the Savanna Institute

Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Workshops

This project is providing training to natural resource professionals in the Pacific Northwest region through in-person and virtual workshops, extending the network of natural resource professionals who can support the use of agroforestry practices by landowners and producers. The project also is facilitating meetings working with Tribal communities, natural resource managers, and technical service providers, to promote knowledge sharing and network development around priority topics for Pacific Northwest Tribal communities related to natural resource management, food sovereignty, and economic development.
Project start: 2018
Cooperators: Oregon State University, Washington State University, EcoTrust, USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Group photo of a workshop.

Planning for First Foods at Camp Creek Hills

This project is supporting the development of a First Foods Management Plan for Camp Creek Hills rooted in cultural traditions and translated into current practice. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is leading the effort through community planning with a focus on supporting intergenerational knowledge capacity and transfer and activities including engaging local Tribal membership in property surveys to identify first foods, medicines, and invasive species, determining management priorities for these species, and identifying high priority areas on the property for management interventions.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of flowers in an open field.

Photo credit: Courtesy photos by Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

State Property Tax Programs for Agroforestry

This project is identifying the current barriers and opportunities in preferential tax policies for agroforestry systems. This is being accomplished through a review of state preferential property tax programs for agriculture and forestry, as well as interviews and focus group discussions with experts, reviewing statutes and their supporting documents for state, and creating a database of programs which directly or indirectly support or prevent agroforestry systems from enrolling landowners.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: North Carolina State University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Lord Ameyaw

Image of a person working on a laptop.

Photo credit: Licensed photo by AdobeStock

Silvopasture Producers of California

This project is identifying how and where silvopasture is currently practiced across the state of California and documenting producers and their silvopasture systems through case studies and video testimonials in English and Spanish.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Strategy Research Science
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of a person working on trees in a field.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Strategy Research Science

Texas Urban Agroforestry Project

The project is developing information about how to build urban agroforestry sites from the ground up, documenting how trees and shrubs can play a key role in productive, effective urban agriculture sites. NCAT is creating educational videos, producer testimonials, podcasts, case studies, and a how-to publication that describe how agroforestry is being used in urban areas in Texas.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: National Center for Appropriate Technology
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of a person working in a forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Colin Mitchell, NCAT

Community Harvest Agroforestry Program

This project is documenting how existing urban agriculture sites are adding agroforestry systems to benefit those agriculture systems. This project is developing videos, an urban agroforestry tool kit, case studies, and other examples of what modifying urban agriculture sites to add trees and shrubs can look like.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Washington Parks & People
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of fruit bearing trees.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Jeffery Catts, Washington Parks & People

Blackfeet Community College: Cultural Knowledge with the Ideals of Agroforestry and Permaculture

The vision of this project is to develop a trail system that connects the College’s agricultural land to campus along a stream corridor. The stream corridor will be planted with a riparian buffer that includes culturally important plants of the Blackfeet reservation.
Project start: 2020
Cooperators: Blackfeet Community College
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people examining a watershed.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Blackfeet Community College

Building Tools and Materials to Promote Silvopasture Adoption

This project is developing educational materials that relate producer experiences, challenges and successes with silvopastures in Virginia and North Carolina. These educational materials include case studies, educational videos, and agroforestry scenarios.
Project start: 2019
Cooperators: Virginia Tech
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of a flock of sheep inside a fence.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Virginia Tech

Southwestern Tribal Agroforestry Outreach Project

This project will highlight examples of Indigenous agroforestry in the Southwest which meet the demands of climate change across the diverse region, as well as uplift the cultural relevance of agroforestry practices. The materials will focus on windbreaks, riparian buffers, silvopasture, and forest farming, including case studies, webinars, and other outreach and training materials.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Quivira Coalition
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of different plants in a planter.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by the Quivira Coalition

Agroforestry in the Upper Midwest: Educational Materials for Accelerated Adoption

This project will develop agroforestry educational materials to accelerate agroforestry adoption in the Midwest, including budget enterprise worksheets and 20-year financial models for selected agroforestry crops, case studies of farmers growing the agroforestry crop or implementing the practice, producer testimonials that highlight the motivations and successes of agroforestry practitioners, scenarios for incorporating revenue generating crops into windbreak practices, and “how-to” videos.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Trees Forever
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of farm animals in a field with protected plants.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Trees Forever

Silvopasture Practices for Land, Animal, and Farm Resilience

This project will share information about silvopasture practitioners, practices and motivations in New England and New York State by providing useful, accurate and engaging information for natural resource professionals, farmers, and landowners. The project will develop videos and case studies to share silvopasture best practices for this region.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Regenerative Design Group
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of cattle in a forest.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Regenerative Design Group

Finding Value in Appalachia’s Riparian Buffers

This project will promote the economic benefits of protecting and enhancing riparian buffer zones in central and southern Appalachia through walnut and sycamore syrups as well as elderberries and nettles. The project will develop informational materials, videos, and webinars.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Future Generations University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of a forest with different zones masked off.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Priya Jaishanker

Agroforestry for Underserved Communities in Coastal South Carolina

This project supports the development of agroforestry strategies that best fit the situations faced by rural and limited resource landowning families and delivering these strategies through educational workshops, including workshops for technical service providers, including CHPP staff.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Center for Heirs Property Preservation
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of a group of people conversing in a forest.

Washington State University Vetter Farm Agroforestry Demonstration Project

This project is developing agroforestry systems at the Washington State University Vetter Farm that provide sustainable, multi-resource conservation benefits through silvopasture, alley cropping, riparian buffer, and managed aspen range demonstrations. The project is also working to increase landowner learning, action, and condition changes through demonstration activities.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Washington State University
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Kate MacFarland

Image of a field with a protected tree.

Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Washington State University Extension

Agroforestry Outreach Partnership

The project is working to expand agroforestry communications and outreach training programs to advance proven agroforestry practices and perennial crops for environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Richard Straight

Image of people working in a forest.

Select Past Projects

Temperate Agroforestry Systems and Insect Pollinators

A systematic review was conducted to synthesize information on how temperate agroforestry systems influence insect pollinators and their pollination services. A book chapter was also prepared that summarizes how agroforestry practices can designed to support pollinators and pollination.
Project start: 2021
Cooperators: Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Gary Bentrup

Chart of temperate agroforestry Systems and insect pollinators.

Agroforestry: Enhancing resiliency in U.S. agricultural landscapes under changing conditions

This assessment provides a science-based synthesis on the use of agroforestry for mitigation and adaptation services in the face of climatic variability and change.
Project start: 2018
Cooperators: Numerous
National Agroforestry Center Contact: Gary Bentrup

Image of the publication Agroforestry: Enhancing Resiliency in US Agricultural Landscapes Under Changing Conditions.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/about/projects.php