An initiative to expand agroforestry practices is taking root in Illinois.
Spearheaded by the Savanna Institute, the Midwest Agroforestry Farm Network aims to show how farming with trees and shrubs can give producers options to add new income sources or cope with extreme weather, while improving local ecosystems.
Evan Barry, network coordinator for the institute, said it helps connect farmers who are already practicing agroforestry with those who are interested in getting started.
"Not only farms practicing agroforestry but also folks with commercial kitchens and agroforestry-specific processing equipment," Barry explained. "That's another big barrier that we see for our farmers is access to equipment."
Barry pointed out the institute wants to map agroforestry farms and resources across the state.
John Williams, manager of Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana, said perennial plantings are being added alongside the farm’s annual vegetable crops. Williams stressed it is still too early to measure the full effects, but the farm has already seen improvements in soil quality and reduced erosion and compaction from similar practices.
"Really thinking through and designing systems that integrate fairly seamlessly with your current cropping systems is really important," Williams emphasized. "We designed ours to really fit the equipment we had without too many hiccups and having to change our systems."
John Plescia, an Ogle County physician and farmer, noted the transition can be difficult, especially because perennial crops can take years to produce income. Plescia pointed out the biggest challenge for farmers is financial, as federal subsidies and commodity markets have long favored traditional crops like corn and soybeans.
"It's a risk, but I think farmers are hardworking people and I think we have to bring back some of that creativity to look for our own markets," Plescia underscored. "We can't keep doing things the way that we've been doing them for 50 years. It might have worked before, but it's not working anymore."
Plescia believes enough people are getting interested in healthy, local foods that they are willing to pay a premium for them, adding that the long-term goal should be an agricultural system building healthier soil, supporting local economies, and producing nourishing food with fewer inputs.
Illinois News Connection originally published this story.
