Agroforestry, which integrates forestry and farming, can provide multiple benefits, and planting trees on farms could help meet UK tree planting targets. In Wood For The Trees part 7, Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber visits Vallis Veg, a small farm in Somerset, to see how they've benefited from growing trees on the farm.

Tom is MD of Vastern Timber, a family owned sawmill specialising in British timber. He's working with film-maker Charly Le Marchant to make a series of short films considering the future of British forests. In this film Tom discusses agroforestry at VallisVeg.co.uk, a small farm in Frome, Somerset.

At Vallis Veg, Chris Smaje and Cordelia Rowlatt, with their team, have planted thousands of trees on their farmland. In less than twenty years, they have established willow to help manage flooding, alder and hazel as wind protection and for firewood, fruit and nut orchards, a market garden, a woodland campsite, and a thriving co-operative forest school based in the newly established woodland. Chris Smaje is author of Small Farm Future, and he writes passionately about farming, politics, social and environmental issues on his very popular blog, SmallFarmFuture.org.uk

Tom talks to Cordelia and Chris about why they chose the trees they planted, and how agroforestry could bring benefits to farming and forestry.

Filmed in December 2020, between lockdowns, and within covid safety guidelines, by Charly Le Marchant. A Pocketfull of Acorns Production.

#woodforthetrees #forestry #carbonsequestration #agroforestry #treeplanting #vallisveg #smallfarmfuture #localfood #agroecology #edibletreecrops #trees

00:00 Agroforestry: The Benefits of Growing Trees on Farms
01:03 Percentage of agricultural land use in UK, relationship between agriculture and forestry
02:08 Intro Chris Smaje author of Small Farm Future and Cordelia Rowlett Vallis Veg
02:23 Why are trees important in the agricultural landscape?
03:04 Vallis Veg; rethinking the local food system and integrating trees into the landscape
04:10 Shared Earth Learning Coop; education and forest schools
04:29 Chris and Cordelia on Agroforestry at Vallis Veg, practical uses of trees and edible crops
08:48 Can an agroforestry approach help us to meet the governmental targets for tree planting?
09:48 Why is now the time for an agroforestry revolution? Climate Change, Rewilding, Local Food Production
10:43 ELMS (Environmental Land Management Schemes) and local food production
11:36 Hope and fears for UK agroforestry and local food production
12:36 Policy suggestion: Carbon Tax
13:32 Small Farm Future by Chris Smaje
13:50 Summary and lessons learnt