Agroforestry at Mill Farm

By Chelsie Fuge, Bristol Avon Catchment Market Team Manager

By bringing trees into the farmed landscape, we can benefit from an increase in productivity, mitigate the effects of climate change, aid in sustainable water management and support biodiversity.

Mill Farm, located near Melksham, comprises three fields totalling 26ha. of organic agricultural land. The land was generously donated to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in 2020 by two benefactors and is farmed for the production of silage and cereal crops. The land not only provided the opportunity to create our newest Care Farm, The Willows, but it also presented an ideal site to demonstrate how trees can be used to increase biodiversity and sustainable land management in the agricultural landscape.

Photo: Tom Staton, Agricology

Agroforestry seemed the obvious choice, offering the chance to improve the land for both wildlife and people by enabling nature to work alongside productive agriculture. Designs and plans were drawn up as a flagship project for the Bristol Avon Catchment Market, made possible by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which was developed by Defra and delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The exciting agroforestry project is now in its early stages of delivery. This winter, with the help of the tenant farmer, we will see the creation of 3km of wildflower grassland strips, into which 1,249 apple trees, including local varieties, will be planted. These rows, spaced 30m apart, will act as biodiversity corridors in the cropped fields, encouraging pollinators and natural pest predators, improving soil health and preventing soil erosion through run off.

Photo: Ground preparation of the agroforestry rows at Mill Farm, WWT

What is Agroforestry?

Agroforestry is the growing of both trees and agricultural/horticultural crops on the same piece of land. There are two main forms of agroforestry: Silvopasture (trees planted in a grazed pasture) and Silvoarable (trees planted in an arable/cropped field).

Could you be our Joint Venture Partner?

Over the next 5-10 years, our apple trees could be producing 10-20 tonnes of organic apples annually. We are looking for a Joint Venture Partner to manage this crop and utilise the produce. Contact Chelsie Fuge, Project Manager, at ChelsieF@wiltshirewildlife.org for more information.