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Policy Briefings

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Economic benefits of grazed apple orchards in England - Grazing under half-standard or standard trees

Why graze orchards with sheep?

Orchard grazing can offer financial and environmental benefits. The experience of stakeholders in the AGFORWARD project is that some lowland sheep breeds (e.g. Shropshire) can successfully graze on orchards which have been pruned to a height of 1-2 m without noticeable losses in apple yields. Sheep producers can profit from an additional source of grass in the orchards, and the release of grazed land for hay production. Orchard owners can profit from reduced mowing costs, increased nitrogen cycling and a rent from the sheep owner. There can also be societal benefits in terms of employment and plant biodiversity.

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Featured Farm of the day

Wakelyns Agroforestry - a diverse organic silvoarable system in the UK

The general layout of the farm (Google Earth UK postcode IP21 5SD) is a series of 2 ha alley-cropping systems, with all production hedges aligned north-south on each side of 12m wide cropping areas. There are two coppice systems (hazel, willow), two mixed hardwood systems (ash, hornbeam, Italian alder, oak, small-leaved lime, sycamore, wild cherry, with or without apple) and two mixed fruit and nut systems. The organic crop rotation (cereals-ley-potatoes/squash-ley-cereals) runs as a single cycle around the whole farm.

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Olive tree silvarable-pastoral system, near Viterbo, Italy

Ploughing in between 14 year old walnut trees

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Grape harvesting in between Sorbus domestica

Red Tractor Farm

Xeromero valonia oak forest/silvopastoral system (West Greece)

Clover ley and apple trees