New free agroforestry toolkit for Shropshire farmers, estate managers and land agents launched
A brand-new free digital agroforestry designer toolkit is being launched by cloud-based mapping software company Land App. Shropshire Council and partners.
Aimed at farmers, estate managers and land agents in Shropshire and the wider UK, Land App’s ground-breaking new Agroforestry Designer Toolkit aims to platform agroforestry – the intentional integration of trees into farms – and its many benefits to farmers, their livestock and nature. It is hoped that the toolkit will transform how agroforestry is planned and implemented across the UK, enabling it to become an integral part of wider landscape management which will help combat climate change, too. It has been launched ahead of National Tree Week which starts on November 23, which marks the start of the tree planting season.
The Agroforestry Designer Toolkit was developed in partnership with Shropshire Council and with input from Edd Colbert (Agroforestry Design). It is funded by Trees Outside Woodland (a partnership project of Defra, The Tree Council, Natural England, and Shropshire Council) with support from the Forestry Commission, Nature-Friendly Farming Network, The Tree Council and the Woodland Trust.
The new toolkit is included in the free tier of Land App, so is available to all. By answering a short series of questions, it will generate bespoke agroforestry initial designs tailored to each farm in just 30 seconds, allowing farmers, estate managers and land agents to visualise what could be possible on their land.
The designs are flexible and can be customised to meet specific requirements, such as editing stem planting density or sharing ideas with an Agroforestry Advisor. The toolkit can also create initial designs that are compatible with current government incentives and payment schemes, making it easier to align with Defra’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
The easy to use, site-specific toolkit supports three agroforestry design types to suit all farms and requirements:
- Linear Agroforestry: Helps users design rows of trees interspersed with crops or grazing areas - perfect for alley cropping or linear silvopasture. These designs can be modified and shared with an advisor, or used as a basis for an SFI plan in England, too.
- In-field Grid/Dispersed: Helps users plan tree spacing for shade, shelter and biodiversity - ideal for wood pasture or dispersed planting. Once generated, this can form a basis for calculating potential payment rates for wood pasture (through Higher Tier) or in-field agroforestry options (through SFI) in England.
- Traditional Orchards: Designed for those interested in creating or maintaining low-density orchards under schemes like the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, with guidelines on planting densities and potential payment rates.
Dan Geerah, Director of Growth at Land App said: "Agroforestry offers vital benefits for farms, from boosting productivity and protecting livestock and crops, to enhancing biodiversity and combating climate change. However, it remains a niche practice, and many find it daunting to start. That's why we've developed an easy-to-use, time-efficient toolkit that generates automated agroforestry initial designs, helping farmers, estate managers, and land agents to quickly see how they could integrate agroforestry into their land. This tool is the perfect springboard towards making agroforestry more accessible, benefiting both the land and the environment."
Farmer and Chair of the Nature-Friendly Farming Network James Robinson said: "As farmers we invest in designing farm buildings, but often overlook designing our landscapes. The 2022 heatwave highlighted the need for change, especially as such extreme weather is set to continue.”
“We began by restoring lost hedgerows and planting 10 acres of wood pasture to provide shade and shelter for our cattle, which has already brought several benefits. To secure the future of our farms in terms of climate resilience, we must act now, and I believe Land App’s Agroforestry Designer Toolkit is the ideal starting point."
Land App is also offering a free webinar on Friday, 29 November (12 noon - 1.15pm, via Zoom) for those wanting to find out more. Attendees will hear from industry experts (including the Forestry Commission’s James Ramskir-Gardiner, Independent Agroforestry Consultant Edd Colbert and the Woodland Trust’s Hannah Marshall) who will explore the many benefits of the new toolkit and agroforestry more broadly. The webinar will also include a short demonstration by Land App and will finish with a Q&A. To sign up, visit bit.ly/4hy5mP7.
To start using the Agroforestry Design Toolkit, sign up for a free Land App account on thelandapp.com. A free guide on how to use each tier is also freely available.
