Agroforestry at Shimpling Park Farm

[Agricology]

In this video, John Pawsey describes the agroforestry at Shimpling Park Farm. In December 2020 they planted 3 fields totalling about 50 acres with 3,500 trees that mimic the species in the adjacent SSSI woodland and are ideally suited for the farm soil type. Between the trees they are growing organic arable crops (cereals and pulses) and plan to also graze their sheep. The trees are planted in lines in the fields at 36m intervals, with 4m wide alleys. John talks about what inspired him, the reasons behind some of the practical decisions, how they plan to use and manage the trees and expected benefits; for livestock, people, wildlife and the environment. This was made for ‘A National Network of Agroforestry Farms, ’a 'Farming the Future' A Team Foundation - funded project. Find out more about it and access a quick reference guide by visiting the project page: https://www.agricology.co.uk/national.... View the full farmer profile for John Pawsey here: https://www.agricology.co.uk/field/fa...

 

[Two Tone]

Thank you John for a very inspiring video.

I was involved in the very early days of helping Professor Martin Wolfe set up the Wakelyns Agroforestry Project at Fressingfield and my two brothers Mark and Paul still are. The way the whole thing started and how it has developed is fascinating.

Martin was the Plant Pathologist for PBI (Plant Breeding Institute) at Cambridge is its heyday, before it was privatised. Famous varieties that PBI had when he left were the likes of Riband, Haven and Beaver. All of which had a very heavy development influence from Martin's work. They could have changed the name "Marris" to "Martin's"!

PBI having been privatised in the 90's, Martin spent last few years years in Switzerland before retiring and buying Wakelyns Farm. Thinking what he could usefully do to help farmers in other parts of the world to grow their own crops, fuel and building materials, he set up the Agroforestry project.

His experience with growing blends of cereals to reduce fungicide usage also inspired him to use blends of trees. So in year one he panted his trees in avenues that would allow 12 metre strips of arable crops of blended cereals to be in between them. Some we drilled at the correct depth and other we kept the counters above ground to in effect "broadcast" them at exactly the same seed rate, but more similar to they way they might be planted in the counties he was aiming his work towards. Some land was ploughed and the rest Min-tilled.

I well remember having deep conversations with him about the root development effect of using half rate Baytan as a seed dressing. His view was that its fungicide effectiveness had almost disappeared before it hit the market. But that the delay in germination and its effect on the early root-ball was of far more value than any remaining fungicidal activity. So this is what he used it for!

After a couple of years of conventionally farming the crops, he switched to Organically farming them. Partly because the cereal blends proved so successful that fungicides proved unnecessary and of course they would be difficult to source in the countries to which his project was originally aimed.

Then of course the "Environment" became headline news, to which Martin's project proved to be an answer.

Martin's life and all the work he did in it, must be seen as a huge benefit to all mankind. I'm so glad John that you have chosen to do the same on your own farm and I'm sure all farmers, which ever way they farm and whatever enterprises they pursue, wish you every success.

Kind regards

Richard Ward