Best Practices for Native Stand Christmas Tree Silvopastures

Research and many years of practical experience have shown that Christmas-tree management in silvopasture settings is compatible with achieving multiple values, to the benefit of industry and conservation goals.  With funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, Kootenay Tree Farms has refined silvopasture techniques for enhanced production of forages for both wildlife and cattle, and, tree management for rhabdocline (Rhabdocline pseudotsugae) disease control.

Forage Production

Forages are a key consideration in any silvopasture operation.  In the context of Christmas tree silvopastures in the East Kootenay region, they have direct relevance to livestock production potential, and also are a variable of consideration for land use decisions and wildlife enhancement.

The Kootenay/Boundary Land Use Plan recommends periodic entries of prescribed burning, thinning and partial-cutting to maintain open forest conditions and rangeland values.  And, ecosystem restoration projects are currently underway in several areas of the region.  To date however, no projects have compared the effects of different types of Christmas tree management systems on forage production.

One of the objectives of this operational trial was to demonstrate that a silvopasture system will benefit forage production, improve forage quality and increase the grazable area of a pasture.  Treatments (with untreated controls) were installed, representing the effect of the silvopasture management system on plant communities that are dominated by native and domestic vegetation, respectively.  The first post-treatment monitoring took place in 2013.  Preliminary results have shown that forage cover, production and species diversity increases with decreasing overstory, under a silvopasture scheme.  The long-term suitability of silvopastures to contribute as an ecosystem restoration / forage enhancement land management tool will require additional monitoring to see if these trends hold.

Economics

A production system cost-benefit analysis has been developed based on the project results with regional Christmas tree production and market information.  The production model, which Kootenay Tree Farms has evolved is based on years of practice in the East Kootenay region, is rooted in the philosophy of ‘doing it the best way for the greatest return’.  Underlying this management concept is a goal of providing agroforestry management options to producers which enhance producer and ecological sustainability, while complementing larger landscape-level management strategies. 

The review gathered economic and production data for a hypothetical Christmas tree enterprise in the East Kootenay region of BC.  It was undertaken primarily for Christmas tree producers and those potentially interested in becoming a Christmas tree producers, and was designed to provide a starting point for them to assess the potential of a Christmas tree enterprise.  The analysis provides a beginning economic assessment from which to consider one's own notions about production and economic factors, and the potentials and pitfalls of a Christmas tree enterprise in this region.

Disease Control

Christmas trees have been pruned for a long time to improve tree quality but never to control disease.  In this project component, Kootenay Tree Farms investigated different management methods to control or eliminate Rhabdocline disease in Douglas-fir Christmas trees.  The results indicate that techniques that build the soil duff layer, improve soil fertility, or reduce surface temperatures or humidity can contribute to significant reductions in disease levels in the trees.   Using pruning and tree thinning methods that improve air flow through the production site, together with practices that improve the health of the trees are key.

Agroforestry Production Development Tool Released

Shiitake mushroom logs at UBC Farm

Brinkman & Associates and UBC Farm have released an Agroforestry Production Development (APD) Tool for producers considering new agroforestry ventures. The tool is a decision making tool that outlines cash flow and labour planning, while integrating social, ecological and economic considerations.

The UBC Farm is Vancouver’s last working farm, a 24-hectare farm and forest landscape located on the urban edge. As a living laboratory, UBC Farm is used for learning, research, and community service programs focused on food and the environment. In addition, UBC Farm annually produces over 58,000 lbs of organic fruit and vegetables which is sold through on-site markets, a CSA box program and directly to restaurants and distributors around Vancouver.

With funding support from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, the APD Tool was developed to provide small-scale producers, like UBC Farm, with another tool in their arsenal to help effectively plan for new ventures within existing operations. Due to the variable time-to-maturity of trees/shrubs, many potential ecological and social benefits and level of integration involved in agroforestry systems, planning can sometimes be challenging and complex.  As such the APD Tool offers users a simple way to streamline planning and includes social, ecological and economic components.

The UBC Farm used the tool to explore shiitake mushroom log forest farming as well as alley cropping with hazelnut and strawberries. This offers users a look at two different completed drafts and provides valuable resources and planning notes for those considering similar ventures.

A short video tutorial was developed to help users learn the ins and outs of the tool, it can be seen at
http://agroforestry.ubcfarm.ubc.ca/agroforestry-production-development-tool/ .  It is recommended that users view this video prior to getting started, in order to better understand the various components of the tool.

Many thanks to all of the farmers, consultants and other experts who provided feedback throughout the development of the tool and to the funders who made the project possible. It's hoped the APD tool provides farmers in BC with a useful framework for planning their new agroforestry endeavours.

Agroforestry Production Development Tool Under Development for BC

British Columbia’s managed forests are models of sustainability and conservation, and they provide a wide range of goods and services to rural and urban communities in the province and beyond. Many BC farms also include forested areas, but these may not be well integrated into farm operations or seen for their potential for enterprise development. With consumers increasingly demanding higher standards of ethically and sustainably sourced products, and growing interest carbon offset projects, BC’s agricultural sector has exciting opportunities to contribute to the sustainable use of forested lands and generate new streams of income, through agroforestry enterprises.

Brinkman and Associates Reforestation, in partnership with the UBC Farm, and with funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, will develop a business support tool for producers considering to pursue an agroforestry venture on their land. The Agroforestry Production Development Tool (APD Tool) will be a decision-making and planning framework for assessing the viability of potential integrated timber and non-timber resource enterprises, both quantitatively and qualitatively, given a triple bottom line that includes people, planet and profit.  The tool will be piloted by UBC Farm and other agricultural operations across BC (including Singing Lands Ranch, Big Bear Ranch, Amara Farm, Nathan Creek Organic Farm and Pilgrims Produce) as case studies for assessing the long-term financial viability and direct and indirect social and environmental benefits of a given agroforestry venture.

The APD Tool will incorporate market research, operational guidelines and other pertinent considerations, in a methodological approach to decision making such that other producers can replicate and adapt it to their specific needs.  The APD Tool will create a process that makes adoption of these practices more accessible, and breaks down some of the barriers to the adoption of agroforestry in BC, including:

1. Knowledge and understanding about which specific endeavours to pursue given site considerations (climate, soil, landscape characteristics), current infrastructure/operations, market demand, supply chain considerations (processing, distribution, transportation), is complex and lacks a streamlined decision making framework;
2. Capital investment costs and long payback periods constrain small producers and without quantitative information regarding the potential benefits (social, environmental and economic), the risk involved with developing new revenue streams can be deterring; and,
3. Collaboration between agroforestry producers to develop marketing mechanisms that promote sustainably sourced agroforestry products is not well established for most agroforestry options in BC. Additionally, mainstream understanding of agroforestry is limited and consumer knowledge regarding the benefits of purchasing agroforestry products does not yet influence purchasing behaviour. Consequently, what timber and non-timber resources will be most successfully brought to market, is relatively unknown.

Founded in 1970, Brinkman & Associates has steadily grown from one of the original reforestation companies in BC, into a broader forestry services management company, continually adding services and geographic scope so that it now operates from the West Coast to Ontario, some parts of the USA, Central America and other countries around the world. Their expertise includes; silviculture, REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and afforestation/reforestation forest carbon projects, biomass/biofuels, resource management for First Nations including sustainable forest management for timber and non-timber forest products (NTFP), urban restoration, high-value tropical hardwood plantations and ecosystem restoration. Brinkman & Associates are collaborating with UBC Farm as a way of contributing to community-based learning and research-based applications of agroforestry development.

The UBC Farm currently offers a wide range of interdisciplinary learning, research and community programs on-site, while operating as a working sustainable food/fuel/fibre-production farm at the Vancouver campus. UBC Farm is continuing to develop its position as a learning hub for agroforestry practices in the region, and as a leader in agroforestry education, extension, demonstration and research.

Additional agricultural producer partners are welcome to participate in this project.  If you are interested in participating in the development of the APD Tool by serving as a case-study location, please contact the project coordinator, Kate Menzies.  For more information or updates on the progress of the development of the APD Tool, please visit http://agroforestry.ubcfarm.ubc.ca/agroforestry-production-development-tool/

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Funding for this work has been provided through the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative (AGF1301)