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.

Cold-Climate Food Forest Design and Methods

Increased interest and demand for regional food forest models and education was the motivation behind Clear Sky Farm's agroforestry demonstration near Fort Steele, BC.  With funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, Clear Sky has implemented a showcase food forest model for Southeastern British Columbia that is both ecologically sound and productive.

Cold-climate Food Food Forest Design

The 1-acre food forest site is situated in an area previously used as a hay field and was created with a design that fits well with the existing structures, activities and landscape.  With a goal of trying to grow as many types of foods suitable to a Zone 4 climate as possible and other site influences, including cold winds from two opposing directions, an oval design was chosen for the food forest.   The outer ring of the food forest contains primarily windbreak species chosen for their rapid growth rate and hardiness (e.g. caragana, linden, poplar, and willow).  The windbreak has the tallest trees in the entire food forest system, to give as much site protection as possible, and tall vegetation on the north side also acts as a solar catchment.  The south side of the food forest has less tall trees, but still enough to provide wind protection.

As one moves into the centre of the food forest oval, there is an increase in heat accumulation, making it more conducive for fruit and berry production.  The inner circles of plants (including blueberries, haskap, raspberries, currants, apple, pear, plums, hawthorn, and saskatoon) have a higher demand for pollinators and soil nutrition, therefore the design has included both a higher concentration of pollinator plants and nitrogen fixing species.

An important aspect of the design is the concept of 'vertical stacking' where different levels of fruit trees and shrubs make good use of vertical space.  Plant placement, especially important for herbaceous stock, was chosen according to water demand, sunlight and shade requirements.  In the outer rows, annual crops can be grown in beds between the large tree and shrub species for at least 4 to 5 years.  Green manure crops that die in the winter can also be interplanted to help build the soil.

The inner three circles also have a far higher density of total plant material.  This reflects the need for more attention with harvest, pruning and water needs, as they are easier to care for in the centre ring of the food forest.  All the species, especially the food plants, have been chosen to be perfectly hardy in the cold climate conditions of the East Kootenay.  Cultivars with a wider range of ripening time were also selected, which will give some type of food from snow melt until snow fall each year.

Incorporation of sand beds, some woody material, long-season flowering and native plants has also been used to benefit the establishment of a healthy pollinator populations.  Sand beds provide nesting sites for many of the beneficial wild bees.  And woody material works well for providing habitat for many species of ground beetle.  Together with the high plant species diversity within the food forest area, these methods help to achieve excellent control of disease and insect problems.

Cold-Climate Food Forest Demonstration Video Update

Clear Sky Farm has released it's second video, produced by Curtis Hall, documenting the establishment of a cold-climate food forest in the East Kootenay.



Clear Sky was recently honoured to host a visit to the food forest demonstration with the Honourable Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Judith Guichon on Friday September 6th.

2013 Kootenay Silvopasture Tour, Sept 19

Annual Kootenay Silvopasture Tour
Thursday, 19 September 2013, 08:00 – 12:00
Start from junction of Pritchard Road and Hwy 3/93, Cranbrook 
Free to participate, but you must arrange your own transportation and lunch.

Kootenay Tree Farms, with funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, is pleased to host its annual tour of Christmas tree - silvopasture production sites near Cranbrook in the East Kootenay region. 

This year's tour will include discussions of:

1. Livestock distribution in silvopastures;
2. Tree diseases and the relationship to temperature and bud break;
3. Pruning and spacing of trees to maximize tree production and forage;
4. Raising of the level of the tree canopy for air flow and forage production;
5. Fertilization techniques for the benefit of trees and forage;
6. Managing soil water retention for trees and forage;
7. Managing saskatoons and rough fescue for elk and other wildlife; and,
8. Forage cover in relation to trees.

Food Forest Tour and Project Work

To be held: Saturday, July 27, 2013

Spend a day on-site interacting up close with our Food Forest. Take a tour of the newly planted seedlings and trees. Join in some Food Forest project work. Come prepared to observe, learn, and also plan to roll up your sleeves to pitch in. If you've been watching and reading about this exciting project from afar, take the opportunity to come on-site and meet some of the folks driving this agricultural movement towards a more sustainable future.

Facilitator: Cara Conroy

Cara was Clear Sky Social Enterprise Farm's full-time on-site manager from 2009 to 2012. In this role she helped grow some of the first food forest plants, developed a heritage garlic crop and value added products, and cultivated sales and outreach at the local farmers market and online. She has studied and practiced permaculture in different settings - including 3 full residential permaculture design courses in New Zealand, in Minnesota and at Clear Sky. She is currently studying Chinese medicine in Calgary, but remains closely involved with the farm.

There is a charge of $79 for day visitors. Price includes lunch and dinner. A special early bird rate of $49 applies if you book 2 weeks or more in advance.

First Cold Climate Food Forest in the East Kootenay Breaks Ground

Clear Sky Farm - Priyantha Muthugala photo

The East Kootenay will soon have its first demonstration Food Forest at Clear Sky Centre in Bull River. Planting of this one acre system has begun this April, and will be combined with a residential training program for how to set up and develop your own food forest.

“At Clear Sky, we are so excited to be finally putting food forest agriculture into action, on the ground, here in the East Kootenay,” says Cara Conroy-Low, Farm Manager at Clear Sky Centre. “The food forest residential training workshop from April 20 to May 5, 2013, is a wonderful opportunity to get involved and to learn directly from food forest experts,” she adds.  She also expresses that Clear Sky Centre is grateful for funding from the British Columbia Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative (AIDI ) to be able to implement the one acre demonstration project.

Clear Sky Centre came across the concept of ‘food forests’ and permaculture as an alternative to mainstream agriculture systems through a fortunate string of events. In 2008, while looking for a crop to grow on the agricultural portion of the centre’s land in Bull River, they met Richard Walker, one of Canada’s pioneers of food forest agriculture. Since then, Richard has taught two-day intensive food forest workshops at Clear Sky Centre every year. Leslie Lowe, a landscape architect and native plant specialist, is also collaborating on the food forest project.

A Food Forest is a dynamic, ecosystem approach to growing food, medicine and other yields. They are resilient, diverse systems that have the potential to produce harvests from snowmelt to snow fall each year.

Through the vertical stacking of multiple layers of useful plants, increased and more diverse food per square foot can be harvested, but in a thoroughly sustainable manner. The wide variety of mostly perennial plant species in a food forest provides greater overall stability and resilience to pests, diseases and climate than a mono crop system. Because soil is undisturbed by tillage and improved year after year through the leaf and root drop of plants in the system, the soil food web is also healthier, resulting in higher quality, more nourishing food.

Food Forests also invite community participation, learning and increased local food resilience. Michelle Heinz, Director of Operations at Clear Sky notes that “the opportunity for local growers and ranchers to contribute to sustainable local food security through creating food forest systems is clear, and food forest yields can also lead to the creation of local and innovative business opportunities.”

Every food forest is unique, and the yields of each food forest depends on its design and plant selections, which are ultimately based on the needs and wants of the individuals, families or groups that will be developing, caring for and harvesting from the food forest. Yields could include all sorts of hardy varieties of fresh fruit, nuts, herbs, vegetables, medicinals, which can also be turned into value added products including herbal tinctures and teas, fruit wines and preserves.

Join Clear Sky as they embark on this exciting project, breaking new ground and learning together starting April 20. For individuals or groups interested in participating or visiting for a morning educational session with Richard Walker in the field or to book a private consultation with him on your property, contact Michelle for more details.

Food Forest Training Workshop, Spring 2013

Clear Sky Farm is pleased to offer the first East Kootenay extended residential Food Forest training workshop, in Spring 2013.

This food forest program will provide a solid foundation in Food Forest theory (April 20-21) as well as hands-on establishment training and practice (April 22-May 5). Richard Walker, one of Canada’s most experienced forest gardeners will be teaching the course. The hands-on component will involve the planting of a one acre food forest.

Experience permaculture-based food forest gardening for cold climates firsthand. Learn how to combine layerings of perennial nuts, fruits and medicinals for an abundant and diverse food and medicine supply in your garden or on your farm.

Great for garden & food enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. If you have done a permaculture course you will find that this course provides the practical details and opportunities you need to implement permaculture’s broader principles & theories. This course attracts a broad section of experienced and knowledgeable participants who love to learn together.

A Video Introducing the Food Forest Project :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_PlCE895Rw