Integrating Streamside Shrub Products with Honey Bees

British Columbia’s forest lands abound with streams.  Scattered across the Province are numerous small private woodlot owners who manage forests associated with streams. These riparian corridors are rarely utilized, yet can provide multiple benefits when managed with care.

Agroforestry is a concept that can be easily applied to riparian areas.  It’s a management approach that integrates familiar and new agriculture and forestry practices into land management systems which contribute to diversification and sustainability of production.  Riparian zones can generate products for extra income while being carefully managed to protect these biodiverse habitats.

Integrated Riparian Management is an agroforestry system that relies on a steady source of production while caretaking unique sensitive and remarkable ecological attributes.  Because riparian areas are prone to soil and surface water impacts, the land owner must choose crops and harvesting systems which will not cause significant impacts.  Example of products that may be cultivated without adverse soil and vegetation disturbance include florals, wreaths, Christmas trees, berries, nuts, timber, and bee products.  Another consideration is which of these products have a good market demand.  Thus, a source of income is gained.

To gain enhanced benefits, a well-designed and implemented riparian management scheme will integrate more than one component.  For example, partial shade provided from tree canopies are a preferred sunlight condition for huckleberries.  By selectively harvesting trees and maintaining perpetual tree cover, huckleberry production is enhanced while limiting soil and forest disturbance which can impact streams.

Design and Establishment

Oregon grape

Currently, there are market demands for many naturally grown products in BC such as berries, bark, evergreen boughs, and honey.  It’s useful to consult experts such as agroforestry specialists (e.g. within the BC Ministry of Agriculture), purchasers of products (e.g. grocery co-ops), farm market coordinators, or even local cultivators about what is in demand.  Particular plants that aren’t widely regarded as valuable for cultivation may actually have uses which are in-demand.  Once marketable species are identified, you should make sure they are a good match for the soil, sunlight, moisture, and temperature conditions of your property.  Although riparian zones can be assumed to have ample water availability, the amount of water can vary widely based on distance to stream, or during the course of the growing season.  Perennials are usually a better choice due to lower maintenance needs than annuals, as well as less frequent soil disturbance.  Although not imperative, by choosing plants that are native to the region, certain risks are lessened.  For example, native species will typically be better adapted to the climate and pests in the region.  When integrating with honey bees, it’s also useful to research which plants may be of higher value to bees.  Long-time beekeepers and various published forage guides can better ensure a good match.

A Kootenay Demonstration

Cascara seeding ready for planting

With funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, a demonstration site was recently established in the Slocan Valley where there is a substantial demand for locally grown products.  The shrub species selected for this system have markets both within and outside the region.  Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana) is a tree which grows to about 10 meters tall.  Its bark is in demand as a natural laxative ingredient.  High bush cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) is needed for a variety of medicinal uses as well as for its berries.  Demand for tall Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is also rising.  It is used as a substitute for goldenseal which has international trade restrictions due to conservation concerns.  Its berries are increasingly used in food products and the foliage is a popular landscaping product.  These three native species were planted on about 1.5 acres of riparian habitat during 2012-13.  The three species vary in habitat requirements and were planted accordingly.  This has resulted in greater than 90% survivorship at the end of their first growing season.

In 2013 an existing bee yard was expanded to a capacity of 10 hives during the riparian shrub plantings.  The back side of the bee yard abuts a forested riparian zone which serves as a useful windbreak.  The bee yard meets a large forest opening on its south margin with full sun exposure – this creates a favorable microclimate for bee survival during the cold months.   During berry season, it’s necessary to temporarily extend the bee yard’s electric bear fencing to encircle the berry plants.  This is done mostly with temporary step-in fence posts and a lighter grade of wire.

Integration

Streamside shrubs deliver many integrated benefits

One of the greatest virtues of this agroforestry system is how the different components are blended to interact and complement each other.  Water associated with the streams can ensure good productivity of the cultivated plants.  Their canopies help shade the streams keeping the water temperatures from overheating to the detriment of aquatic life while stabilizing soil.  The cool clean water is maintained for wildlife and drinking water.  Honey bees drink directly from streams and often transport it back to hives for use in evaporative cooling.  The taller vegetation associated with riparian zones serves as a windbreak for hives – especially valuable during the cold winter months.  The carefully chosen cultivated plants will be frequented by bees.  The pollination that results may lead to enhanced berry production and reproduction of new plants.  In return, the pollen and nectar provided to honey bees will enhance yields of honey.  In fact, by choosing bee-valued plants, lessor-known native bees can benefit.  Both imported honey bees and native bees are critical for plant production, yet their numbers are declining worldwide. 

Plan

1. Investigate the demand for herbal products and whether the particular species are a good match for your riparian area site conditions.
2. If you’re not familiar with beekeeping, take a course or contact your local beekeeping group for a mentor to help decide if it’s right for you.
3. Consider travel time from your home.  Bees need to be tended nearly every week during the spring.
4. Sketch a layout of your area for cultivation.  Calculate the number of plants to acquire based on spacing requirements. 

Prepare

1. Prepare planting area by pruning lower tree branches and carefully thinning competing woody species.
2. Order plants and bees during the winter for spring arrival.  Having a registered business with Revenue Canada will significantly reduce prices (wholesale) with nurseries.
3.  Ensure vehicle access to the bee yard and install electric fencing before hives are established.

Planting and Tending

1. Planting during the dormant season (early spring or fall) often results in better survivorship of seedlings.
2. Monitor plants and bees for pest damage and respond as needed.

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/

*****************************************************************

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

Food Forest Project Video

Clear Sky provides an update on the East Kootenay food forest demonstration project.

Agroforestry Practices for Devil’s Club Cultivation

There are tremendous untapped opportunities to develop and market botanical products from British Columbia's forests.  Devil's club (Oplopanax horridus) is one such species that will be the focus of new development project to determine agroforestry practices that promote its cultivation and harvesting in managed forests.  Pacific Reishi Ltd., with funding from the BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, will establish trials near Powell River, BC to:

1. Showcase the cultivation of Devil’s Club in greenhouse, nursery and forest settings; and,
2. Synthesize information on markets for this species and create a market synopsis report.

This work will support the development, adaptation and integration of agroforestry practices in coastal BC.  Through a partnership with the Sliammon First Nation, it fosters local industry and First Nations economic development and expands business opportunities in response to rapidly emerging markets for forest botanicals.

The first phase of the project will create a showpiece of integrated cultivation systems that demonstrate operational growing of one of BC’s most economically valuable non-timber forest product (NTFP) species.  Pruning, spacing, thinning, slope stabilization, soil organic matter management and fertilization will be used within an operational forest management setting with the goals of enhancing both Devil's club and timber production.

Devil’s club plants will be propagated with rhizomes, shoots and seedlings grown in greenhouse and nursery settings.  This seed stock will be transplanted to establish in vivo colonies in a managed forest.  The agroforests will be monitored for survival, growth and performance of both understory and overstory plantings.

Pacific Reishi Ltd. will also examine Devil’s Club bioactive compounds, potential nutraceutical products and markets.  They will create a market synopsis of Devil’s Club and the economic feasibility of derived products will be determined.

The long-term goals of this work are to enhance awareness of agroforestry as a viable production system to expand the number of NTFP producers in the region, as well as to promote business development for agroforestry products throughout the region and the province.

Pacific Reishi Ltd. and its principals have worked extensively throughout the province focussing on the promotion and development of botanical resources.  Their mandate is to promote the establishment of operational forest farming for medicinal plants and mushrooms, and to develop and market nutraceuticals from BC’s forest resources.

Results of the field trials and market synopsis will be shared at a conference in 2013, to be held at the Pacific Reishi Powell River facility, as well as through conferences and meetings with major stakeholders and potential producers throughout BC and Pacific Northwest.