We have a very exciting opportunity to visit Peter Aspin who farms near Wem using a silvo-pastoral land management system to benefit both livestock and the farm environment.

'The Hollies' is a forty-acre holding which, until 1996, was a dairy farm, and since 2014 has reared young-stock for a dairy farm in the neighbouring village.

A system of silvo-pastoral management is practised which is a method of land-use whereby trees, perennial ground cover crops (in this case grasses, clovers and herbs) and livestock (in this case bovines) are produced on the same piece of land.

The farm project has been established to look at how these ancient systems, using trees within the land, help to regulate the farm climate, protecting from extremes of cold and heat, to learn about grass and herbs that co-habit well in a silvo-pastoral system, and to study the benefits of diverse browse on bovine health.

Peter's observations on benefits to livestock farming include:
Lower food demand as shelter and better micro-climates encourage more lying and lower metabolic demand
Higher soil temperature in field leads to early grass growth
Preferential tree browse as grasses diminish in quality throughout season
Read more about this Shropshire Agroforestry Project and Peter's farm by CLICKING HERE.

This is a really exciting project so feel free to bring anyone along who might be interested – please text or email Nicky to that we have accurate numbers – Nicky's contact details are nicola@elmassociates.co.uk and/or – 07794 082860.