Project Lead: Erica Frenay, Connor Youngerman
Give Trees a Chance
Agroforestry describes a wide range of practices that integrate trees, forests, and agricultural production. These systems can be adapted to almost any site and condition, and can help farmers produce new revenue while buffering their operations from the challenges of climate extremes.
In response to increasing interest in agroforestry over the years, Cornell has created an extension program work team and a number of tools and resources to help farmers turn forested and marginal lands into productive contributors to farm revenue, produce multiple crops from the same piece of land in a symbiotic way, all while increasing biodiversity and improving soil health.
History of Agroforestry at Cornell
Cornell University faculty, Extension, and other staff have been leading agroforestry research and education efforts for 100 years!
Agroforestry Resources by Practice
Join our email list to hear about new resources as they’re added.
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Silvopasture
Silvopasture is the thoughtful integration of trees, forage, and livestock in a managed system that provides shade…
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Urban Food Forests (coming soon!)
Coming Soon!
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Alley Cropping (Coming Soon!)
More details coming soon! Nut Production Resources: Key Contacts: Connor Youngerman czy2@cornell.edu
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Windbreaks
Windbreaks are plantings of trees and/or shrubs that reduce wind speed in an agricultural area. First used…
Events
November 2026
Saturday, November 14 · 1 – 3 pm EST
Acorn Processing Workshop
Cornell Botanic Gardens Nevin Welcome Center 124 Comstock Knoll Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850
Join us to re-connect with acorns and learn how to process them into a nutritious local food source! Acorns have been utilized as a food resource by many different people and cultures for millennia. However, many modern cultures have ‘forgotten’…
$25
October 2027
October 29 – 31, 2027 · All day
Northeast Agroforestry Conference
The Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY 660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY
Whether you are curious about the ecological and financial advantages of incorporating trees into farm production systems or you already have deep expertise in agroforestry, this conference will have something for you. Hear from incredible speakers, meet others with shared…
News and Updates
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Forest Succession and Management
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by Peter Smallidge The succession of plant communities is a process that has drawn attention from woodlot owners, ecologists and foresters for decades. Succession deals with communities or groupings of various plant species in the same vicinity. Succession was one of the earliest ecological processes studied. The simple definition is the predictably and orderly progression…
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7th Annual Agroforestry Symposium
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The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri presents: The Future of Pollinators: Why Agroforestry Matters January 28, 2016 | 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Bond Life Sciences Building – University of Missouri Unable to attend in person? Join us through live streaming: http://goo.gl/AjeQpG Symposium Schedule 8:00 a.m. Coffee and Registration 8:30 a.m. Introduction Dr.…
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Learn to grow mushrooms at 11th Annual Camp Mushroom
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June 3 – 4 Hidden Valley Camp, Watkins Glen NY Friday 5 – 9pm, Saturday 9 am – 4pm Camp Mushroom is Cornell University’s annual two-day event for farmers, woodlot owners, and hobby growers who want to cultivate their own shiitake, oyster, lions mane, and stropharia mushrooms. This year marks the 11th year of the…
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Tapping Walnut Trees for a Novel and Delicious Syrup
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by Michael Farrell Most people are familiar with maple syrup production- it is a time honored tradition throughout eastern North America and has seen a resurgence in popularity over the past decade. Though it is not well known, all species of walnut (Juglans spp.) also produce a sweet sap that can be boiled down into…
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Pigs ‘n Trees
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The use of pigs in silvopasture deserves some words of caution; rooting is not the same as masting. by Joseph Orefice The practice of silvopasture has gained interest in recent years in the Northeastern United States. This practice, which integrates the sustainable production of livestock, forage, and trees on the same unit of land, has…
Collaborators
The Cornell Agroforestry Program Work Team (PWT) is co-chaired by:
- Graham Savio, gs695@cornell.edu, Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County
- Connor Youngerman, czy2@cornell.edu, Cornell Small Farms Program
- Tracey Testo, tet35@cornell.edu, Agroforestry Resource Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia-Greene
Subscribe for Updates and Opportunities
This list-serve provides information and resources to connect small and mid-sized farmers to larger markets such as food hubs, grocery stores, restaurants, online marketplaces and cooperatives. Farmers, educators and prospective buyers are all welcome:
