Agroforestry

Project Lead: Connor Youngerman, Tracey Testo

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.

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History of Agroforestry at Cornell

Cornell University faculty, Extension, and other staff have been leading agroforestry research and education efforts for 100 years!

Events

  • Feed Us with Trees: Humans as a Keystone Species

    Virtual Event

    As a girl, Elspeth Hay learned that we humans are a blight on the natural world. Her lived experience confirmed this story time and again—until the day she learned that…

  • Introduction to Syntropic Agroforestry

    CCE Orange County & Hudson Valley Farm Hub are proud to present a talk on Syntropic Agroforestry, delivered by the system's creator, Ernst Götsch. Syntropic Agroforestry is an agricultural system…

    $80

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

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News and Updates

More Than Maple: Cornell Research Designs Sugarbush Agroforestry Systems

By Krisy Gashler | July 9, 2025

The Cornell Maple Program is growing 18 species of perennial fruit- and nut-bearing plants within a maple sugarbush forest. They want to help maple producers be more resilient to economic…

Earth Day: A Celebration and a Call to Action

By Connor Youngerman | April 21, 2024

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second-best time to plant a tree is now. This idea captures the essence of Earth Day – both…

Our Team Is Growing: Now Hiring Agroforestry Specialist

By Erica Frenay | September 18, 2023

The Cornell Small Farms Program team is continuing to grow, and we are hiring! We are excited to share that the application is now open for our newest team member,…

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Cornell Agroforestry - 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: