Ian Brown: Farming with agroforestry
Ian Brown: Farming with agroforestry
Author
Ian Brown has always understood the value that trees bring to agriculture. Not just sequesters of carbon, trees can play an essential role on farms - using a model of permaculture, inspired by ecosystems. While a tenant farmer in Northumberland, Ian planted acres of deciduous trees, starting back in 1989.
But a decade ago the practice of agroforestry – the incorporation of tree cultivation into agriculture – was barely being spoken of in the UK. Indeed, its highest profile mention was as a minor plotline in The Archers.
Ian, who now has a qualification in permaculture, was determined to learn more about agroforestry, and how this could become - quite literally - part of the UK landscape.
“Almost whatever your problem in agriculture, trees are the solution. The advantage of trees on farmland is an increase of between 5% and 40% in the amount of food produced. Everything in farming is about converting sunlight into something more useful, so by having trees that are above and below the ground, and which are there all year, the soil is improved in a way that modern monoculture, using fossil-based chemical fertilisers, simply can’t do.”
"The Fellowship was life-affirming. I made life-long friends, and the Fellowship has really opened doors. The process is for life."
Agroforestry techniques across Europe and Africa
Through his Fellowship, awarded in 2019, Ian spent time with scientists at the World Agroforestry in Nairobi, learning about agroforestry research. He also travelled to Zanzibar, Tanzania and South Africa, making contact with experts both before and during his visit.
In Europe, Ian visited Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. Keen to minimise his carbon footprint, all his European travel was by train.
“In Africa, they see trees in a very different way. Trees are for shelter, food, materials, fibre, which is a more permaculture way of looking at the world. In Scandinavia, their farmers understand trees. They do forestry in the winter, farming in the summer, and they have both skillsets.”
Promoting the importance of trees
Since his return to the UK, Ian has campaigned to raise the profile of agroforestry.
Thanks to his influence, agroforestry is now a mainstream activity within the Forestry Commission, with 12 full-time agroforestry members of staff.
Ian has also joined a number of organisations, becoming Chair of Ouseburn City Farm in Newcastle, and governor of a local FE college, where he has been able to suggest agroforestry for the curriculum.
Since his Fellowship, Ian has received further Churchill Fellowship funding, which enabled him to implement a programme at Ouseburn City Farm, using animal interventions to support children and parents.
A grant from the Churchill Fellowship’s Activate Fund allowed him to commission academic work and raise the profile of agroforestry. As a member of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), he’s influenced the organisation to support agroforestry.
In part thanks to the Fellowship, Ian has also championed the invention and production of biodegradable tree guards, founding the company Chestnut Biopolymers.
The world of farming is now a very different place from Ian’s starting point, as an enthusiastic tree planter.
“I first measured my carbon footprint in 1992, but nobody was talking about agroforestry then. Now farmers in Britain should be able to access money for agroforestry. Universities have trial plots and are looking into the science. Through LEAF, and using some of the Activate Fund money, we’re supporting nine farmers to adopt agroforestry.
“The Fellowship was life-affirming. I made life-long friends, and the Fellowship has really opened doors. The process is for life.”
But a decade ago the practice of agroforestry – the incorporation of tree cultivation into agriculture – was barely being spoken of in the UK. Indeed, its highest profile mention was as a minor plotline in The Archers.
Ian, who now has a qualification in permaculture, was determined to learn more about agroforestry, and how this could become - quite literally - part of the UK landscape.
“Almost whatever your problem in agriculture, trees are the solution. The advantage of trees on farmland is an increase of between 5% and 40% in the amount of food produced. Everything in farming is about converting sunlight into something more useful, so by having trees that are above and below the ground, and which are there all year, the soil is improved in a way that modern monoculture, using fossil-based chemical fertilisers, simply can’t do.”
"The Fellowship was life-affirming. I made life-long friends, and the Fellowship has really opened doors. The process is for life."
Agroforestry techniques across Europe and Africa
Through his Fellowship, awarded in 2019, Ian spent time with scientists at the World Agroforestry in Nairobi, learning about agroforestry research. He also travelled to Zanzibar, Tanzania and South Africa, making contact with experts both before and during his visit.
In Europe, Ian visited Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. Keen to minimise his carbon footprint, all his European travel was by train.
“In Africa, they see trees in a very different way. Trees are for shelter, food, materials, fibre, which is a more permaculture way of looking at the world. In Scandinavia, their farmers understand trees. They do forestry in the winter, farming in the summer, and they have both skillsets.”
Promoting the importance of trees
Since his return to the UK, Ian has campaigned to raise the profile of agroforestry.
Thanks to his influence, agroforestry is now a mainstream activity within the Forestry Commission, with 12 full-time agroforestry members of staff.
Ian has also joined a number of organisations, becoming Chair of Ouseburn City Farm in Newcastle, and governor of a local FE college, where he has been able to suggest agroforestry for the curriculum.
Since his Fellowship, Ian has received further Churchill Fellowship funding, which enabled him to implement a programme at Ouseburn City Farm, using animal interventions to support children and parents.
A grant from the Churchill Fellowship’s Activate Fund allowed him to commission academic work and raise the profile of agroforestry. As a member of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), he’s influenced the organisation to support agroforestry.
In part thanks to the Fellowship, Ian has also championed the invention and production of biodegradable tree guards, founding the company Chestnut Biopolymers.
The world of farming is now a very different place from Ian’s starting point, as an enthusiastic tree planter.
“I first measured my carbon footprint in 1992, but nobody was talking about agroforestry then. Now farmers in Britain should be able to access money for agroforestry. Universities have trial plots and are looking into the science. Through LEAF, and using some of the Activate Fund money, we’re supporting nine farmers to adopt agroforestry.
“The Fellowship was life-affirming. I made life-long friends, and the Fellowship has really opened doors. The process is for life.”