Silvopasture (NRCS Code 381)
RIPE’s research details several conservation practices that deliver robust public benefits— including soil health, clean water, water conservation, wildlife conservation and climate mitigation — valued at more than $100 per acre or animal unit.
One of these practices is silvopasture (NRCS code 381). Silvopasture can improve soil health, provide carbon sequestration benefits, and provide benefits to biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
We found that the value of CO2e mitigation created by silvopasture is estimated at $51/tonne. RIPE proposes that producers who adopt silvopasture in their operations should be compensated $561/acre per year for the ecosystem services created by this practice.
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Cattle Grazing in Silvopasture, courtesy of USDA NRCS Texas. Wikimedia Commons.
More About Silvopasture
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Integrating trees, forages and livestock with a silvopasture system can boost income and soil health while reducing the need for outside inputs.
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Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land. These systems are intensively managed for both forest products and forage, providing both short- and long-term income sources.
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In reading about silvopasture, you will see again and again that that system is not just “throwing animals” into the woods, or planting some trees in the pasture. There must be thought, planning, and intention as the farmer designs the system. This article outlines six of the key considerations for getting started in Silvopasture.
Silvopasture system in GA, courtesy of the National Agroforestry Center. Wikimedia Commons.