Ben writes: The event was kindly hosted by Ben and Claudia Thomas at Treveddoe Farm, on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where attendees saw first-hand how agroforestry has been successfully integrated into a regenerative livestock enterprise.
As tenant farmers operating a low-input, cell grazing system, Ben and Claudia have carefully designed their agroforestry scheme to work alongside their existing grazing infrastructure. Clusters and alleys of trees help divide fields into manageable grazing cells while delivering multiple benefits, including shade, shelter and tree fodder for livestock.
During the walk, organised by Cornwall NFU and Forest for Cornwall Ben shared his experiences of adopting regenerative farming practices, including cell grazing and bale grazing, and the positive impact these approaches have had on soil health, forage quality and reducing production costs.
Discussions also covered the practicalities of integrating trees into livestock businesses, stock management within grazing systems, and how different tree planting approaches can help deliver a range of farm business objectives.
People on the walk hear from farmer Ben Thomas
Importantly, the agroforestry scheme has not only delivered benefits for the farm but also for family life. By helping to streamline the layout and management of the grazing system, it has reduced the time required to set up grazing cells, creating greater operational efficiency and enabling more time to be spent with family.
This highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of farm resilience: improving work-life balance and supporting the long-term wellbeing of farming families.
With the hot, dry conditions that have become a familiar feature of this summer forecast for the event, attendees were able to see first-hand the value of providing shade and shelter for livestock during periods of hot weather, something that is becoming increasingly relevant as farms adapt to changing weather patterns.
The day sparked some great conversations around breed choice, climate resilience and the role trees can play in supporting productive and profitable farm businesses both now and in the future. It was very much about opportunities to support farming, rather than finding an alternative to agriculture.
The team at Forest for Cornwall have recently secured additional Defra funding through to 2030, enabling continued support for a wide variety of tree planting and agroforestry opportunities across Cornwall.
Any NFU members interested in exploring ways to integrate trees into their farming systems are encouraged to get in touch with them to access free advice and support, from initial site visits and planning through to securing funding and delivering schemes on the ground.
A huge thank you to Ben and Claudia for hosting such an engaging and informative event, and to everyone who attended.
We also thank the Forest for Cornwall team for their continued support in helping farmers explore how trees can complement productive, resilient and profitable farming systems.