A free digital agroforestry design toolkit is being launched by cloud-based mapping software company Land App in partnership with The Tree Council and others, funded by the Shared Outcomes Fund Trees Outside Woodland project.
Aimed at farmers, estate managers and land agents across the UK, the new Agroforestry Designer Toolkit will empower farmers to transform how agroforestry is planned and implemented across the UK.
Jackie Shallcross, Trees Outside Woodland project lead at The Tree Council said: “Our Trees Outside Woodland agroforestry project revealed that one of the biggest barriers to establishing more trees in the farmed landscape is people feeling they don’t have access to enough agroforestry knowledge, support or advice. This new feature helps tackle that by suggesting initial bespoke plans that will work for them and their land.
“Getting more trees established on farms will enhance the environment, help protect against the effects of climate change and give nature a well-needed boost.
“We’re excited to see the impact Land App could have.”
The toolkit has been launched ahead of National Tree Week (23rd November – 1st December) which marks the start of the tree planting season.
The Agroforestry Designer Toolkit was developed in partnership with Shropshire Council and with input from Edd Colbert (Agroforestry Design). It is co-funded by Trees Outside Woodland – a project led by Defra, The Tree Council, and Natural England, alongside Shropshire Council, with support from the Forestry Commission, Nature-Friendly Farming Network and the Woodland Trust.
Nick Rowles, Trees Outside Woodlands Project Officer, Shropshire Council said: “Agroforestry has many proven benefits and we feel that it is the ideal solution to the problems of climate change and nature depletion, whilst still enabling food to be produced from the countryside.
“We commissioned Land App to develop agroforestry design software as we realised that nothing like this existed and that this tool could enable farmers to make easy and informed decisions about how to plant more trees on their land.”
The new toolkit is included in the free tier of Land App, so is available to all. By answering a short series of questions, it will generate bespoke agroforestry designs tailored to each farm in just 30 seconds, allowing farmers, estate managers and land agents to visualise what could be possible on their land.
The designs are flexible and can be customised to meet specific requirements, such as editing stem planting density or sharing ideas with an agroforestry advisor. They are also compatible with current government incentives and payment schemes, making it easier to align with Defra’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
The easy-to-use, site-specific toolkit supports three agroforestry design types to suit all farms and requirements:
- Linear Agroforestry: Helps users design rows of trees interspersed with crops or grazing areas – perfect for alley cropping or linear silvopasture. These designs can be modified and shared with an advisor, or used as a basis for an SFI plan in England, too.
- In-field Grid/Dispersed: Helps users plan tree spacing for shade, shelter and biodiversity – ideal for wood pasture or dispersed planting. Once generated, this can form a basis for calculating payment rates for wood pasture (through Higher Tier) or in-field agroforestry options (through SFI) in England.
- Traditional Orchards: Designed for those interested in creating or maintaining low-density orchards under schemes like the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, with guidelines on planting densities and potential payment rates.
Dan Geerah, Director of Growth at Land App said: “Agroforestry offers vital benefits for farms, from boosting productivity and protecting livestock and crops, to enhancing biodiversity and combating climate change. However, it remains a niche practice, and many find it daunting to start.
“That’s why we’ve developed an easy-to-use, time-efficient toolkit that generates automated agroforestry initial designs, helping farmers, estate managers, and land agents to quickly see how they could integrate agroforestry into their land.
“This tool is the perfect springboard towards making agroforestry more accessible, benefiting both the land and the environment.”
Farmer and Chair of the Nature-Friendly Farming Network James Robinson said: “As farmers we invest in designing farm buildings, but often overlook designing our landscapes.
“The 2022 heatwave highlighted the need for change, especially as such extreme weather is set to continue.
“We began by restoring lost hedgerows and planting 10 acres of wood pasture to provide shade and shelter for our cattle, which has already brought several benefits. To secure the future of our farms in terms of climate resilience, we must act now, and I believe Land App’s Agroforestry Designer Toolkit is the ideal starting point.”
Land App is also offering a free webinar on Friday 29th November (12:00-13:15, via Zoom) for those wanting to find out more. Attendees will hear from industry experts (including the Forestry Commission’s James Ramskir-Gardiner, Independent Agroforestry Consultant Edd Colbert and the Woodland Trust’s Hannah Marshall) who will explore the many benefits of the new toolkit and agroforestry more broadly. The webinar will also include a short demonstration by Land App and will finish with a Q&A. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/4hy5mP7
To start using the Agroforestry Design Toolkit, sign up for a free Land App account on www.thelandapp.com. A free guide on how to use each tier is also freely available.
For more information on the work the Trees Outside Woodland project is undertaking on agroforestry, visit The Tree Council website, and look out for the project’s report on Trees on Farms to be published next year.
