PROGRAM SUMMARY

Agroforestry

Demonstration Farms

The Savanna Institute is launching a distributed network of Institute-operated demonstration farms to catalyze agroforestry adoption across the Midwest US. The Institute is developing these farms as partnerships with public and private landowners to facilitate a broad range of decentralized demonstration and research functions. At their core, each farm will host operational-scale plantings of a suite of scalable agroforestry practices. Direct management by the Institute will ensure robust, science-based management and improve long-term economic and ecological monitoring beyond what is possible when only working with a single home farm or a network of independent case-study farms. Strategically located across the Midwest US, these farms will serve as hubs to educate farmers and the public, provide tree crop germplasm repositories and variety trials, and foster adaptation of agroforestry practices to regional conditions. Initiating each demonstration farm will require a customized land-access agreement, significant upfront capital investment, and secure ongoing funding for management and programming.

Intended Outcomes

● Quantified ecosystem processes & benefits ● Practical, scalable, multifunctional designs ● Effective tree-crop-livestock integration ● Optimized management strategies

● Productive, resilient germplasm ● Expert farmers ● Energized landowners & investors ● Inspired public support

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Demonstration Farm Locations

The Savanna Institute is engaged in conversations with a wide range of public and private landowners as potential demonstration farm locations. Locations have been strategically prioritized based on (1) landowner engagement, (2) advantages for research and education (3) proximity to Institute staff and related activities, and (4) regional interest in agroforestry. The resulting top-priority locations are concentrated in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, a region were the Institute has been very active and receives substantial support. New location opportunities will be welcomed and evaluated as they are received.

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Farm Composition

At the core of each Demonstration Farm will be a set of operational-scale agroforestry plantings comprised of the following:

● Traditional agroforestry systems relevant to the region/site: ○ Windbreak ○ Alley cropping

○ Silvopasture ○ Riparian buffers

● Prototype agroforestry systems leveraging: ○ Novel species & polycultures ○ Innovative spatial configurations

● Species-specific demonstration plantings of species that are: ○ Sufficiently developed and available for commercial adoption ○ Under development but may be important future crops

● Site-specific agroforestry applications - optional and varying by farm ○ Heritage variety propagation ○ Memorial plantings ○ Blended ecological restoration

○ Pick-your-own orchard ○ Integrated recreation ○ Many more possibilities

Farm Infrastructure

While establishing the agroforestry plantings will initially take priority, some farm infrastructure will be desired over time to enhance the research and education functions of the Demonstration Farms. Initial infrastructure priorities include basic supply/equipment storage and a well/irrigation system. Later, as funding permits, infrastructure can expand to include basic housing for interns and larger structures for educational capacity.

Staff Requirements

Each Demonstration Farm will require a dedicated farm manager to: ● Maintain agroforestry plantings ● Manage research projects and collect long-term economic/ecological data ● Lead educational programming, including field days, workshops, and farmer training ● Coordinate collaborations with partner organizations

In the short-term, while plantings are still in the establishment phase, all farms will be managed by a single farm manager.

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System Development

● Operational prototype demonstration ● Long-term ecological modeling ● Robust economic tracking ● Regional adaptation of prototype systems

Tree Crop Development

● Variety performance trials ● Evaluate management/technology ● Operational tree crop demonstration ● Regional supply chain development

Stakeholder Development

● Inspiring public events ● Hands-on farmer education ● Model collaborative land access and business

arrangements ● Catalyze supply chain and market development

Land Access Options

For Demonstration Farms in partnership with public landowners, the collaborative relationship and long-term land access will need to be managed by a memorandum of understanding. For farms in partnership with private landowners, there are many potential routes/options for securing long-term land access for the Institute. Potential options include:

● Tax-deductible, outright real estate donation to the Savanna Institute ● Place real estate into a charitable remainder trust with the Savanna Institute as the beneficiary ● Long-term lease agreement (up to the maximum allowed by state law), with annual cash rent

payments or annual rent payments written off as tax-deductible donations to the Institute.

Partnership Opportunities

There is no set formula for the who and the how of partnerships to bring these demonstration farms to life. Finding appropriate sites is just the beginning: successful demonstration farms will build on a diverse set of partners with aligned vision for agroforestry as a cornerstone of more ecological agriculture. Potential partners include:

● Sponsors supporting high-profile innovation in agriculture and conservation ● Owners of land with exceptional value for agroforestry demonstration ● Faith communities with land holdings and a mission of stewardship ● Nature centers with agricultural land ● Allied interests in conservation, public health, climate, rural development, etc. ● Beginning, veteran, and socially-disadvantaged farmer groups

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