Agroforestry
CRL’s agroforestry program works across Oregon to grow a more equitable, biodiverse, and climate adaptive farm and forest economy rooted in the regeneration of ecosystems and the enhancement of livelihoods through agroforestry. Our work is accomplished by supporting and advancing land based projects, collaborating across networks of mutual support to elevate agroforestry adoption, developing educational materials and workshops, and undertaking research across the region.
Through regional networks that stretch across multiple states, we also partner to advance agroforestry across the range of the maritime, mediterranean, and desert climate zones of the West Coast.
(Credit: Erik Hoffner, Bo Janssan, Abel Kloster)
About Agroforestry
Adapted from the USDA National Agroforestry Center
Agroforestry is a modern name for an ancient system of land use applied worldwide that integrates trees with other crops and/or animals. As a regenerative land use system, agroforestry presents hope at a critical time. It has the capacity to increase food and other resources while reintegrating ecosystem services and habitat, helping to adapt and mitigate climate impacts, and revitalizing Indigenous agroecosystems which have utilized agroforestry practices for time immemorial in our region.
Agroforestry is as diverse in its application as the landscapes and cultures that work with it. Although myriad agroforestry practices exist worldwide, across the United States, agroforestry has often been categorized into five overarching systems: alley cropping, windbreaks, silvopasture, riparian buffers, and forest farming. Regional adaptation of agroforestry practices in the Pacific Northwest, may lead to nuanced variations of these five main systems. In Oregon, there are at least 8 practices that can be applied to meet various contextual needs. These practices interlink and often serve multiple purposes.
Pacific Northwest Handbook for Agroforestry Planning and Design
Presently, the Center for Rural Livelihoods is leading an initiative to develop a handbook for Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Planning and Design. This handbook will be released as an open source downloadable manual in the spring of 2025. Thanks to the support of Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE), and a partnership with Agroforestry Northwest, Washington State University, Oregon State University, and the National Agroforestry Center, this handbook will be accompanied by a series of videos on Northwest Agroforestry, a webinar series, and farm visits.
Workshops and Events
Please see our Upcoming Events page for agroforestry workshops and other events.
