Landscapes for Livestock, Food, and Nature?

What do trees, and goats have in common? Researchers at Cornell University are advocating for a move toward livestock grazing in woodlands. Through properly managed grazing rotations in forests, these silvopastoral systems have the potential to benefit the productivity of timber stands, provide shade and improved feed for livestock, and now qualifies for tax credits in New York as an ecosystem restoration practice. The State’s senate recently updated the tax policies to recognize this integrated system of forest, agriculture, and livestock. An apt land management approach for the region’s landscape, silvopastoralism is proposed as one way to improve farmers’ incomes while also better protecting the natural ecosystems.

Check out Cornell’s guide to Silvopasturing in the Northeast.