1 MARCH 2023 SILVOPASTURE

If we are going to stop global warming, we must make every effort to reestablish biodiversity. This means that we must have a combination of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms making up every type of habitat. Each habitat must have its keystone species. In this way, Nature’s own perfect balance will be maintained. Our current economic based system is not sustainable. The rampant deforestation, destruction of habitat, and demise of thousands of other species, to make room for more of us, will not end well. We must recognize that in destroying Nature, we destroy ourselves; for we are not separate from her – we are part of her.

Agroforestry is an attempt to combine trees, shrubs, food crops, and farm animals together, which benefits the environment and ourselves. Silvopasture, or agrisilviculture, combines forests and grazing livestock. Animals are allowed to graze freely among the trees. This eliminates the need to grow/import/export feed for them, saving a huge amount in cost. The grazing is managed, meaning the animals are moved around in order to allow the grasses to replenish themselves. As the animals graze, their droppings fertilize the soil, which in turn fertilizes the next flush of growth of grasses, as well as the trees. The fallen leaves from the trees also become nutrients for the soil. This has always been Nature’s way, before we had the completely wrong idea of raking them up and carting them off to a landfill.

One day we will look back at the way animals have been treated: confined in small spaces, standing and living in their own feces where disease runs amok, and being deprived of the lives they were born to live. One day we will ask ourselves why we have acted so cruelly and heartlessly towards the animals that we share the planet with. Silvopasture will give these animals back their lives and their dignity. It will help to bring balance back to a world that is quickly losing its balance. It will bring back biodiversity, which will benefit all.