We are delighted to be taking part in Agroforestry Open Weekend 2023
Our farm
The Allerton Project researches the effects of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment, sharing results of our research through advisory and educational activities. This is undertaken on our 320 hectare demonstration farm based in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
We identify management that delivers multiple benefits for our rural landscape. Our work covers natural capital accounting, agri-environment schemes and regenerative farming systems. From soil and water, to woodland and environmental habitat that increases biodiversity, our aim is to build farmland resilience. Our own research team collaborate with other research organisations and help co-supervise numerous PhD and MSc projects.
Visitors to the project include businesses, policy makers, non-government organisations, regulators, farmers, advisors, students and schools. We have several initiatives that involve the local community to help improve a shared understanding of agricultural and environmental issues.
Commercial farming and environmental rejuvenation will be successful with considered policy and interventions from those that manage our countryside. In essence, the Allerton Project is an award winning, pioneering blueprint for future rural landscapes.
Our agroforestry
Here at the Allerton Project we embarked on a large-scale, long-term silvopasture trial in 2016 in partnership with the Woodland Trust. 2000 trees were individually planted and guarded in sinuous curves across a 5ha field of permanent pasture in densities ranging from 100/ha to 1600/ha. Over the coming decades we will measure a range of data from this trial, including biodiversity, soil and tree carbon, soil water infiltration, soil nutrient status, soil GHG emissions, grass growth and liveweight gain of the livestock in the separate compartments.
We anticipate very different results across this range of tree densities in terms of the trade-offs and synergies between our various economic and environmental objectives. These data will ultimately enable us to make environmental and economic assessments of tree planting on pasture under a range of scenarios, and recommendations for future policy and practice elsewhere.
The experience of conducting this field-scale trial has also been very beneficial from a practical point of view, with much ‘learning by doing’ along the way which we are able to pass on to our many visitors throughout the year as an increasing number of farmers and land managers look to establish their own agroforestry systems across the UK.
We also manage some 20ha of mature woodland for timber and biodiversity at the Allerton Project, an area which has expanded with new plantings over the past three decades, helping to lock up carbon, boost species habitat and food sources and take less productive areas of the farm out of production.
Here are some photos of what we do:
how to find us
The Allerton Project Visitor Centre, Loddington, Leicestershire, LE7 9XE
agroforestry open weekend 2023
Over Agroforestry Open Weekend 2023 we will be open Friday 10.30 – 12.30. There is a sister event taking place in the afternoon 4 miles away which will showcase a different type of Agroforestry at our Head of Research Chris Stoates farm in Tilton.
please don’t just turn up/feel free to just turn up
If you would like to attend please email allertontraining@gwct.org.uk with your name and number of attendees.
facilities/refreshments
Hot drinks and water will be available, please bring your own lunch. Toilets are also available on site.
parking/access
Parking available on site.
dogs
Well behaved dogs on leads welcome.
disability access
In order to reach the agroforestry there is a short walk up a farm track which is uneven.
more information?
Please contact us via allertontraining@gwct.org.uk if you have any more questions.