Urban Agroforestry for Dryland Environments

Urban agroforestry is the intentional use of perennial trees and shrubs to improve the sustainability and resilience of urban farms and communities. In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agroforestry Specialist Katherine Favor sits down with Christopher Marciello of Ecology Artisans — a regenerative landscape and design firm — to talk about urban agroforestry in dryland environments.  

While urban agroforestry can take many forms, there are several design principles to keep in mind, no matter what your system looks like. These include sustainable water harvesting, soil development, habitat development, regionally appropriate plant species, and appropriately scaled food production. Chris and Katherine discuss how these design principles can be applied to create productive and regenerative urban agroforestry systems in arid areas.    

Related ATTRA Resources:  

Agroforestry  

Meet NCAT: Katherine Favor Says Agroforestry Can Plant the Seeds of Sustainability   

Silvopasture 101  

Perspectives on Agroforestry with Rowan Reid. Part 1   

Perspectives on Agroforestry with Rowan Reid. Part 2  

Opportunities in Agroforestry  

Agroforestry: An Overview   

Other Resources:  

Ecology Artisans  

Community Food Forests   

Introduction to Agroforestry  

Olga Romanova and Doctor Lovell – Urban Agriculture Food Safety Considerations  

Sustainable Community Food Landscapes Sharing Successes  

Desert-Adapted Nurse Plants and Agaves in Climate Friendly Perennial Polycultures  

Indoor and Outdoor Forest Gardens  

Southwest Agroforestry Action Network  

Urban Agroforestry and Its Potential Integration into City Planning Efforts  

Contact Katherine Favor via email at katherinef@ncat.org.  

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