#35 Hedges and farm scale forestry to diversify and regenerate with Federico San Bonifacio

Federico San Bonifacio is the owner and farm manager of a 30ha farm in the plains of Verona, Northern Italy. For 12 years he has been engaging in an agroecological transition where trees and shrubs play a fundamental role. Breaking the monotony of the surrounding corn and soy plots, he has planted hedges in long strips to provide the ecosystem services that support his grain production. At the same time, Federico planted 5ha of polycyclic forestry, a forestry practice that balances economic return and ecological health of the soil and ecosystem. It is always fascinating to interview farmers, as they interact with their agroforestry systems daily, and provide rich feedback to others who wish to walk similar paths.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01:50 - Federico's story

10:20 - Farm production and sales channels

16:25 - Direct selling

20:25 - Hedges: objectives and description

27:10 - Funding the hedges

32:10 - Plastic vs biodegradable mulch & planting technique

39:05 - Medium and long term management of the hedge

47:10 - Interactions between the hedge and the grain crop

50:10 - Introducing polycyclic forestry: design, harvest, sale

01:06:30 - Why polycyclic and economic considerations

01:20:05 - Farm forestry vs alley cropping

01:22:40 - Funding considerations and lessons learnt

• RESOURCES

https://www.inbiowood.eu/

• GET IN TOUCH www.regenerativeagroforestry.org

• SUPPORT US www.gumroad.com/regenagroforestry

• FOLLOW US on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

• FUNDING FOR EUROPEAN PROJECTS https://explore.ecosia.org/regenerative-agriculture

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