#13 Sheep silvopasture and farm ecology with Steve Gabriel

In this episode Steve Gabriel shares with us his experience on Wellspring Forest Farm, focusing on his sheep silvopasture system. Steve has used the different ecological niches present on his land to build up various enterprises and has refused to separate productions, preferring rather to take advantage of interactions and edge effects. You'll find out how he uses trees to diversify the habitat of his sheep and how this very same diversity can become a key asset in time of crisis. We also cover the importance of the breed, the role of tree fodder, patterns of tree planting and many other fascinating things!

• TABLE OF CONTENTS

00:01:54 Introduction

00:05:33 Wellspring Forest Farm context

00:09:42 Starting with ecological niches

00:14:47 Ecosystems of the farm

00:18:22 Silvopasture systems on the farm

00:21:37 Creating diversity between paddocks

00:27:22 Dealing with complexity and diversity

00:30:48 Trees systems

00:36:57 Why mix pasture and trees?

00:44:07 Planting in clusters vs planting in lines

00:46:01 How do you protect young trees from animals?

00:50:57 Limits of stacking productions

00:57:58 Tree fodder

01:07:48 Potential to mechanise tree fodder collection

01:14:56 Role of breed in tree fodder acceptance

01:18:25 Managing the rotation of the flock

01:23:25 Advice for setting up a silvopasture

• RESOURCES

http://www.wellspringforestfarm.com/

https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/silvopasture/

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