The Trees-in-fields Network

The Trees-in-fields Network is recruiting farmers! 🧑‍🌾🚜🪱🌳

We have two aims:

Co-design long-term silvoarable experiments looking at the environmental, production, management, and financial impacts of different planting strategies (e.g. tree species, planting arrangements). The research questions will be co-designed with a group of farmers and tested across multiple farms. We have a sister project looking at tree-row understory management (more below).
Create a network of silvoarable farmers to share practical knowledge and tips (e.g. funding, nurseries, mulch). Run on-farm events and facilitate group inititiates, such as co-ops, markets, or training.

This research is funded by an Agri-food Rising Star Fellowship at the University of Reading. The University of Reading is a hub of agroforestry research nationally, and by joining this project participants will have access to the latest research.

To join this network, please email Millie (a.s.hood [at] reading.ac.uk).

Update: we have recruited a network of 11 farmers and are now only recruiting farms within 60 miles of Reading.

🔉Introducing our first Tree-in-fields Network trial 🎉

Andrew Mahon at Bromborough Estate has planted a 25 ha trial that compares N-fixing trees with non-N-fixing trees across four treatments:

Walnut + autumn olive (N-fixing)
Walnut + alder (N-fixing)
Walnut + silver birch (non-N-fixing)
Broadleaf mix

We would like to replicate this across more farms, so please get in touch if you're interested in learning more!

Update - our first workshop

The Trees-in-fields Network had their first workshop at Whitehall Farm at the end of 2025. Our 24 attendees included representatives from all 11 Trees-in-fields Network farms, three researchers, and six experts. We discussed the results of Millie's farmer interviews and created a shortlist of three potential trials. More soon!

Thanks to Stephen Briggs and Whitehall Farm for hosting us.

A sister project on understory management in silvoarable systems

PhD project on understory management

Leila and Matt have been co-designing field experiments to test the ecological, production, and economic impacts of different understory management options in silvoarable systems. They're particularly interested in looking at crops that can add financial value (e.g. horticultural crops). We had our first workshop at the end of 2025 with 22 attendees from 12 farms. We discussed the results of Leila's farmer interviews and voted on a shortlist of crops to try.

To join this project, please contact Leila: l.nicholson [at] pgr.reading.ac.uk

Thanks to Andy Dibben and Home Abbey Farm for hosting us.

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