Vermont Agroforestry: A storytelling and mapping project

by Sydney Blume

Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and perennial plants into an agricultural landscape, and it has been shown to enhance carbon sequestration, air and water quality, and soil health and to support more resilient agricultural landscapes. However, the 2023 Vermonter Poll showed that only 1.2% of Vermonters practice agroforestry or really understand it. The Farm to Plate Agroforestry Priority Strategy Team, composed of agroforestry farmers, researchers, policy makers, technical service providers, nursery managers, students, and agroforestry advisors, has organized to change this by supporting agroforestry adoption in the state. Together, we’ve identified key bottlenecks to agroforestry adoption in Vermont including a lack of awareness, clear examples, nursery plants, and markets. The Agroforestry Storytelling and Story Mapping Project was born out of this work and aims to enhance awareness of agroforestry by sharing the stories of agroforestry farmers in the state and showcasing the many farmers that are practicing agroforestry through an ArcGIS story map. In the coming weeks, Farm to Plate will be featuring stories of farmers in Vermont utilizing agroforestry related practices.

See all the stories and the ArcGIS story map here: Agroforestry Storytelling and Story Mapping Project