{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/61308c707f169200194a3cfd/678a30c15c9549fc002d00b3?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Silvohorticulture with Ben Raskin and Andy Dibben","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/61308c707f169200194a3cfd/1746805601225-9a5b0279-214f-415e-ae42-68b7054e21d6.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Ben raskin and Andy Dibben have written&nbsp;<em>Silvohorticulture</em>,&nbsp;<em>A Grower's Guide To Integrating Trees Into Crops</em> published in January 2025 by Chelsea Green Publishing.</p><p><br></p><p>Raskin is head of horticulture and agroforestry for the Soil Association and Dibben is head grower at Abbey Home Farms in Gloucestershire.</p><p><br></p><p>They say interactions between trees and crops is an under-investigated area and that trees can offer many benefits for food growers.</p><p><br></p><p>The foreword is by Stockfree Organic farmer Iain Tolhurst who calls this \"agroforestry at its finest\" and says which trees to choose is \"no longer an act of faith\".</p><p><br></p><p>There are negative impacts from planting the trees in the shade, but many crops do not actually need full sun all day.</p><p><br></p><p>Abbey Home Farms in Cirencester is a 650ha acre mixed organic farm, intercropping into 6ha of veg production with mixed top fruit tree, coppice species for wood chip, as well as peach trees in the glasshouses.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Also featured in the book are:</p><ul><li>Eastbrook Farm&nbsp;in Wiltshire – 200 acre silvopastural system (trialing almonds, apricots, berries and other fruits into a 25year business plan)</li><li>Shillingford Farm&nbsp;in Devon – 420 acre fruit and veg farm using alley cropping systems&nbsp;</li><li>Troed-y-Rhiw Farm in Wales – 23 acre mixed organic farm growing top fruit and bush fruit, but outside and in tunnels&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"HortWeek"}