Agroforestry Community

Who "counts" as an agroforestry practitioner, anyway? This is a question with no easy answer. Some question the utility of a newfangled word to describe distinct practices that have been used for millennia. Others debate the difference between multispecies orchards and alley cropping, or the circumstances under which maple syruping "counts." Depending on where you draw the boundaries, agroforestry in the United States may be exceedingly rare, or increasingly common. The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported more agroforestry practitioners than in 2017, but the number is still below 2% of the farming population. Consequently, connecting with other agroforestry practitioners can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This page provides links to recent research that unpacks the diverse community of agroforestry practitioners, as well as information about existing organizations working to connect practitioners to each other to share resources and organize for a stronger agroforestry future.

Existing Organizations

Appalachian Forest Farming Coalition	The AFFC (formerly Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition) is a network of forest farmers, forestland owners, universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations that share a common goal of improving agroforestry production opportunities and farming capabilities among forest farmers. Their website includes a library of resources and a link to their Facebook page.
Midwest Forest Farming Coalition	Hosted by Lincoln University in Missouri, the MWFFC promotes the cultivation of non-timber forest products through education, connection to technical assistance, mentorship and research. It is the newest of the forest farming coalitions.
Northeast Forest Farming Coalition	The Northeast Forest Farming Coalition is funded by a USDA SARE grant and also promotes non-timber forest products with education and outreach.
Northern Nut Growers Association	NNGA is not agroforestry-specific, but has a long history of educating nut growers and sponsoring research grants that have advanced cultivation and marketing of crops common to agroforestry, such as black walnuts, chestnuts, and pawpaws. Its members meet annually.
Route 9 Chestnut Cooperative	This cooperative of chestnut orchards in eastern Ohio has worked to improve chestnut genetics and marketing since 2009. Together they invested in sorting and cleaning equipment which allows them to harvest, package, and distribute the nuts themselves. Their facility is worth a visit if you live in the area!
Agroforestry Regional Knowledge Exchange (ARKx)	A project of the Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program, ARKx is a peer-to-peer learning platform where practitioners, TSPs, educators and others can create profiles, connect with others interested in agroforestry, and share and find agroforestry events.
Agroforestry Net Inc.	This nonprofit is dedicated to “providing educational resources about agroforestry, trees, and sustainable stewardship of land and water.” Anyone can submit writing to The Overstory, an online journal of agroforestry information edited by the nonprofit. The website includes a library of periodicals, books, and agroforestry organizations from around the world.
Ohio Agroforestry Working Group	The Ohio Agroforestry Working Group is a new coalition of researchers, educators, and practitioners working to promote and facilitate agroforestry adoption in Ohio. The group meets quarterly to share updates about our work and collaborate on events and resources for the public. If you have ideas to share with the group or are interested in attending the next meeting, please contact Meg Edwards at edwards.2033@osu.edu.

Social Science Research

Author	Title	Description
Workman et al., 2003	Agroforestry potential in the southeastern United States: perceptions of landowners and extension professionals	Researchers surveyed landowners and extension professionals in AL, FL, and GA about their perspectives on various AF practices.
Moser et al., 2009	Farmers' objectives toward their woodlands in the upper Midwest of the United States: implications for woodland volumes and diversity	Researchers combined data from the USDA’s Forest Inventory and Analysis and National Woodland Owner Survey. They looked for relationships between what woodland owners said they wanted from their woodlands, and the actual quality and size of their woodlands.
Garbach et al., 2012	Payment for Ecosystem Services: The roles of positive incentives and information sharing in stimulating adoption of silvopastoral conservation practices	Researchers interviewed cattle farmers in Costa Rica who were using silvopasture. They investigated the influence of PES, formal technical assistance, and information sharing on their choice to practice agroforestry.
Keeley et al., 2019	Multi-Party Agroforestry: Emergent Approaches to Trees and Tenure on Farms in the Midwest USA	Researchers interviewed farmers practicing agroforestry on land they do not own. They investigate circumstances under which long-term land sharing agreements can work for both practitioners and landowners.
Trozzo et al., 2021	Forest Farming: Who Wants In?	Family forest owners in Appalachia were surveyed about their willingness to adopt forest farming and/or lease their land to a forest farmer.
Trozzo et al., 2014	Landowner Interest in Multifunctional Agroforestry Riparian Buffers	Researchers tested a statistical model meant to predict interest in riparian fruit and nut buffers. Several personal and social factors were found to be significant predictors of agroforestry interest.
Kronenberg 2022	A Mixed Method Approach to Exploring Landowner Interest in Woody Plantings to Integrate Conservation and Production on Missouri Farms	Interviews with landowners in MO collected information about preferences for woody planting designs and measured interest in agroforestry and willingness to work with conservation professionals.
Mukhlis et al,, 2022	Understanding Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of Agroforestry on Rural Communities	This literature review covers research on the impact of agroforestry on the social, environmental, and economic wellbeing of rural communities in the U.S. and internationally.
Romanova et al., 2022	Perspectives of Agroforestry Practitioners on Agroforestry Adoption	Authors interviewed current agroforestry practitioners on their decision to become “early adopters” of agroforestry.
Smith et al., 2022	Silvopasture in the USA: A systematic review of natural resource professional and producer-reported benefits, challenges, and management activities	This review of 53 silvopasture adoption studies provides a more complete look at the scope of adoption in the U.S., the benefits and challenges experienced by practitioners, and attitudes of natural resource professionals towards silvopasture.
McRae 2024	Agroforestry in temperate-climate commercial agriculture: Feedback from agroforestry practitioners in the Mid-Atlantic United States	Interviews with agroforestry practitioners in NY, PA, and MD investigated the motivations and experiences of production-oriented practitioners.
Benning 2024	Identifying the Factors that Constrain and Facilitate the Adoption of Agroforestry Practices by Minnesota and Wisconsin Agricultural Producers	A combination of interview and survey research asked agroforestry adopters about their reasoning for and experience with agroforestry adoption, and non-adopters about their experience with other conservation practices and what factors might encourage them to adopt agroforestry.
Stubblefield et al., 2025	Factors affecting Missouri land managers' willingness to adopt agroforestry practices	Author surveyed MO land managers on their willingness to adopt agroforestry, and how that willingness would be influenced by per-acre payments for ecosystem services.