Trees for farms in the Dyfi Biosphere

In this guest blog, Kirsten Manley, local resident and Communication and Engagement Officer for Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, explains how farmers, landowners and land managers across the buffer zone of the Dyfi Biosphere are exploring agroforestry. Darllen yn Gymraeg.

Credit: Ben Porter, Nature Friendly Farming Network agroforestry event

Over the past year, landowners have been getting together to share their knowledge about the benefits of trees on farms across the Dyfi Biosphere.  Different methods of agroforestry are being explored, and farmers have started using the hedgerow methodology to benefit their livestock. 

Nature Friendly Farming Network Cymru’s webinars and face to face training events in Machynlleth have had landowners and farmers exchanging knowledge and viewing local examples of agroforestry in action. 

Agroforestry is the term used for the deliberate integration of trees and shrubs into farming systems. This can be any combination of trees and shrubs that support a function, from providing shade and shelter and protecting soils to delivering products like fruit or timber.

With significant increases in temperature in Wales – 2025 was Wales’s second-warmest year on record – there is a threat to the welfare of livestock if there is no shade available for them to regulate their temperature. Research by Lindsay Whistance, Principal Researcher in Animal Husbandry, has shown that the impact on heat-stressed livestock leads to a drop in milk yield and fertility.  This, in turn, has a negative impact on farm businesses.  Thus, trees are valuable for sheltering livestock, increasing their productivity and therefore benefiting a farm’s business.  To find out more, listen to her on NFFN’s latest webinar.

Image credit: K Manley, NFFN Weatherproof Farmiang event

A guest speaker at one of these events, regenerative agriculture consultant Niels Corfield, offered insights into soil health and grazing. When teaching his techniques for assessing pasture, it came to light that due to their root systems below ground and the composting of their fallen leaves, the in-field trees showed the greatest benefit to the pasture surrounding it.

Participants valued these opportunities to share and learn new information and skills. After an event on hedgerow management in October 2025, one contractor said:

“There was such great information in the talk followed by an excellent opportunity to put theory into practice on a farm.  I’ve learnt how to pleach to restore hedgerows, and I plan to start a hedgerow management rotation.”

Farmer Rhodri Lloyd Williams from Moelgolomen Farm acted by increasing the width of his long-standing hedgerows and creating new hedgerows.  This method of agroforestry will provide future shade for his livestock and enables him to rotate grazing between smaller fields, giving grass time to regenerate before being grazed again.

Rhodri approached Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales, for their advice on tree planting and sourcing appropriate hedgerow trees.  Coed Cadw offers easy to read, downloadable guides outlining facts on different types of agroforestry, along with grants and schemes that meet the needs of landowners and farmers in Wales.  

The downloadable guidance includes:

·       Hedgerow Management – well managed hedgerows provide shade and shelter

·       In-Field Trees – these larger, older trees providing shade and good pasture

·       Riparian Planting – trees planted along water courses improve water quality

·       Shelterbelts – used for hundreds of years to protect livestock and crops

·       Sylvoarable Systems – increase resilience and maximise productivity

Coed Cadw Agroforestry Fact Sheets: Hedgerows and in-field trees

With this information, the online webinars and practical knowledge exchange opportunities across the Dyfi Biosphere, farmers, land managers and contractors have broadened their understanding of agroforestry and have begun putting in place the options that work for their land. 

If you own and/or manage land and want more information about agroforestry, future events or what funding and support is available, visit:

• Nature Friendly Farming Network – online webinars and in person knowledge exchange events

• Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales – downloadable Agroforestry Fact Sheets, subsidised tree packs and funding schemes

• Farming Connect – informative articles and advice

For more on landscape collaboration in the Biosphere, read Coetir Anian's blog.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network Events and downloadable Agroforestry Fact Sheets have been made possible through Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales, with support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.