#13 Sheep silvopasture and farm ecology with Steve Gabriel

In this episode Steve Gabriel shares with us his experience on Wellspring Forest Farm, focusing on his sheep silvopasture system. Steve has used the different ecological niches present on his land to build up various enterprises and has refused to separate productions, preferring rather to take advantage of interactions and edge effects. You'll find out how he uses trees to diversify the habitat of his sheep and how this very same diversity can become a key asset in time of crisis. We also cover the importance of the breed, the role of tree fodder, patterns of tree planting and many other fascinating things! • TABLE OF CONTENTS00:01:54 Introduction 00:05:33 Wellspring Forest Farm context 00:09:42 Starting with ecological niches 00:14:47 Ecosystems of the farm00:18:22 Silvopasture systems on the farm00:21:37 Creating diversity between paddocks00:27:22 Dealing with complexity and diversity 00:30:48 Trees systems00:36:57 Why mix pasture and trees? 00:44:07 Planting in clusters vs planting in lines00:46:01 How do you protect young trees from animals?00:50:57 Limits of stacking productions00:57:58 Tree fodder 01:07:48 Potential to mechanise tree fodder collection01:14:56 Role of breed in tree fodder acceptance 01:18:25 Managing the rotation of the flock01:23:25 Advice for setting up a silvopasture  • RESOURCEShttp://www.wellspringforestfarm.com/https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/silvopasture/• GET IN TOUCH www.regenerativeagroforestry.org• SUPPORT US www.gumroad.com/regenagroforestry• FOLLOW US on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.