Final Report: Protecting seedling trees and managing competing vegetation with livestock: cattle, sheep, hog, and poultry impacts on silvopasture establishment in four on-farm experiments in Midwest USA

Silvopasture – the integration of livestock, forage, and trees – can generate multiple high-value products with minimal off-farm inputs while enhancing ecological functions. Silvopasture remains largely untested in the Midwest US. To fill knowledge gaps faced by farmers in this region, we tested techniques of integrating livestock with seedling trees in pastures. Our trials on four farms in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana including various types of livestock compared efficacy of different techniques for mitigating livestock and wildlife damage to trees, as well as potential competition from nearby herbaceous vegetation. We also conducted semi-structured exit interviews with participating farmers to document their qualitative assessment of strategies to establish and manage trees planted in pastures.