Practical Silvopasture Implementation: A study of the ecological, nutrition, and food system impacts of crop-livestock integration

This project explores the integration of silvopastured ducks into apple orchards, leveraging their benefits for soil health, pest management, and nutrient cycling. Our research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of silvopastured ducks in reducing pest pressure, weed prevalence, and improving soil composition. We employed a paired comparison design and t-test statistical analysis, collecting data on soil nutrient content, pest prevalence, and crop yield. Our results will inform best practices for farmers and ranchers seeking to adopt regenerative agriculture methods, enhance soil health, and promote ecosystem services. This project demonstrates the potential for silvopastured ducks to contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food system.

We have chosen to allow our ducks to rotationally graze in our apple orchards to receive the benefits of Silvopasture (for both animal and prevailing fruit crops) while maintaining food safety.  Our farm has worked with the Henderson County Extension Service Small Fruit and Vegetable Agent and Livestock Agents, as well as the Area Specialized Agent for Fresh Produce Food Safety in Western North Carolina.  Together we developed a rotational grazing plan that takes advantage of off-season and post-harvest land.  This plan follows the 90-120-Day Rule for Organic Crop Manure Amendment from USDA that states raw animal manure must be applied 90 days prior to harvest of the tree crop and 120 days to any crop that comes in contact with the ground.⁸ 

Silvopasturing duck in orchards is not only possible but also a valuable market opportunity for farmers to diversify their product line while reducing costs of commercial fertilize, pesticides, and application labor.  According to the USDA, a farmer can economically manage weeds without herbicides using silvopasture.  These pastured animals compete with weed beds for water, nutrients, and sunlight, thereby enhancing tree growth and reducing weed pressure.¹⁵ The economic value of many conventional fertilization schedules is in excess of $10,000.  The value of manure is approximately $0.50/pound but could be double this value considering the economic worth of improved soil structure, diversity, and activity of soil organisms that conventional fertilizers do not provide.¹⁶ Fertilize costs have increased substantially over the past decade and silvopasture is an effective means to reduce or eliminate these costs.  Silvopastures create biological diversity and improve water and soil quality; resulting in improved crop output and quality. Perennial forage protects the soil from water and wind erosion and adds organic matter to the soil.  Additionally, ducks are able to forage extensively and can decrease feed costs by as much as 30%.

We have selected the Silver Appleyard Duck breed for our farm because they are one of the best egg-layers in their class and are excellent foragers with superb mothering skills.  Appleyards have a lower saturated fat content than other duck  breeds, providing lean meat that is prized by chefs for its gourmet roasting ability.  Silver Appleyards were developed in the 1940s by Reginald Appleyard in England.  He created the Appleyard as a prolific layer that also has size and large breasts for meat, making it the ideal all-purpose duck. Ducks yield 74% of their weight as marketable, making this bird more valuable than other processed poultry. Silver Appleyards came to the United States in the 1960s, but were not available to the public until 1984, by 2000, The American Poultry Association accepted the Silver Appleyard into the Standard of Perfection.  Today, Appleyards are listed on the Conservation Priority List and are in danger of becoming threatened in the United States.  We are proud to raise this heritage livestock breed and improve market demand for heritage livestock products. ^5,7

Customers are requesting regenerative practices and are going beyond organic, recognizing the impact farm practices have on our food system.  This model of silvopasture can also serve as a community-connection opportunity and result in increased sales outlets to holistic and local supermarkets.  And as farmland in Western North Carolina and across the United States dwindles, it is important now, more than ever, for farmers to increase per-acre revenue and market viability.

The Silver Appleyard Ducks will serve a dual purpose: as a high-quality, nutritious marketable product, as well as improve our orchard management practices.  Duck manure has a balanced NPK ratio at 2.8:2.3:1.7 while chickens provide only 1.5:0.5:0.8.  Not only do ducks provide a higher percent of primary macronutrients in a more balanced ratio; but they also provide a larger volume that is in a form more readily available for plant uptake than chicken manure.^14-15