In December we filmed part 7 of ‘Wood For the Trees,’ this time looking at Agroforestry. Between lockdowns, on a very cold day, I visited a small farm in Frome, Somerset, to find out more about tree-planting on farms. The owners of Vallis Veg, Chris Smaje and his wife Cordelia, were both very generous with their time as they showed me round this fascinating small farm.
They’ve planted chestnut, oak, ash, and willow trees on this land, and in less than 20 years they’ve established productive market gardens and allotments, a wild camp site and young woodland.
Chris is a writer and blogger as well as a farmer, and he has written extensively about the challenges of setting up a sustainable small farm. His book, Small Farm Future, is published by Chelsea Green and has been well received internationally.
Film seven of our series about the future of our forests is coming soon. Watch this space for updates.
