Agroforestry in Nyland

Our project is exploring how farmers can support biodiversity to restore degraded soil while producing healthy & profitable crops. We are using successional agroforestry techniques in a silvoarable system. 2023 is our first full growing season. We will use diverse cover crops to restore soil function and begin producing the first cash crop of garlic in summer 2023. From there, adaptive management will guide cropping choices.

We are tracking the changes in soil fertility through direct observation, lab analysis, and soil microscopy. Will our management of biodiverse systems result in positive changes?

The site is located in Kirkkonummi, Finland, in a cold temperate climate with a highly variable and short 90-120 day growing season.

Our project is managed by Novia University of Applied Sciences. Funding is generously provided by Uusimaa's Centre for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment (ELY-Keskus), Jordfonden, and Novia UAS for the calendar year of 2023.