UNHIDE Agroforestry - A Knowledge Exchange Latvia- Sweden 2023-25 - Report - Page 23
Lundens’ farm: Silvoarable, Sweden
di昀昀icult for the pathogen to spread”- Professor Martin Wolfe, pioneer of organic agriculture, cited in
the 昀椀lm “Life within planetary boundaries - Agroforestry“.
However, this approach may complicate a “rational”
harvest. In discussions among the participants,
allowing some apples to become fodder for wildlife
and discontinuing pruning of the apple trees was
suggested.
Lundens’ farm grows spelt, rye, einkorn wheat,
emmer, and “Lunden wheat,” all with high genetic
diversity within the mix, making it harder for pathogens to spread. Many of these heritage grains have
been shown to develop deeper root systems than
modern cultivars, improving their ability to access
water and withstand periods of drought, and thereby contributing to greater climate resilience. In
addition, the farm cultivates rapeseed, fava beans,
and grey peas—a field pea with a thousand-year
history of cultivation in Sweden.
As the grains at Lundens’ farm currently require
nitrogen fertilizer derived from circulated waste
products, the group argued that this input could be
replaced by nitrogen-fixing plants such as sea buckthorn or common/black alder, making the system
less dependent on an industrial, linear economy.
A more diverse and dense system not only prevents
runoff; research at Wakelyns has also shown that
tree barriers reduce the spread of wind-borne dis-
eases in annual crops. To prevent the system from
becoming too dense, pollarding is required, with residues left on the ground to improve
soil conditions.
Along the fence, trellised apple trees on B9
rootstocks are planted. The group discussed the
advantages of establishing a surrounding poplar windbreak, or a temporary windbreak using
fast-growing industrial hemp, which loosens
the soil, fixes nutrients, and attracts pollinators.
Hemp requires much less water than conventional crops, reduces wind-induced drought, and
provides shelter for pollinators and other insects
that are easily exhausted by strong winds.
The group also noted that autumn sowing might
be better suited to this system, which is currently
used for spring-sown cereals, as the trees would
not leaf out in time to shade the crop before
summer harvest. However, without a road along
the tree lines, this is not feasible, as driving in to
harvest apples would result in crop damage.
The largest establishment cost was €16,600 for
fencing to keep out deer. As income from apples
remains modest, the group discussed the option
of abandoning fencing in similar systems and
instead accepting some losses from deer browsing. The money saved could then be invested in
building an on- farm nursery to support diversification.
