Tree planting for better water quality, crops and livestock grazing
The Lake of Menteith is a fishery so water quality is important. It is also surrounded by farms. Matt Woods, from Nether Glenny Farm at the top of the lake, joins Niels Corfield, agroforestry expert, to discuss how farming with trees can be beneficial to your farm and improve water quality in the process.
Nicola Colquhoun, Land Management Adviser for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, also discusses grant funding. Topics covered:
Nether Glenny's farm operation and diversification
Farm planning: understanding your operation, including beyond the farm’s borders
Soil conditions & the water cycle:
How to check infiltration rates and what that means
The water cycle
Soil health principles: management is crucial for healthy soils
Comparing soils managed differently: the impact and how they look
Benefits of a healthy soil: infiltration as a tool for cleaner water and flooding management
How to track your soil: tools like Soilmentor, keep records, mix it with your leisure time, compare the soil in different areas (burns, trees, grazing pasture) to compare two different practices in the same soil type
Drains
Agroforestry for farmers
Forestry / agroforestry
Agroforestry benefits
Farm / field types
Shelter for animals / other uses
Drafting a project
Think of your objectives when planting trees in each area of your farm
What to plant
How to plant: north south, following contours: pros and cons of each
