Agroforestry:

“The intentional planting of trees within an agriculture system to enhance biodiversity and provide valuable ecological services to improve resilience against a changing climate. Agroforestry systems diversify crops, improve livestock health and well-being, and support soil regeneration.”

Agroforestry has become a special interest to us here at NCCD, and we look forward to sharing our knowledge on this important subject.

Click on the images below to access the latest volumes of our periodic newsletter, “Agroforestry Access”.

Volume 5 (Feb 2026):

Volume 4 (Sept 2025):

Volume 3 (Feb 2025):

Volume 2 (Sept 2024):

Want more like this? Join our mailing list here and select that you are interested in the periodic agroforestry newsletter!

Volume 2: Fall/Winter 2025-26 

Volume 1: Spring/Summer 2025

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An NCCD Project on TAC Grounds

Welcome to our page! Here we will provide updates on the progress of NCCD’s goal to establish an Edible Riparian Buffer at Tolland County Agricultural Center (ERB at TAC) in Vernon, CT. This project is funded by a Section 319 grant under the Clean Water Act.

What is a riparian buffer, you may ask?

A riparian buffer is vegetation that grows along the banks of a watercourse, such as a river, pond, or stream. Riparian buffers are essential because they provide numerous ecological benefits. One important service is the cooling of the water body. Cool water is vitally important to many aquatic species, especially fish. Buffers also provide critical habitat and food for wildlife, as well as protection from predators. They also prevent bank erosion and provide flood mitigation.

Riparian buffers act as a “transition zone” between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Transition zones tend to have more biodiversity due to the edge effect. Many species specifically rely on transition zones for survival.

Why edible?

We aim to demonstrate that valuable ecological resources can also be highly beneficial to humans.

We plan to include plants that produce food for humans, such as nuts, berries, and herbs. We will also include plants that produce crafting materials, floral arrangements, and wood products, such as stakes and poles. Harvest trails will be incorporated to allow visitors to explore and harvest food and materials. The trails will be ADA-accessible.

The project aims to serve as a teaching tool for landowners, students, and anyone interested in learning about agroforestry and how to integrate multi-level plant species that mimic a natural ecosystem. Other purposes include seed saving and instruction on coppicing.

We welcome anyone who would like to be involved. Stay tuned for updates!

Fall, 2024 – Establishing footprint of ERB; mowing and string trimmers.

Established footprint.

Spring, 2025 – Once the soil thawed in late March, the footprint was rototilled. Once rototilled, the footprint was covered with opaque, or black, tarps to control weed germination and prevent soil erosion. A method called occultation, or tarping, employs opaque tarps to cover bare soil. Opaque tarps insulate the soil, which encourages seeds in the underlying soil to germinate, but they eventually die since sunlight is blocked. The primary difference between occultation and solarization is that occultation does not heat the soil like solarization does, and it is likely to preserve a greater portion of the soil microbiome. Side note: The single blue tarp used did not keep out the sunlight. Plants are growing underneath the blue tarp, which will be cut to the ground and covered with a thick layer of wood chips, over 4 inches.

For more information on occultation, please visit this site.

April work party.

After two months covered with tarps, a local arborist delivered woodchips that will be spread once the tarps are removed. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott is a leading scientist in the study of the benefits of arborist woodchips. You can watch a video of her discussing her research findings and explaining why she recommends using arborist woodchips in gardens and other plantings.

Phase One for ERB at TAC. The trees selected for planting in Phase One are trees that require full sun and grow quickly. The trees are selected due to their smaller size (easier to care for and harvest from) and higher resistance to disease and deer browse. The following are trees and shrubs that have been planted as of June 5th, 2025:
Hybrid hazelnuts (14)
Contorted jujube (3)
Honey Babe Miniature Peace (2)
Hosui Asian pear, dwarf (1)
Chojuro Asian pear, semi-dwarf (1)
John’s elderberry supreme (1)
Nova elderberry (1)
York elderberry (1)
Chestnut hybrid, Eaton (1)
Blue moose honeyberry (2)
Borealis honeyberry (2)
Willow (16)

Phase Two will include basswood, mulberry, and other trees and shrubs that complement the existing trees.

Workday, June 4th, 2025. Replacing the tarp with woodchips.

Volunteers are assembling tree cages for protection.

Row of hybrid hazel trees to form a hedge.

Contorted jujube leafing out.

July 3rd, a small group of us spread the rest of the woodchips, planted three more hazelnuts trees to finish the hedge, and planted seedlings in the fenced-in nursery.

Hazelnut hedge.

The trees are thriving. The second tree planting will take place in the fall.

The nursery is 10’X10′ and can fit 16 seedlings. Right now there are sugar maple, and chestnut seedlings.

Contorted jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) flowers.

2026 Spring Update!

It has been a wet spring which brought out the winecap mushrooms. I added a few handfulls of winecap (Stropharia rugosoannulata) mycelium to the woodchips last year, which provided my first harvest at the ERB in April, 2026.

What will keep people returning to the ERB at TAC? Living willow structures are fun and interesting. Purple willow is used for the two structures. The first structure is the arbor at the enterance. The second structure is a half-dome children can sit under. 

Willow arbor with hybrid hazel hedge on each side.