United States Department of Agriculture

The National Agroforestry Survey is a multi-agency effort to quantify the five agroforestry practices typically used by ag producers for conservation. Windbreaks, silvopasture, riparian forest buffers, alley cropping, as well as forest farming and multi-story cropping are typical practices used in the 21st century. Project findings will be used to guide USDA policy and program development and help ag producers and conservationists make more effective and efficient decisions. More information about agroforestry is available at the USDA National Agroforestry Center webpage.

1. 1. Windbreaks, Shelterbelts and Hedgerows are rows of trees and shrubs that are used to create a more favorable environment for soils, crops, livestock, wildlife, and people. In some cases, they are designed to slow wind, while other times they are designed for visual screening, snow management, odor control, shade for livestock/buildings/people, enhancing pollination, field/property borders, etc.
2. 2. Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land. Grazing livestock on a site with trees is considered silvopasture if all three components of the system (livestock, trees, and forage) are deliberately integrated and managed. Some examples of silvopasture include:
• woodland, forest, or forest edge that is managed to produce forage, livestock and trees simultaneously
• grazing land where trees were added to pasture
• orchards where livestock are integrated
• grazing natural savannas
3. 3. Riparian forest buffer is an area adjacent to a stream, river, lake, or wetland that contains a combination of trees and shrubs and is often used for erosion control, bank stabilization, and nutrient runoff control. They are also called: stream management zones, vegetated buffer strips, woody riparian buffers, and riparian forest corridors.
4. 4. Alley cropping / Intercropping is the cultivation of crops or forages between rows of trees/shrubs. Orchards and tree plantations are considered as alley cropping if crops or forages are grown/harvested from between the rows of trees/shrubs. Intercropping is the deliberate cultivation of trees with crops or forages on the same field but does not need to be in defined rows and alleys.
5. 5. Forest farming / Multi-story Cropping is the deliberate cultivation of crops under a canopy of trees. The canopy is often modified to provide levels of light that favor growth and enhanced production of the understory crops. Crops may include edibles (fruits, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, etc.) tapping trees for syrup, nursery or landscaping plants, woodland herbal/medicinal plants, and decorative/floral products. A tree farm or plantation is not considered forest farming unless understory crops are intentionally cultivated underneath the canopy of trees.

The National Agroforestry Survey gives ag producers a convenient and efficient opportunity to provide a more complete and accurate picture of the 21st century innovative practices they use on their lands and in their operations. Who better to describe such practices than the producers themselves? By documenting the significant efforts made by America’s ag producers to sustainably manage natural resources while producing the food, fuel and fiber the world requires, respondents help ensure continued support for and funding of programs that protect livelihoods and ensure resources for future generations.

Questionnaires will begin arriving in mailboxes in February 2022. The primary methods of data collection are online response and mail out/mail back data collection. Online response and mail are emphasized as they are highly cost effective and less burdensome. Personal interview data collection is used on a limited basis when coordination is needed across survey projects or when requested by the respondents.

The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form.

The survey takes no longer than 50 minutes to complete if you have all five agroforestry practices on your operation. Response time will be less if only reporting information for one or a few agroforestry practices.

Respond online – it’s fast and secure. Go to www.agcounts.usda.gov and enter your unique survey code from your questionnaire, or respond by mail using the prepaid envelope provided.

Please respond before Apr. 5, 2022.

The study results will be included in a series of publications posted to the National Agroforestry Center (NAC) NAC website https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/. Look for results later this year. No results from this survey will be loaded to the NASS Quick Stats data repository.