Contemplating August: Insights from our Agroforestry Lead

Gabe Lewis, the Head Agroforester at Reed's Farm, leads a Food Forest tour.

Summer still has us wrapped in her arms, singing to us through birdsong and insect hums. The black cherry trees are heavy with fruit, the days are hot and humid, and the first of the goldenrod blooms are dotting the roadsides. August is upon us. But Autumn is whispering to me on these unseasonably cool mornings, reminding me that when summer is over, the work of agroforestry is just getting started. 

This month, we are building foundations for the fall and winter seasons that are rapidly approaching, as well as the years of work we have ahead of us. Agroforestry – the integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural systems to promote environmental, social, and economic health – is all about the long game. 

Ryan and I are wrapping up an 8-month long endeavor to build the foundational garden beds of the food forest. We’ve been hauling endless yards of mulch and leaf compost to meticulously shape the beds, and prepare them for the hundreds of trees, shrubs, herbs, and roots that are, and will be planted there in the fall. We know that each shovel full is just the start of this forest sharing and growing alongside our community for years to come. We’ve been maintaining the pathways, and adding signs to identify the plants in order to prepare for the folks we want to share it with the most; you. Though the food forest is young, and the plants are still establishing their roots, many are beginning to show their true colors, and we are excited for y’all to see them too.

August on the farm also means preparing for fall cover crops. Healthy soil is the number one priority for any regenerative farm. Seeding cover crops like crimson clover, tillage radish, oats, and rye in our pastures and resting veggies fields, help replenish the soil's nutrients. The healthy roots of the plants also help hold the soil in place and create fluffy topsoil. For our new chestnut orchard and silvopasture system, August seeding will also help us establish healthy pastures and meadows between the trees. Over the years, the mature pastures full of perennial grasses and native flowers will continue to provide food for our livestock, and habitat for beneficial bugs and critters, helping us maintain a balanced ecosystem.

Long game preparations begin long before the shovel goes in the ground. This month, we are putting together the final calculations and projected outcomes of our future alleycropping system, where we will plant a variety of fruit trees and shrubs with vegetables and herbs planted in between. Because trees and shrubs live for years, we only have one chance to get our set up right. We want to select the best varieties, for our climate and soil. We want to make sure each of our trees have the amount of space, nutrients, and water they need to survive. And most importantly, we want to know that once the fruit comes, we can share them with our community. All of this two years before we will even begin to plant them!

With all of this future planning, I find solace in the cool August morning. Taking a moment to enjoy the fruits of the summer I am in right now. Watching the bumblebees visit the anise hyssop, smelling the mountain mint, and popping a perfectly sweet aronia berry in my mouth.