Practices like windbreaks, riparian buffer strips, alley cropping, forest farming, and silvopasture use the same land to produce both forest and agricultural products, while at the same time conserve natural resources. Using working trees simply means planting the right trees, in the right place, at the right time, and in the right design to get a specific job done. Silvopasture is the integration of trees with livestock operations. Silvopasture provides multipie benefits to landowners. If managed properly, trees in a livestock operation can reduce stress on livestock, while at the same time maintain forage production.
Most people are accustomed to a single use of forest land or rangeland.
Forest land and rangeland are basically used to produce crops, forage, livestock, forest products or to support wildlife. Silvopasture applies where livestock uses overlap with forest production. Silvopasture has become an important tool to improve income opportunities on farms and ranches in the Southeastern United States. The concept of silvopasture provides both forest production and forage or livestock production simultaneously. Trees can be planted into current forage systems, or woodlands can be thinned to accommodate additional growth of forage.