The two are not mutually exclusive, according to the keynote speaker at a recent forestry field day held here. Neb. Robinson, headquartered in Fort Worth, is one of five professionals associated with the center who are dedicated with transferring agroforestry research findings to the public. Not only are timber and cattle compatible, they can complement each other, particularly in the Sunbelt, Robinson said. If attention is paid to tree spacing, and shade form the tree canopy does exceed 30 percent to 40 percent, bermudagrass pastures can thrive in timber plantations, he said. Economically, the two practices complement each other as well.
Timber offers higher returns over the long run, but initial cash flow is poor.
Cattle, whose long-term return has proven to be poor in the last decade, does offer a yearly cash flow. A silvopasture system can be developed from a pasture system with the trees incorporated into the open fields. Also, it can be developed from a forest plantation, with the forage incorporated into the plantation following a thinning to reduce tree canopy. Included in the program were new ideas for businesses, based on innovative technology, integrating timber production with other enterprises, and turning an entrepreneurial concept into a money making reality. Examples included growing watermelons and pines together, harvesting and marketing pine straw, and identifying medicinal plants native to East Texas forests.