Firebeacon Farm: Agroforestry Planting for Livestock, Wildlife and Shelter

Roundels Within Grazing Pasture

The first part of the scheme involved planting five roundels across two fields used for rotational grazing.

Each roundel was fenced by others before we began planting, using triangular sweet chestnut fencing stakes. Inside each fenced area, the planting followed a layered structure.

At the centre was a parkland tree, with oak chosen for this role. Around that sat middle rings of nurse trees and productive species, selected for future uses such as timber, firewood, charcoal and woodchip. The outer ring was made up of shrubs and coppiceable species, helping create a softer edge and more varied habitat structure.

The trees were planted at 2m spacings, with mulch mats and pegs fitted to support establishment.

The idea behind the roundels was not simply to plant small clumps of trees in fields. They are designed to become protected pockets of tree cover within grazed pasture, adding shade, shelter, habitat and long-term structure while still allowing the farm to function around them.

Silvopasture Alleyways

The second part of the project involved three silvopasture alleyways, each running down the middle of a separate field.

Each alleyway had three rows. The central row was planted with larger standard tree species in 1.2m tubes and stakes. On either side, smaller shrub species were planted at 1m spacing in a more hedgerow-like formation, using 60cm shrub shelters and 75cm stakes.

This arrangement gives the alleyways a clear structure. The central trees provide the long-term canopy, while the outer shrub rows help create shelter, edge habitat and a more useful corridor for wildlife.

On an exposed livestock farm, that matters. These alleyways should provide shelter and shade for grazing animals over time, while also improving habitat connectivity, increasing insect life and giving bats more linear features to forage along and move through the landscape.

Working to a Supplied Design

The planting plan and materials were supplied by the client, and our role was to implement the design properly.

That included organising the trees into the correct planting groups, allocating the right species to the right part of each design, and keeping the roundels and alleyways moving efficiently without losing accuracy.

We split the team so one group could mark out and stake planting positions while the other followed behind planting and protecting trees. That kept the work flowing and avoided wasted time trying to identify species or interpret the layout repeatedly in the field.

With around 4,000 trees and shrubs to plant, organisation was just as important as the physical planting.

Working on a Busy Farm Site

The site was exposed, muddy and difficult in places, particularly around gateways and slopes.

We were also working directly alongside fencing contractors, who were completing the fencing as we were planting. At times, they were working immediately next to us, so communication and sequencing mattered.

The whole job was carried out by hand. No machinery was used for the planting itself, which meant the team had to keep materials moving, maintain spacing, and protect each tree correctly while working through poor weather and wet ground.

That is often the reality of farm planting projects. The plan may look neat on paper, but the site has livestock, mud, gateways, fencing contractors, weather, slopes and access issues to work around.