“You Don’t Want A Wall of Trees” - Getting Serious About Windbreaks with Erik Hagan

You might think of windbreaks as a pretty basic form of agroforestry. You plant a row of trees -- probably evergreens -- and they grow up and block the wind. How hard can it be? They're the most common type of agroforestry in the Midwest by acreage, but they're also in decline across the country, and many existing windbreaks are old, unmanaged, and no longer effective.

Don't make the mistake of underestimating windbreaks. This episode features a recording of our August 2026 field day at Valley Farm on Savanna Institute's Spring Green Campus. Farm Director Erik Hagan led a tour of several newly-planted three-row windbreaks at the farm, and explained how planting a windbreak incorrectly could actually make the wind WORSE. How is that possible? Learn more in this episode.

Show notes and links at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennailAF