Event Date : November 19, 2024
Event Time : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Event Location : Sleastonhow Farm, Kirkby Thore, Penrith, United Kingdom, CA10 1XL
Join the ReForest Living Lab in the field for a practical workshop on coppicing to provide fuel, fencing, fodder and environmental benefits
Join us at Sleastonhow Farm with Tim Nicholson and Lee Bassett for this free practical workshop exploring the design and management of coppicing systems and how they can integrate into the wider farm business, farm woodlands and agroforestry systems.
This will combine practical demonstrations with discussions to share ideas and experiences. In the morning, we will head out to a12-year-old sweet chestnut coppice for practical demonstration including felling, snedding, splitting and cleaving to make a fence post and see examples of hedgelaying. This will continue after lunch, when there will be an opportunity for participants to try out some of the techniques under cover.
In the afternoon we will have an informal discussion on the practical design and management of coppice systems and integration into the wider farm business; exploring ways to create agroforestry systems with multiple benefits such as fuel, timber and woodchip, shade and shelter, browse, and carbon and biodiversity.
About Sleastonhow Farm
Sleastonhow Farm is a 300-acre sheep and beef farm, grazing Longhorns, Belted Galloway and crosses on a mosaic of grass, woodland and wood pasture. Since taking over the farm in 2005, Tim Nicholson has looked to improve the habitats, mostly by planting new hedges, restoring hedges, planting small woodlands and more recently converting approx. 100 acres to wood pasture creation under Countryside Stewardship.
Cattle are 100% pasture (and browse) fed, moved in a mob every day using electric fences and outwintered outside with minimal hay. This has allowed Tim to use zero inputs and grow a lot of grass! With the help of cactus guards, Tim has integrated trees into fields and field edges as much as possible, blurring the lines between woodland and pasture. He is particularly interested in the potential to integrate coppice trees into farm woodlands and agroforestry.
About Lee Bassett
Lee Bassett is an ecologist and sustainable land manager who works for Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre alongside delivering woodland management services including coppicing and hedgelaying. He is passionate about expanding skills and knowledge of coppicing on-farm and opportunity for agroforestry products, making woodland creation a viable investment for the future. He has a particular interest in the potential of sweet chestnut as a durable material to use on-farm in combination with its benefits for biodiversity and carbon. See Underwood: Home (coppicecrafts.blogspot.com) and https://Ozawawildlife.wordpress.com
About ReForest
This workshop forms part of the North of England Living Lab as part of the ReForest Project. The Living Lab brings together farmers, advisors, foresters and researchers and others to share ideas and knowledge and co-create solutions for agroforestry implementation across the North of England. Joining the network is free – find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/REFOREST-ORC-NEWS
Draft Agenda (TBC)
9.30 – 10.00: Arrivals, tea and coffee
10 -10.15: Welcome and quick introductions
10.15 – 10.45: Trees on farm at Sleastonhow: Tim Nicholson
10.45 – 11.15: Brief intro to coppicing : Lee Basset
11.15-12.30: Coppicing demo: Walk to chestnut coppice via woodpasture and hedgelaying. Practical demo on felling, snedding, splitting and cleaving.
12.30- 13.00 Lunch
13.15 – 14.30 Continuation of coppicing demo in the large barn with a chance to have a go.
14.45 – 15.45 Sharing knowledge and ideas: integrating a coppice system on your farm
16.00 Wrap up and departures
Please note: As part of this day is outside please come prepared for all weathers! if you have any access or dietary requirements please advise on the sign up form.
