Woodland Shelterbelts: An Alternative to Housing? – event summary

A practical and informative afternoon to discuss current woodland options and how they can benefit the croft, common grazings and livestock production systems. 

The meeting looked into the benefits of trees as a commercial enterprise and gauged the level of interest from crofters towards the advantages of  incorporating them into their agricultural practices.

Whilst an agricultural building is ideal for cover against the elements the reality is that not everyone can afford them or has access to one.  Shelterbelts are a suitable alternative for out-wintering stock which can translate to better livestock health and more productive lambs/calves in the long run.

The event covered the fundementals of introducing trees eg species type, establishing of woodland, grant funding and subsidy eligibility and also the challenges that need to be considered before starting.

Presentations can be found below whilst delegate packs contained the following documents: Delegate Pack Shelter boost_Woodland Shelterbelts, Delegate Pack Trees for Crofting Community Flyer_Woodland Shelterbelts, Delegate Pack Woodland Creation Broadleaves_Woodland Shelterbelts, Delegate Pack Woodland Creation Note_Woodland Shelterbelts