Other Ag News: Small Farms Radio Shines a Spotlight on the Power of Trees

If you’re selling 25 million trees, New York State is looking to buy. In 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul began an ambitious reforestation goal, aiming to plant 25 million new trees in the state before 2033. While the effort has been supported by policymakers, conservationists, researchers, and agriculturalists, a key issue remained — what kind of trees should NYS plant, and where should they come from? Small farms and nurseries across the northeast are getting involved, promoting robust native species.

On this week’s episode of Small Farms Radio, our Agroforestry and Mushroom specialist Connor Youngerman visited Jesse Marksohn at Yellowbud Farm tree nursery. They discussed how farms like Yellowbud can work to combat climate change and revitalize traditional foods from native species, one tree at a time.

Youngerman describes New York State’s investment in forests like paying for a powerful machine: it eats up carbon, spits out food and building materials for humans to use, and simultaneously provides a home to wildlife that bolster the state’s biodiversity. Yellowbud’s wholesale seedling operation mimics this natural system, replacing synthetic fertilizers with Rich Earth Institute’s pasteurized urine, and a complex irrigation system with strategic mulching.

Marksohn believes that as New York State invests in its new forest “machine,” native species must be centered and further developed. Yellowbud is part of this effort to improve native cultivars; Marksohn’s team does archival research to identify successful legacy plantings, and connects with producers across the region to pilot new cultivars, measuring their performance for years before they begin wholesale production. The cultivars they develop are more resilient and have higher yields than seedlings imported from other regions, giving them an economic advantage in the short term but also ensuring longevity.

Beyond their importance in mitigating climate change, Marksohn believes trees can be  “transformative” for a diverse range of agricultural operations across the region. For livestock producers, trees can offer shade and fodder, reducing heat stress and providing a resilient, perennial feed source. For vegetable operations, trees give natural patchy shade in the hottest months and protect crops from wind. Across the board, trees create habitat for beneficial biota, increasing biodiversity and potentially reducing pest pressure. For any operation, Marksohn recommends starting small and learning the basics of forestry.

Other than the environmental and economic benefits, Yellowbud also works to revitalize the cultural importance of foods from native trees. While hickory and oak trees are valued today for their wood, they historically were an important source of food. Along with the many environmental benefits of native tree production, products like hickory oil and acorn flour can be nutritionally and culinarily superior to alternatives like olive oil. Marksohn shares that hickory nuts are simple to process, and the resulting oil is higher in oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid) than olive oil. 

With economic, environmental, and dietary advantages, the integration of native trees can be a triple-win for NYS. Youngerman believes that as New York builds its 25-million-tree forest machine, it’s more than worth it to invest in native species and the small farmers who produce them. Through partnership with conservationists and producers like Marksohn, New York can create a resilient tree landscape that will reap benefits for generations to come.

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