2026 Alley Cropping Intensive for Technical Service Providers - OHF

Are you a service provider in the agriculture, conservation, or forestry sectors looking to learn how to design and implement alley cropping? Now is your chance! Alley cropping involves intentionally integrating trees with crops, where agricultural or horticultural plants are grown in the alleys between rows of trees. This agroforestry practice offers numerous benefits, including diversified farm income, increased crop production efficiency, and enhanced ecosystem functions. Join us for a day-long workshop to learn how to effectively plan and implement this valuable practice.

Goals:

• Understand the principles and benefits of alley cropping, including economic, agronomic, and ecological outcomes.

• Learn to assess site suitability.

• Learn a design framework for alley cropping, including layouts, tree spacing, alley width, and species compatibility.

• Explore species selection for trees, shrubs, and companion crops suited to regional conditions.

• Learn best practices for implementing and managing tree-crop interactions, including weed control, pruning, and fertility management.

• Identify funding, cost-share, and technical assistance programs available for agroforestry adoption.

This workship is organized by the following organizations:

Interlace Commons, a nonprofit focused on education and research, with a goal of expanding agroforestry throughout the Northeastern United States.

Ocean Hour Farm is a center for education, scientific research, and a demonstration of regenerative agricultural practices, highlighting the critical connection between land and ocean health. Ocean Hour Farm provides a living example of sustainable agriculture and land stewardship – an integrated system where plants, animals, and people sequester carbon, clean stormwater, build soil and produce food and fiber for the community.