Mark Shepard is the founder of the Restoration Agriculture farming method and New Forest Farm, where Mark grows food in perennial polycultures, without using external fertilisers, with very limited management activities, whilst integrating animals. In this episode, Mark shares with us the results he has achieved by actively engaging with tree crop breeding on his farm - one of the foundations of his system. Mark is also the author of two books: ‘Restoration Agriculture: Real World Permaculture for Farmers’ and ‘Water for Any Farm’. He is also the founder of Restoration Agriculture Development, an enterprises that catalyses Restoration Agriculture projects worldwide. We hope you enjoy the interview! 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

02:15 How did you get to agroforestry? 

10:44 What is restoration agriculture? 

19:33 Low inputs and precocity of yield 

31:29 Description of New Forest Farm

40:10 How do you harvest? 

45:42 Managing the system

49:20 Biodiversity on the farm

57:22 Process of plant selection

01:02:40 Starting a nursery 

01:07:28 Why haven’t more people replicated your system? 

01:12:00 Which cultivars to include in mass selection? 

01:21:19 What is the key knowledge required to get started? 

• RESOURCES

http://www.restorationag.com/

https://restoringagriculture.com/

https://www.forestag.com/

https://newforestfarm.us/

https://www.instagram.com/restoration.ag/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/restorationagriculture/

• GET IN TOUCH www.regenerativeagroforestry.org

• SUPPORT US www.gumroad.com/regenagroforestry

• FOLLOW US on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

• FUNDING FOR EUROPEAN PROJECTS https://explore.ecosia.org/regenerative-agriculture

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