Perennial AF

You might think of windbreaks as a pretty basic form of agroforestry. You plant a row of trees -- probably evergreens -- and they grow up and block the wind. How hard can it be? They're the most common type of agroforestry in the Midwest by acreage, but they're also in decline across the country, and many existing windbreaks are old, unmanaged, and no longer effective. Don't make the mistake of underestimating windbreaks. This episode features a recording of our August 2026 field day at Valley Farm on Savanna Institute's Spring Green Campus. Farm Director Erik Hagan led a tour of several newly-planted three-row windbreaks at the farm, and explained how planting a windbreak incorrectly could actually make the wind WORSE. How is that possible? Learn more in this episode. Show notes and links at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennailAF    

Savanna Institute's black currant researcher, Lily Hislop, traveled to Europe for a month this summer to learn about black currant breeding and harvesting from farmers and colleagues in France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, and Scotland. In this episode, she shares some highlights (and some black currant flavored candy) from her trip. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

How do you manage agroforestry alley cropping and silvopasture systems organically in the upper Midwest? Erik Hagan and Dave Hopey have spent years converting Savanna Institute’s demonstration farm north of Spring Green, Wisconsin from conventional corn and alfalfa fields into organically certifiable fields of berry and nut crops growing in and alongside livestock pasture, vegetables, and native prairie restoration. In this farm tour recorded on June 4, 2026, Erik and Dave walk through the conversion and management of these agroforestry operations, including establishment, crop selection, irrigation, weed and pest management, and more. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Keefe Keeley, executive director of the Savanna Institute, sits down with host Jacob Grace to talk about Savanna Institute's selection as a finalist for the 2026 Food Planet Prize and share additional news and updates from the organization. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF    

Eliza Greenman describes the efforts underway to save a unique repository of apple trees from Kyrgyzstan that are currently growing in Ohio...at least for the next few months. This story was recently covered in Civil Eats: https://civileats.com/2026/03/24/in-an-ohio-apple-grove-researchers-race-to-save-rare-varieties/