Agro Forestry 'Forestry with a difference' says Simon Healy, Forester for the Midlands with SWS Forestry
Costs are effectively covered by the Forest Service while the landowner benefits from generous premiums of €975/HA for 10 years as well as having created a woodland that can still be used for grazing / crop production
Simon Healy, Forester for the Midlands with SWS Forestry has been explaining why the Agro Forestry Scheme is so popular with landowners.
Simon explains that the reason for the popularity is very much driven by the fact that all costs are effectively covered by the Forest Service while the landowner benefits from generous premiums of €975/HA for 10 years as well as having created a woodland that can still be used for grazing / crop production.
So, it’s very much a win-win for all involved, he says, but particularly for those that have a passion for woodland creation.
Within a few years, the landscape will be transformed to an area of open woodland rich in bio-diversity, while still available for the land owner to actively farm.
The “grid planting” layout option which is a popular option provides for trees to be planted 5m apart and individually protected, is suitable for grazing of sheep / calves, while the “group planting” layout where trees are planted in groups and fenced is more suited to larger livestock / crop production.
Farmers elect to go with Agro Forestry on part of the farm in conjunction with some traditional broadleaf planting in areas that were considered unsuitable for grazing.
Simon is a graduate of SETU and joined SWS in 2025. He covers all aspects of Forest Management, particularly planting and thinning.
Call Simon today on 087 133 4439 for a site evaluation. You can also find out more at swsforestry.ie.