Agroforestry, which integrates forestry and farming, can provide multiple benefits, and planting trees on farms could help meet UK tree planting targets. In Wood For The Trees part 7, Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber visits Vallis Veg, a small farm in Somerset, to see how they've benefited from growing trees on the farm.

Tom is MD of Vastern Timber, a family owned sawmill specialising in British timber. He's working with film-maker Charly Le Marchant to make a series of short films considering the future of British forests. In this film Tom discusses agroforestry at VallisVeg.co.uk, a small farm in Frome, Somerset.

At Vallis Veg, Chris Smaje and Cordelia Rowlatt, with their team, have planted thousands of trees on their farmland. In less than twenty years, they have established willow to help manage flooding, alder and hazel as wind protection and for firewood, fruit and nut orchards, a market garden, a woodland campsite, and a thriving co-operative forest school based in the newly established woodland. Chris Smaje is author of Small Farm Future, and he writes passionately about farming, politics, social and environmental issues on his very popular blog, SmallFarmFuture.org.uk

Tom talks to Cordelia and Chris about why they chose the trees they planted, and how agroforestry could bring benefits to farming and forestry.

Filmed in December 2020, between lockdowns, and within covid safety guidelines, by Charly Le Marchant. A Pocketfull of Acorns Production.