COLUMBIA – The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry and partners announced the launch of the Expanding Agroforestry Markets and Production project. Eligible producers throughout the 30-state project area are invited to apply for financial and technical support to adopt agroforestry practices—the intentional integration of trees and shrubs with crops and livestock.
The project’s goal is to help U.S. farmers strengthen their operations, diversify revenue and improve land health. The current application cycle is open until Aug. 11, 2026. To learn more or apply, visit https://nature.org/ExpandingAgroforestry.
Expanding Agroforestry Markets and Production is a three-year effort funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advancing Markets for Producers initiative. The project is led by TNC in collaboration with a network of partners, including six regional leads: Hawai’i ‘Ulu Cooperative, Propagate, Savanna Institute, Tuskegee University, the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, and Virginia Tech.
Participating farmers are eligible to receive incentive payments from a $39 million fund. They will also have access to regionally tailored technical assistance and peer learning opportunities with the aim of establishing tens of thousands of acres of new agroforestry plantings. Project partners are also working to strengthen markets for agroforestry products such as nuts, fruits and timber as well as livestock raised in pastures with planted trees.
“We have seen firsthand how agroforestry practices can strengthen farm economies across our region, all while benefiting local food systems and conservation outcomes,” said Hannah Hemmelgarn, associate director of the MU Center for Agroforestry and the project’s regional lead for the Lower Midwest (Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma). “Our team is looking forward to working with more producers who are ready to design and implement these systems in ways that are aligned with their interests, skills and local contexts.”
Agroforestry is used on less than 2% of U.S. farmland, but millions of acres of working lands are well-suited to support plantings. This project focuses on the near-term opportunity of helping eligible farmers put agroforestry practices to work on their lands today while building a nationwide model for large-scale adoption in the future. The result, according to project leaders, is stronger, more resilient farming operations and benefits for soil, water, wildlife and people.
“Farmers are land stewards to the core, and this project is an opportunity to recognize and support their transformative stewardship efforts.” said Graham Savio, agroforestry program manager for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Agriculture Program. “In collaboration with our partners, we want to make it easier for producers to adopt proven practices by providing the financial support, technical expertise, and market connections they need to succeed.”
About the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
Established in 1998, the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry is one of the longest-standing agroforestry institutions in North America. Recognized worldwide as a leader in agroforestry research and education, the center investigates the impacts of integrating trees with crops and/or livestock on family farm economics, state and national-level conservation goals and human health. Paired with systematic crop breeding programs for black walnut, chestnut, pecan, hazelnut and elderberry spanning nearly three decades, the center’s applied field research equips farmers with high performing cultivars that have the potential to boost farm-gate revenue. The center also educates the next generation of agroforestry leaders through the nation’s first and only comprehensive agroforestry graduate degree. Outreach programming brings the latest research findings down to earth, with annual trainings, field workshops, and a robust network of working demonstration farms in Missouri. The center’s intertwined mission of research, education and outreach works to stand up profitable and resilient new tree crop industries for family farms across the Midwest and Eastern United States. Learn more at CenterForAgroforestry.org
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