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Episode 240. Urban Agroforestry for Dryland Environments

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About Voices from the Field

From cover crops to regenerative grazing and organic production to marketing, ATTRA - Voices from the Field is your sustainable agriculture podcast. Voices from the Field is produced by NCAT. Since 1976, NCAT has provided trusted information, individualized technical assistance, and in-depth resources to support sustainable agriculture and accessible energy solutions.

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Urban agroforestry is the intentional use of perennial trees and shrubs to improve the sustainability and resilience of urban farms and communities. In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Katherine Favor sits down with Christopher Marciello of Ecology Artisans — a regenerative landscape and design firm — to talk about urban agroforestry in dryland environments.

While urban agroforestry can take many forms, there are several design principles to keep in mind, no matter what your system looks like. These include sustainable water harvesting, soil development, habitat development, regionally appropriate plant species, and appropriately scaled food production. Chris and Katherine discuss how these design principles can be applied to create productive and regenerative urban agroforestry systems in arid areas.

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Other Resources:

Ecology Artisans

Community Food Forests

Introduction to Agroforestry

Olga Romanova and Doctor Lovell – Urban Agriculture Food Safety Considerations

Sustainable Community Food Landscapes Sharing Successes

Desert-Adapted Nurse Plants and Agaves in Climate Friendly Perennial Polycultures

Indoor and Outdoor Forest Gardens

Southwest Agroforestry Action Network

Urban Agroforestry and Its Potential Integration into City Planning Efforts

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