Lancaster, PA: RegenAll recently supported a Lancaster County farmer in installing a silvopasture project that will improve the health of the farm’s dairy cows, land, and future prosperity.
Thanks to a $7,000 grant from RegenAll’s Community Climate Fund, Benuel E. Beiler was able to plant 130 trees across seven acres of his organic dairy farm. The trees will provide a wide range of benefits. Fruit and nut trees, including persimmons, mulberries, hickories, and chestnuts, will offer tree crops for retail sale and home use. Honey locust trees drop edible pods for the cattle during the winter months. Fast-growing trees, such as black locusts, will provide shade over the pasture, which improves the cows’ physical well-being and ultimately leads to higher milk output. With increased milk production, the farm can also expect to see an increase in revenue.
“In an uncertain federal funding landscape, local dollars from the Community Climate Fund catalyze projects that build a resilient future for Lancaster County.”
Silvopasture, the practice of integrating trees, livestock, and foraging on the same land, is a natural climate solution. The trees help sequester carbon and offset the emissions associated with livestock farming, and they improve soil and water quality by reducing erosion and enhancing water infiltration.
These benefits are why RegenAll has dedicated a portion of its Community Climate Fund (CCF) to local silvopasture projects. The CCF supports resilience-building initiatives that address the intersectional wellbeing of human communities, ecosystems, and the climate. On April 8th, our partners at Trees for Graziers, a Lancaster-based agroforestry organization, planted acres of saplings across the Beiler farm, rooting the CCF into our local families and land.
“This tree planting is a really important project because it has so many benefits – for carbon sequestration and water quality, for the health of livestock, and for the financial sustainability of small, local farms,” said Andrew Pauls-Thomas, RegenAll’s Director of Energy Solutions. “In an uncertain federal funding landscape, local dollars from the Community Climate Fund catalyze projects that build a resilient future for Lancaster County.”
Trees for Graziers
Media Contact:
Kaila Young
Director of Communications & Development
kaila@regenall.org
Photography by Christian Hinojosa, RegenAll’s Program Manager of Lancaster
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About RegenAll
RegenAll is a Lancaster-based nonprofit committed to identifying and implementing local climate solutions for a thriving, regenerative future. RegenAll’s vision is to create scalable models for meaningful climate action across rural and urban communities that regenerate ecosystems and create economic opportunities for all. Learn more at regenall.org.
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