In this video is a beautiful and simple example of agroforestry’s mutually beneficial closed loops in action: black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).

Black locust is grown in pasture to create a managed savanna known as silvopasture, one of 5 common agroforestry techniques.

Black locust has a few roles in the silvopasture system. It is part of the fabric of holistic grazing, wherein herds of large mammals rotate around partitioned areas, intensively grazing on each then moving on to let it regenerate growing more soil each time. To manage livestock, many fence posts are needed, and what better wood for fence posts than black locust?

Black locust is rot resistent and can grow quickly (3-4 ft/yr in NY). Its density and rot resistance makes it an excellent material for firewood or weatherproof construction including fence posts. While it grows it fixes nitrogen from air into plant-usable form in soil; it offers leaves with similar nutritional value as alfalfa for animals; it offers honeybees and humans sweet flowers; and it offers many other co-benefits of trees.

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