Benefits of planting trees on your land

Generate income from diversifying your farm business

Woodlands can be a useful way of generating income from unused land. Also, growing woodfuel timber on your farm is cheaper than using fossil fuels like coal and oil.

Shelter and shade for livestock

More extreme weather means providing shade and shelter for animal welfare is important. Woodland, shelter belts, and hedgerow trees can all provide shelter for livestock, increasing productivity and reducing cost.

Windbreaks to protect crops

Trees used for windbreaks can help prevent damage to crops and reduce soil erosion. Shelter belts can also protect farm buildings and prevent snow drifting onto farm tracks.

Improvement of the landscape

Planting on unproductive land can improve the landscape and its biodiversity. Woodlands hosts a large number of insects, helping pollination of nearby crops. This also increases a farm's biodiversity.

Adapting to climate change and reducing its effects

Planting trees absorbs and locks up carbon, helping to reduce your net carbon emissions. Trees also have the potential for woodfuel use. Read more about how farm woodland can help with climate change.

Amenity/sporting opportunities

Woodlands can provide good opportunities to introduce game shooting on farms. Woodlands provide shelter and a good food source for game.

Improvement of water courses

Trees can protect against soil erosion. They help prevent runoff of manure and fertiliser into water courses.

Multiple benefits

Farm woodlands bring many benefits. You can also use shelter trees for woodfuel. You can grow quality broadleaves, and lower quality timber for fencing materials and wood chips for animal bedding.