(Field, Farmstead and Community Windbreaks, Living Snow Fences, and Timberbelts)

Windbreaks are plantings of single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs in farm fields to minimize negative impacts from excessive wind. There are a variety of agroforestry practices that fit this description, for example, field windbreaks protect wind-sensitive crops, control wind erosion, provide wildlife habitat and travel corridors, and increase crop yields. Farmstead windbreaks protect farmsteads from driving wind, snow, dust, pesticide drift, and noise. Community windbreaks provide wind and snow protection and recreational opportunities for small towns and neighborhoods.

Field Windbreak Sites

Windbreaks can also function as living snow fences to capture and disperse snow more evenly across cropland and prevent drifting over roads and driveways. Shrubs used in living snow fences and windbreaks can include species that produce saleable products, such as wild plum, pussy willow, corkscrew willow, yellow twig and red osier dogwoods, hazelnuts, elderberry, chokecherry, nanking and sand cherries, and many others. All of these plants produce products in demand by the food and floral industries, providing producers with additional sources of income as well as environmental benefits.

Timberbelts are a very new and exciting technology borrowed from New Zealand. Timberbelts are multiple row windbreaks that are planted with commercially valuable trees for eventually harvest for wood products (timber and pulpwood). Timberbelts work doubly hard for the farmer, producing saleable wood products while protecting crops from wind damage and stress and increasing yields.

Contents

Next Section: Demonstration Sites: Windbreaks

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