By Blake Jackson
Cornell University's Maple Program is exploring the potential of agroforestry by integrating high-value fruit and nut crops within maple sugarbushes.
Led by Aaron Wightman ’97, the program is conducting a multi-year study at Cornell’s Arnot Forest to assess the growth and viability of species like pawpaws, juneberries, and hazelnuts alongside maple trees.
This approach aims to enhance farm efficiency and profitability by diversifying crop offerings and bolstering business resilience. The program is also developing unique products such as maple-elderberry wine and maple hazelnut spreads to support producers.
"There’s been a huge increase in demand for products that are locally grown, all natural and made with ingredients that customers recognize," Wightman noted. "We wanted to develop more products from a diversified set of crops that would stand out in the marketplace, bring people to these farms and help New York maple businesses be profitable."
New York's maple syrup production has seen significant growth, reaching 846,000 gallons in 2024. The Cornell Maple Program's research involves performance trials of 18 fruit and nut species, evaluating their growth, vigor, and susceptibility to disease.
Researchers selected plants known to thrive in shade, require minimal input, and complement maple syrup in potential products, according to maple technician Ailis Clyne ’17.
"We chose crops that should do well in these soil and climatic conditions in a Northeast forest and that are growing in popularity among more adventurous consumers," she explained.
Successful pairings include maple with native elderberry for wine, leveraging the fruit's acids and tannins, and a well-received maple hazelnut spread.
Initial results identified pawpaw, hazelnut, Cornelian cherry, and aronia berry as the best performers within the sugarbush.
Funded by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, the program has secured further funding to continue this research and explore propagation methods for other valuable forest plants.
Clyne emphasized that "agroforestry systems enable producers to grow more food with the same amount of land, and they help protect businesses against economically devastating crop failures by diversifying what’s being grown."
Wightman added that growing in forests enhances resilience to extreme weather and aids in carbon sequestration, as "droughts are moderated by leaf cover overhead and deep, rich soils that retain more moisture. Flooding is moderated because forests slow surface runoff and soil erosion." He concluded that agroforestry systems produce "very high-value nutrition" while promoting environmental sustainability.
Photo Credit: pixabay-johan1127
Categories: New York, Education