Research Brief: A growing network is supporting agroforestry across the U.S.

New research from the Mizzou Center for Agroforestry provides a snapshot of the organizations advancing agroforestry nationwide and identifies opportunities to strengthen the networks supporting innovative farmers.

An interactive U.S. map depicting the geographical scope of agroforestry organizations surveyed in Romanova et al., 2026 (fig. 3).

More organizations are working in agroforestry than ever before in the U.S. Since 2014, approximately four to six organizations have become newly involved in agroforestry each year.

To better understand this growing network, Mizzou Agroforestry researchers surveyed organizations across the country about their work, partnerships, funding and challenges. The results highlight a diverse and expanding community supporting agroforestry while pointing to continued needs for funding, collaboration, market development and public awareness.

Why it matters

Farmers and landowners interested in agroforestry need more than information about how to plant trees. They also rely on networks of organizations that provide technical assistance, education, research, markets, funding and connections with other practitioners.

Previous research has shown that access to information and peer support can significantly influence a land manager’s willingness to adopt agroforestry practices. Understanding which organizations provide these resources — and where gaps remain — can help the agroforestry community work together more effectively as interest in these practices grows nationwide.

What researchers studied

Researchers identified 155 organizations through professional networks and open-data searches and invited them to participate in a survey. Seventy-eight responded, with 71 indicating a focus on agroforestry.

Nonprofit organizations represented the largest share of respondents (45%), followed by universities (24%) and for-profit organizations (13%). Government agencies, philanthropic organizations, individual farms and nurseries were not a focus of the survey.

Because the study did not capture every organization working in agroforestry, its findings provide a snapshot of the organizational landscape rather than a comprehensive inventory.

What they found

Organizations surveyed reported serving communities across 30 states, with the greatest concentrations in the Midwest and Northeast. Iowa, Wisconsin and New York had the highest concentrations among the survey respondents, followed by Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey.

The scale of their work varied considerably: 11 organizations reported working nationally, while 31 had a regional focus, 21 focused primarily within a state and eight worked at the community level.

These results suggest opportunities to continue building organizational capacity in regions that may currently have fewer agroforestry resources.

Organizations reported working across a wide range of activities, including informal education, network and community building, alternative income opportunities for farmers and landowners, demonstration farms, technical assistance, communications and research.

Silvopasture and alley cropping were the most common agroforestry practices represented. Seventy-five percent of respondents reported working with silvopasture and 71% with alley cropping. Silvopasture was particularly prominent among nonprofits and universities, while alley cropping and forest farming were priorities among participating for-profit organizations, cooperatives and coalitions.

Respondents frequently identified the Savanna Institute, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mizzou Center for Agroforestry, USDA National Agroforestry Center and Virginia Tech as partners.

Together, organizations participating in the survey reported employing 776 people, including 621 full-time and 155 part-time employees. Nonprofits represented the largest source of agroforestry employment within the survey sample.

The study investigators are employed by the Mizzou Center for Agroforestry. The Center’s connection to the survey may have influenced how frequently respondents identified it as a partner.

Federal funding was both the most commonly reported source of support and one of the greatest challenges facing organizations.

USDA grants were the most common funding source, reported by 61% of respondents. Organizations also relied on state funding (47%), foundations (44%), other federal funding (33%) and individual donations (30%).

Organizations varied widely in how central agroforestry was to their overall work. Slightly more than half reported dedicating less than 20% of their overall budgets to agroforestry, while 40% reported directing more than 60% of their budgets to agroforestry.

When asked what would most benefit their work, respondents identified:

Limited funding was also the most frequently reported barrier to expanding agroforestry work, identified by 90% of respondents. Insufficient staffing capacity followed at 61%, along with market challenges for agroforestry products (46%) and limited public awareness or support (30%).

What this means for agroforestry

The study shows that the infrastructure supporting agroforestry extends well beyond any single university, nonprofit, agency or farmer network. Organizations across the country are providing education, technical assistance, research, community building and other resources that can help farmers and landowners put agroforestry into practice.

But the findings also point to opportunities to strengthen that infrastructure.

More diverse funding could increase organizational resilience. Federal grants are an important resource for many organizations, but respondents also identified funding as their greatest constraint. Expanding relationships with foundations, individual donors, investors and other funding partners could help organizations build more durable programs.

Stronger connections could extend existing expertise. Respondents expressed a strong desire for greater collaboration and networking. Connecting organizations across regions and sectors could help share knowledge, reduce duplication and make existing resources easier for farmers and landowners to access.

Market development needs to grow alongside technical assistance. More than half of respondents identified market development as an important opportunity, while nearly half identified markets as a barrier. Helping farmers establish agroforestry systems is only part of the equation; viable markets for fruits, nuts, timber, livestock and other agroforestry products are also important to long-term adoption.

Organizations outside the traditional agroforestry community could help expand its reach. Grower associations and agricultural cooperatives may provide an important pathway for connecting agroforestry with farmers who do not currently participate in agroforestry-specific networks. The U.S. has more than 1,600 agricultural cooperatives, including organizations serving fruit and vegetable, livestock and nut producers. Partnerships with these existing networks could connect more farmers with agroforestry education and technical assistance.

What’s next?

The research also makes clear that there is more to learn. Survey respondents identified another 80 agroforestry organizations that were not included in the original survey. Government agencies, private foundations, investors and other important participants were also outside the study’s primary scope.

Future research that includes these groups could provide a more complete picture of the people and organizations supporting agroforestry across the country — and help identify where additional investment, partnerships and services could have the greatest impact.

In the meantime, agroforestry organizations are already developing new ways to connect across regions and sectors. Members of the agroforestry community can engage through efforts including the Agroforestry Regional Knowledge Exchange Network (ARKx), The Agroforestry Coalition and the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA).

Read the research

Romanova, O., Gold, M., Stubblefield, K., Hemmelgarn, H. (2026). A snapshot of the current agroforestry organizational landscape in the United States focused on non-profit and university-based institutions. Agroforestry Systems, 100, 228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-026-01600-w

HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF AGROFORESTRY

Meet Dr. Hannah Hemmelgarn!

Dr. Hemmelgarn leads our network analysis and participatory research programs. You can read more about her work in her faculty Q&A.

Interested in collaborating on future projects? Contact Dr. Hemmelgarn at hemmelgarnh@missouri.edu.