The farmers who swapped their dairy cows for trees

Debra and Tom Willoughby said the project was a "long-term investment"

A couple have swapped their organic dairy farm for an agroforestry project - planting thousands of fruit and nut trees alongside food and fodder crops.

Debra and Tom Willoughby, from Normanton-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, found themselves sinking deeper into debt because milk prices did not meet their costs.

They have now switched to create one of the country's biggest agroforestry projects, covering 100 hectares (247 acres).

The Willoughbys have planted 11,900 trees - mostly apples for juicing, but also pears, plums, walnuts and hazelnuts.

They were able to take advantage of the locally administered Trees for Climate fund, which paid for the saplings, tree guards and planting along with ongoing maintenance.

In future the farm will be eligible for government agroforestry grants of £849 per hectare.

The grants are intended to support farmers to improve soil, water and air quality as well as to reduce flooding and contribute to the UK's net zero targets.

Volunteers helped to plant some of the trees at the farm

After starting dairy farming in 1995, the couple said the last few years had been tough, and by December 2023, they had had enough.

They started to plan their exit by planting apple trees three years ago, and said their business had since become more resilient.

Mrs Willoughby says the milk price per litre was never enough to cover their investments in the dairy.

In 2023 they were paid 45 pence per litre but calculated it would need to climb to 55 pence for them to make a living.

"When things were good, they were really good, but you'd never quite get out of debt," Mrs Willoughby explained.

"The milk price would drop, and we'd be back to having to borrow money again. And we didn't feel that we'd ever get out of it.

"We're lucky. The owner here is very supportive, so we don't have to be worried doing a long-term project like this.

"It is a long-term investment."

The couple have also grown heritage apple varieties

Agroforestry - the process of combining agriculture and trees - has many advantages, according to the Soil Association.

The charity says planting trees, shrubs and hedges on farms can give farmers healthier soil and higher yields, as well as creating vital homes for wildlife.

Meanwhile, below ground, tree roots can help reduce soil erosion, soak up flood water, and improve fertility through mycorrhizal fungus.

Farmers also benefit from growing more than one product to sell.

"At those times when there is a drought and one crop doesn't come, then you've got two crops in the field that you can harvest," added Mrs Willoughby.

Mr Willoughby said nurturing crops and livestock alongside trees was nothing new.

"In the olden days there used to be sheep and pigs underneath apple trees in traditional orchards," he said.

"Apples have been grown for centuries, and they're an important crop, but we seem to have lost that in our modern farming systems."

'You must be bonkers'

The couple said taking on the new initiative and discovering how to manage fruit trees instead of animals had been a steep learning curve.

Mr Willoughby said there had been a lot of interest from the local community, with volunteers visiting the farm to help plant many of the trees.

The couple have also been running educational visits for nearby schools and are planning family fun days.

"Learning how to determine if they're [the trees] healthy or not, and addressing their needs - [there are] a lot of transferable skills, but we've still got a lot to learn," said Mrs Willoughby.

Mr Willoughby added: "In terms of farmers, they're all saying, 'what the hell are you doing? You must be bonkers'.

"But it's all positive, and we'll see where it leads us."