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Several years ago, we took a potentially productive acre hay field and started planting trees in it.
Not along the fence line where they’d be out of the way. Not in wet areas where hay production would be poor anyway. Right in rows through the middle of ground that could be making decent hay.
Most folks in the area either have row crops, pasture, or wooded acreage. And, we don’t live on the property, so the most hands-off approach would have been to clear the red cedars and turn to hay pasture.
I knew there were going to be questions – and here’s why we planted chestnuts anyway.
The Potential Hay Field
So we have about 12 acres of field, approx 11 of which are mostly clear of trees. One field is approximately 7 acres, very clear. From the road, this 7 acre hay field looks great. Somewhat productive stand of mixed grass, two cuttings most years. A neighbor was baling about 12 tons off those 12 acres and selling it to the neighbor. I was giving the neighboring cattleman a steal of a deal on bales, but I didn’t do any work with the field, no fertilizer, no seed, nothing. It was just bale what grows on here.
But “bale what grows on here” doesn’t mean optimal.
There is about an acre on an edge of current hay field that took some clearing of cedars to make rows for the chestnuts. I thought – there has to be something more productive for this portion of the field.
Then there was the long-term question: I’m 55 years old. How much longer do I want to only give the neighbor such a good deal on hay bales – is there an alternative where I can make more money, while still allowing some baling – within my lifetime where I don’t have to wait two generations for timber?
The Alley Cropping Publication That Changed Everything
I read in a publication by the local state university about alley cropping – growing trees between hay rows. I figured this was some hobby farm thing, but curiosity got me.
What I saw was practical, not pretty. Tree rows running through hayground, about 50 feet apart. The examples the university gives show folks cutting hay in the alleys with regular equipment, just like always. The trees were maybe eight years old—not huge, but clearly established and growing.
So the idea is to get the tree rows growing, while cutting hay in the starting years. In 7-10 years, the nuts from the trees will be worth much more than the hay crop.
The math got my attention. We’re talking $4-$8 per lb of chestnuts in the Midwest (zone 6). Each tree can produce 20-50 lbs. So with a 7-acre field of 240 trees, I’m looking at about $18,000 gross on the low end per year.
Yes, using the space in the field to plant rows of chestnuts does take from future hay profit, but the gain in value dwarfs what I would get in hay.
Why chestnuts? Well, chestnuts seem to be an expanding market in the US, chestnuts are a healthy food, and they look to be profitable for the foreseeable future. Those were my main considerations. Places I’ve seen listing chestnuts for sale seem to sell out within a few weeks of harvest. Other trees could also work in this same scenario, and I will have different articles about those.
The Design (Keeping It Practical)
I spent months planning before we planted anything. The key was designing for future hay production – necessitating a 27-foot requirement for spacing between rows.
Final design:
- Tree rows spaced 40 feet apart, running east-west in this plot
- Trees planted 20 feet apart within rows – every other tree will be taken out in the future
- This gave 28-foot-wide future hay alleys (accounting for 5-6 feet on each side for tree growth)
- Kept equipment turns at the ends simple
We chose chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) seedlings and grafted cultivars in this one-acre plot.
We started with 1 acre, keeping the other 11 acres in traditional hay production to see how this works before going all-in.
Total trees (eventually): 60
Year one (2015) costs:
- Grafted cultivars (2): $30
- Weed mat and pins: $10
- Field fence for wire cages + 5ft T-posts: $180
- My out-of-pocket: $220
- Labor: One weekend, mostly digging, staking, moving brush from edges
What Actually Happened (The Real Story)
Year One (2015): Planted two chinese chestnut cultivars from Forrest Keeling. No rows were established, we just planted them on edge of area. This was harder than I expected. The trees were small, but healthy enough. We used wire cages with 5 ft t-posts to protect from deer.
Weed pressure around the trees was intense. I used weed mats, but grass still crept in around the edges. I spent more time with a string trimmer that first summer than I care to admit.
Year Two (2016): Trees started growing, finally looking like actual trees. I was seeing 1-2 feet of growth, it’s progress.
Year Three (2017): This is where the vision started to come together. We planted two more chinese chestnut cultivars from Forrest Keeling, and began the first row. We used wire cages with t-posts again.
Year Four (2018): Let the initial trees grow, watered and kept grass under control near weed mats.
Year Five (2019): We planted two more chinese chestnut cultivars from Forrest Keeling – these were AU Homestead cultivars. Now we have the first row going with four grafted trees. Once again, we used wire cages with t-posts.
Year Six (2020): We bought one # each of Peach-Kohr-Qing seed from UMCA. We also bought 40 Plantra tree tubes from Red Fern Farm in Iowa. Looking back, we probably should have bought more because the price went up the last few years. Price we paid was about $6/tube+stake.
Year Seven (2021): Majority of PKQ seeds taken by squirrels in backyard. Lesson learned.
Year Eight (2022): I built an air-pruning bed at my residence to grow seeds from April – October. We planted PKQ seedlings in October. This finished out the 60 trees in the acre area. Ended up being 6 rows. Lots of work to get brush cleared to get seedlings in. Approximately 30 of these seedlings were planted with tree tube protection. Remaining 26 were protected with wire cages.
Year Nine (2023):
Year Ten (2024): Bought one # each of Qing and Gideon seeds from UMCA. Stratified over winter in refrigerator.
Year Eleven (2025): Put Qing and Gideon seeds in air pruning bed. Grew from April-October. Heeled these in for spring planting. Bought one # each of Qing, Payne, and AU Cropper seed from UMCA – stratifying now in refrigerator
Most of the trees are putting on growth. Conservative harvest estimates suggest I’ll have $4500-$5500 in chestnut value in 10-15 years. A few of the grafted chestnuts have started producing nuts, and the rest should be within the next 2-4 years.
What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting
Invest in good tree tubes (or wire cages) from the start. I went with wire cages on some of my trees and Plantra tree tubes on the others. The Plantra tubes are still in good condition throughout 100 degree summer days and below 0 winter days. The grafted trees grew well in the wire cages, but it seems some of the seedlings aren’t growing as fast in the wire cages, possibly because of exposure to the harsher environment. We haven’t decided on which option we’re going with when we plant out larger fields. One thing is for sure though – we will have them protected!
Weed control is a multi-year commitment. Even with weed mat, I spent significant time managing vegetation around young trees. If I did it again, I’d use deeper mulch layers or consider weed barrier landscape fabric that is thicker. Herbicide is also a good option, assuming you take caution around your young seedlings.
Document everything with photos and notes. I wish I’d taken more photos during establishment and kept better records of growth rates. It’s useful for planning future expansions and honestly, it’s satisfying to look back and see how far they’ve come. I know this is sometimes tough when you just want to get cracking at the daily tasks, but it does help with record-keeping.
Join the local agroforestry network early. I waited a few years before connecting with other farmers doing this work. I could’ve avoided several mistakes if I’d talked to them sooner. Good places to do this are nut growers groups and university extensions.
The Financial Reality Check
Investment over initial 11 years: trees, seed, weedmats, wire cage approx. $1000
Ongoing maintenance (trimming, fuel, time): ~$200/year = $2,200 over 11 years
Total cost: ~$3200
Expected chestnut income unknown, but conservative estimate is 20#/tree * 60 trees * $4/# = $4800/year
Even on the conservative end, I’m looking at recouping that initial investment over and over, every single year, while still generating annual hay income the entire time. And I’ve improved my land’s long-term value, reduced erosion, and created wildlife habitat.
Compare that to potential benefit of straight hay production with no income growth potential, and I figured I’d make a go of it.
Want to try alley cropping in your hay field? Start small, plan carefully, and don’t expect quick results. But if you’re thinking long-term and want to build equity while still producing hay, it’s worth considering.
Have questions about alley cropping setup or tree species selection? Drop a comment below—I’m happy to share what I’ve learned (including more mistakes I’ve made).
Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use or would use on my own farm. Read my full disclosure policy.