Riparian forest buffers plant trees, shrubs, and other vegetation along streams, drainage ditches, and other waterways. They filter sediment and nutrients from agricultural runoff, stabilize streambanks, shade streams, and provide wildlife habitat along farm edges. For agricultural landowners, buffers also offer an opportunity to incorporate productive species — sugar maple, hazelnut, black walnut, black chokeberry, spicebush — that generate marketable products while the buffer matures and fulfills its water quality function. Riparian forest buffers are among the most cost-effective conservation practices available for farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and are eligible for financial assistance through CREP and EQIP.

Windbreaks are linear plantings of trees and shrubs positioned to reduce wind velocity across agricultural fields, farmsteads, and livestock operations. They protect topsoil from wind erosion, reduce pesticide and herbicide drift, shelter livestock, and create habitat corridors across the landscape. Windbreaks can incorporate fruit and nut-producing species, timber trees grown for long-term value, or flowering species that support pollinators and beekeeping operations.

Alley cropping places rows of trees or shrubs at wide spacings across a field, with agricultural or horticultural crops grown in the alleys between. Tree rows can be managed for hardwood timber, veneer, nuts, or fruit while alleys support food crops, cover crops, or forage. The system produces near-term annual crop income while trees build long-term value. Alley cropping also improves soil structure, reduces erosion between rows, and reduces the risk of single-commodity market exposure.

Silvopasture integrates trees into pasture and grazing systems. Trees provide shade and wind protection for livestock, reducing heat stress and improving animal welfare. Forages planted beneath open tree canopies extend the grazing season and improve nutritional diversity. Rotational grazing is essential to prevent compaction around tree root zones. Properly designed silvopasture systems improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce runoff from grazed lands.

Forest farming is the cultivation of specialty crops beneath an existing forest canopy, using the shade and microclimate conditions the forest provides. Common forest farming products in Maryland include ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), ramps (Allium tricoccum), and shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). These species are difficult to grow in open conditions, require the overstory a mature forest provides, and command strong markets in herbal, culinary, and pharmaceutical sectors. Forest farming can be layered into a riparian forest buffer or woodland edge, generating income while the overstory trees mature.