Riparian Forest Buffers at Alexandre Family Farm
- The California Agroforestry Network
- May 21
- 1 min read
In this video we visit Alexandre Family Farm in Crescent City, California, to learn about how they're using riparian forest buffers along their waterways to enhance their dairy operation and provide habitat for wildlife.
Alexandre Family Farm is a large-scale dairy farm that operates more than 9,000 acres across Del Norte County and that produces branded dairy products distributed nationwide. Beginning in the early 2000s, the farm restored approximately one mile of seasonal creek habitat by fencing cattle out of sensitive stream corridors and planting native trees. Now more than 20 years after being established, these riparian forest buffers provide shade to regulate water temperature for fish, improve bank stability, and help suppress invasive vegetation such as Himalayan blackberry, while also enhancing wildlife habitat and overall landscape function.
Watch the full virtual case study at www.calagroforestry.org
Learn more about Alexandre Family Farm at alexandrefamilyfarm.com.
0:00 Introduction
1:00 Why Plant a Riparian Buffer?
3:03 Flash Grazing
5:20 Benefits of Riparian Buffers
6:55 Our Mission
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number G239-24-WA512 through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number SPOY246745. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.