Propagate offers 50+ crop templates spanning myriad growing zones. In developing these crop templates, our Farm Services and R&D teams compile data from a variety of sources, including internal R&D and field work, interviews with industry professionals, third party verification, and university studies.

• Internal data

  Propagate has worked with over 50 clients across 20,000 acres to design and model agroforestry systems, with projects spanning the continental US, the Caribbean, and Europe. Propagate also manages over 450 commercial acres and counting through our agroforestry hubs, which are situated in Hudson, NY and Maizeville, KY. These hubs serve as regional loci for collecting and verifying a variety of data.

  For example, time studies conducted at our regional agroforestry hubs inform our estimates of the duration and labor requirements for certain operations. These figures account for waste (e.g. tractor turnaround time, reloading, refilling, etc.), but are nevertheless built with certain assumptions regarding mechanization, scale, and labor efficiency.

  Additionally, best practices with respect to fertility, spacing, irrigation, integrated pest management, and cultural practices have been fine-tuned by our agronomists at regional agronomy hubs. Increasingly, we are working with external consultants to hone our recommendations.

• University studies

  Scholarly sources primarily inform a crop template’s yield model — data points such as target yield, % yield achieved per year, and loss events.

• Producer metrics

  In compiling a given crop template, Propagate will consult well-regarded producers of that crop, as well as industry professionals specializing in a crop. Producers are screened based on their farm’s history and longevity, profitability, and management approach.