The challenges to developing these systems are twofold. First, there is insufficient information on the performance of crops grown in the understory of a sugarbush. Second, the crops most likely to be well-suited to these growing conditions are specialty crops without strong connections to culinary traditions, which may leave consumers uncertain about how to use them. To address these challenges, we carried out a multiyear plant performance trial with multiple cultivars of 18 species of fruit- and nut-bearing perennial plants. We evaluated plant performance by height, width, disease, stress and damage. Crops produced by plants were also harvested and weighed. We also conducted product development trials to support use of agroforestry crops in maple sugar-themed recipes and products.
