Shelterbelts can help reduce heating and snow removal costs in addition to providing added income for farmers through the sale of timber or fruité However, the establishment and maintenance of a shelterbelt entails certain costs, in addition to reducing farmers' income through the loss of a portion of tillable acreage.

This section presents a technical leaflet that was developed for agricultural extension consultants who plan shelterbelts around hog barns. It should be used to verify, for six different shelterbelt models, if the net outcome will be profitable to the farmer and, if so, what will be the recovery timeframe.

The section also includes an electronic spreadsheet to calculate the cost of shelterbelt implementation.