In the coffee-based land use systems of the East African highlands, farming systems are extremely complex and intensive. Indigenous trees are commonly preserved on or near farms for a variety of purposes. For fodder, the farm usually plants Napier or similar grasses for feeding for dairy cattle and small ruminants, which are kept largely under zero-grazing systems. The zero-grazing unit is perceived by many farmers as the hub around which the farm revolves. Supplementing these units with the agroforestry species Calliandra calothyrsus has led to better than normal live weight gains with no adverse effects.