Agroforestry

see SUSTAINABLE FUTURE on page 11

Inside Summer / Fall 2003

Inside 

11

GET YOUR PAWS ON

SOME PAWPAW

1ST WORLD CONGRESS

OF AGROFORESTRY

SARE PROJECTS 4-5 ACROSS THE COUNTRY

8

National

Agroforestry

Center

People are motivated to move to a moresustainable agriculture for a variety of

reasons. A survey by The New Farm magazine

indicates that the greatest single motivating

factor for a landowner to implement sustainable agricultural practices is cutting production costs, since inputs into sustainable agricultural systems are often lower than inputs

into conventional systems. The second

greatest motivating factor is concern for

family health. Other factors include, concern

about livestock health, a strong land stewardship ethic, a desire for independence, and

quality of life issues. Peer pressure may also

play a significant role in landowner’s decisions to implement certain practices or discontinue others. 

Sustainable agriculture is a growing movement that has emerged during the past two

Agroforestry: Part of a sustainable

future for agriculture

Since it was funded in 1988,

the USDA's Sustainable

Agriculture Research and

Education (SARE) program of

USDA Cooperative State

Research, Education, and

Extension Service (CSREES)has

sponsored thousands of projects

to explore and apply economically

profitable, environmentally sound,

and socially supporting farming

systems. Beginning in 1999, NAC

and US Forest Service

Cooperative Forestry began 

partnering with SARE to provide 

specific agroforestry funding

within the SARE Producer Grant

Program. These targeted funds

allow the four SARE regional

offices to solicit and fund 

proposals for agroforestry

demonstration projects. This issue

of Inside Agroforestry introduces

you to SARE and gives you some

ideas that might work for

landowners in your area. 

Derivative of American Gothic by Grant Wood, Friends of the American Art Collection

All rights reserved by The Art Institute of Chicago and VAGA, New York, NY

A gradual transition to sustainable 

agriculture minimizes profit risks.
Why SARE?

NAC Director’s Corner

A commentary on the status of agroforestry by NAC Director, Dr. Greg Ruark

2 Inside Agroforestry | Summer / Fall 2003

Agroforestry has long been recognized as a sustainable approach to

agriculture in tropical and developing countries and in the past

decade it has been gaining in acceptance in our country. However,

farmers and ranchers often need to see how a practice works on

land that is similar to theirs and with a neighbor who shares many

of the same social and economic considerations. Five years ago

NAC was looking for a better way to establish agroforestry 

demonstrations projects across the United States and to insure that

they were selected on the basis of merit. 

In 1999, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

(SARE) Program housed in the USDA Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) became our partner.

One of SARE's grant programs promotes on-farm research trials

and demonstrations. This allows new ideas that originate with

landowners and natural resource professionals to be tried, 

evaluated, and shared with others. An added benefit is that in 

addition to a technical evaluation of a practice, it is better understood how and if a new practice can fit into on-going farm operations. For the past five years, NAC (through the US Forest Service

Cooperative Forestry Program) and SARE have partnered 1:1 to

provide $100,000 annually to support Farmer Producer Grants for

63 agroforestry demonstrations in 27 states. These grants are peer

reviewed and selected by a panel of farmers and other

experts. This issue of Inside Agroforestry is devoted to sharing

our partnership experience with the SARE Program. 

Technology transfer assists in translatingresearch into on-the-ground usage of

technology. With regard to agroforestry, this

means that the USDA National Agroforestry

Center and you, a resource professional, are

the "in-between" steps. 

We believe that one of our jobs is to make

your job easier. The agroforesters on staff 

regularly attend meetings and conferences to

keep up-to-date on the latest agroforestry

news and technologies. We strive to make this

knowledge available to you and provide you

with tools to use in educating landowners. 

Please visit our web site, www.unl.edu/nac,

and let us know how we are doing. Are we

addressing the issues that are important to

you? Send comments to kstuhr@fs.fed.us.

Below are some of the products that are

available to you, free of charge:

• Working Trees brochures and displays

• Quarterly newsletter, Inside Agroforestry

• Technical note series, Agroforestry Notes

• Videos and slide shows (loan copies)

Take advantage of NAC’s products and

take part in completing the agroforestry

technology transfer cycle. Together

we can make our world more 

sustainable.

Completing 

the technology

transfer cycle

NAC and you

NAC’s Technology Transfer Staff. Top row (left - right): Jim Robinson, Greg Ruark

(NAC Director), Nancy Hammond, Bruce Wight, Mike Majeski, Gary Wells, Rich

Straight, Gary Kuhn. Bottom row (left - right): Kimberly Stuhr, Ryan Dee.
Summer / Fall 2003 |Inside Agroforestry 3

On-farm research trials involving producer collaboration with 

agricultural resource professionals have

been a component of many SARE-funded

projects since the program's inception.

Recognizing that producer interest was

growing, SARE's North Central Region

began directly funding innovative projects

from farmers and ranchers in 1992. By

1995, each SARE regional administrative

council had picked up the idea, offering

grants that typically run between $1,000

and $10,000. Producer grants are available

annually, with application deadlines

varying by region (see map above). 

Farmers, ranchers, or tribes can propose projects that examine alternative

sustainable crop and livestock systems

and marketing methods. A portion of the

Producer Grant funds target the establishment of agroforestry practices or

SARE grants: 

A brief overview

SARE project funding

Producer Grants - This is where NAC's

funding is applied. Producers apply for

funding of on-farm research or demonstration projects that typically run between $500

and $5,000. Although producers must submit

the proposal, natural resource professionals

may assist.

Research & Education Grants - Awarded

since 1988, these grants fund projects - 

generally ranging from $30,000 to $200,000 -

led by universities or nonprofit organizations

in an interdisciplinary approach.

Professional Development Program

Grants - First funded in 1994, these grants

sponsor professional development in sustainable agriculture concepts and practices, using

workshops, tours and meetings for the

Cooperative Extension Service, the Natural

Resource Conservation Service, and other

agricultural professionals. 

If you are interested in learning more

or applying for a SARE grant, visit

SARE's web site at www.sare.org.

Southern Region

includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

North Central Region

Western Region

includes American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, N. Mariana Islands

Northeast Region

Producer Grants and On-Farm

Research Grant Proposals due

December 5, 2003.

Producer Grant

proposals due in

March.

Agricultural

Professional &

Producer 

Grant proposals

due October 1,

2003.

Partnership

Grants due

December 1,

2003.

Farmer/Grower

Grants due

December 8,

2003. 

exploring novel ways of integrating trees

and shrubs into agricultural systems.

In three SARE regions a variation of

the Producer Grants have been added that

are directed at agricultural and natural

resource professionals. These grants,

Partnership Grants (Northeast), On-Farm

Research Grants (Southern) and

Agricultural Professional & Producer

Grants (Western), are coordinated and led

by agriculture professionals in close cooperation with an agriculture producer. 

According to Ken Schneider, North

Central region SARE Producer Grant

Program Coordinator, “outreach is a part

of the grant agreement. We hope that

other producers can benefit from each

project and can ultimately help them

become more sustainable. Past projects

ultimately serve as a demonstration site, a

model for other producers to get ideas.”
4 Inside Agroforestry | Summer / Fall 2003

North Central Region

www.sare.org/ncrsare/

Western Region

http://wsare.usu.edu/

Fiscal Year 1999

• Iowa. Oak Savanna restoration - diversity in a rotational grazing system

• Iowa. Crop bearing windbreak/shelterbelt project

• Minnesota. Growing various species of Angelica as a forest crop in the Midwest

• Missouri. Brambles and Sassafras agroforestry project

• Missouri. "Scoto Sand" agroforestry demonstration

• South Dakota. Improve grazing profits by marketing cedar

Fiscal Year 2000

• Michigan. Building a thermal blast peeler to prepare chestnut for on-farm, value-added processing

• Minnesota. Evaluation of Christmas tree varieties for northern Minnesota

• Missouri. Growing medicinal mushrooms on hardwood stumps and tops

• Missouri. Strategically thinning a pecan orchard and use of the by-product for sustainable management

• Ohio. Best cultivation practices for at-risk medicinal herbs

• Ohio. Increasing production in native stands of Paw Paws

• South Dakota. Kiyaska timber salvage and restoration project

Fiscal Year 2001

• Missouri. Increasing farm production by converting fenceline brush to agroforestry

• Missouri. Maximize returns on marginal ground using silvopastoral management practices with 

Chestnut trees, rare breed sheep, and guard llamas

• Iowa. Potential markets for the prairie's edge sustainable woods cooperative

• Minnesota. Marketing sustainable wood products

• Ohio. Using animals to manage pawpaw patches

• Nebraska. The establishment of nut and timber species with varying cultural methods into crop acres 

(conversion) production of a viable economy with less chemical inputs

Fiscal Year 2002

• Ohio. Agroforestry practices of ginseng and goldenseal in natural stand of hardwood forest trees

• Ohio. Research and development of a small farm maple syrup operation in Jefferson Township, 

Montgomery County, Ohio

• Kansas. Using agroforestry to winter cattle

• Minnesota. Promoting healthy maple forests

• Minnesota. Utilizing water conservation and infiltration for Black Walnut production

Fiscal Year 2003

• Minnesota. Developing a Saskatoon market in the Upper Midwest

• Missouri. Agroforestry application of non-timber forest species - nursery growers cooperative

• South Dakota. Growing native fruits of the North Central region

Fiscal Year 1999

• Guam. Evaluation and implementation of nitrogen-fixing species in hedgerow intercropping

Fiscal Year 2001

• Northern Marianas. Luta windbreak/agroforestry project

• Washington. Tilth-agroforestry niche demonstration project

Fiscal Year 2002

• Colorado. Propagation of Colorado native plants

• Washington. South Whidbey-Tilth forest restoration for sustainable wildcraft production

• Alaska. Propagation of Alaskan native plants for landscape and restoration use

• Native American agroforestry studies initiative

Fiscal Year 2003

• Hawaii. Grow your own sustainable barn

• Idaho. Ovine browsing for brush control of forested environments

• Washington. Riparian buffers: function, management, and economic implications for agriculture
Summer / Fall 2003 |Inside Agroforestry 5

Northeast Region

www.uvm.edu/~nesare/index.html

Southern Region

www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare/

Fiscal Year 1999

• Maryland. Ginseng dead-heading: determining the effects of removing seed-producing flowers 

from woods-grown ginseng

• New York. Propagation of superior, straight-growing Black Locust through agroforestry

• New York. Creating a demonstration agroforestry field

• West Virginia. Ginseng grown under Paw Paw trees making the farm profitable using agroforestry

• West Virginia. Integrated forest farming: medicinal herb cultivation, mushroom production, and 

forest restoration

• West Virginia. Making the farm profitable using agroforestry

Fiscal Year 2000

• Maine. Improving financial returns in an orchard’s life through alley cropping

• Massachusetts. Multi-purpose windbreaks for protection of vegetable crops and production of fruit 

and/or nut crops

• New York. Using straight-growing Black Locust in on-farm agroforestry production

• West Virginia. American chestnut field trials

Fiscal Year 2001

• New York. Enhancing meat goat production through controlled woodland browsing

Fiscal Year 2002

• Connecticut. Increasing small farm profits with American Chestnut production and silvopasture

• Maine. Silvopasture

• Maine. Comparing the input costs and economic returns of a planted windbreak in central Maine

• New York. Growing gourmet mushrooms on woodland wastes

• Vermont. pH and calcium requirement in woods-grown organic goldenseal (Hydrastis Scanadensis)

Fiscal Year 2003

• Maine. Broadcast planting techniques for large ginseng acreage

• New Hampshire. Reclaiming pastureland for diversified fruit/maple production.

• Massachusetts. Silvopasture in the Northeast

• Pennsylvania. Growing native ginseng for conservation and profit

Fiscal Year 1999

• North Carolina. Use of low-value hardwoods for shiitake mushroom production

• North Carolina. Oriental persimmons and paw paw: two sustainable crops for the south

• Puerto Rico. Demonstrating the benefits of agroforestry practices on family farms

Fiscal Year 2000

• Georgia. Cover crops for Christmas Trees and other orchard crops

• Kentucky. Marketing timber after adding value through the use of one-person sawmills and solar kilns

Fiscal Year 2001

• North Carolina. Ginseng production utilizing Natural Fungicides

Fiscal Year 2003

• North Carolina. Dairy goat woodland grazing project

• Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico shade grown coffee project

• Florida. Performance of various forage combinations under thinned pine canopies in North 

Florida
Agriculture Resources, an agroforestry

educational organization, and are

moving quickly through the island

extension system. More than 600 have

been distributed, with about 150 being

downloaded from www.agroforestry.net

every month. 

“Using agroforestry systems to

increase the productivity and sustainability of tropical lands will be of

increasing importance in the next century,” said Bruce Matthews, a University

of Hawaii professor. The handbooks

“will be of immense use as reference

materials to our faculty and students.”

For more information go to

www.sare.org/reporting/ and

search for project EW98-004.

how trees such as coral and monkeypod

shelter coffee, tea, pineapple, taro, and

kava from too much sun and wind.

Finally, the guides recommend native

species such as Hawaiian koa, that yield

fine timber, although it takes a few

decades to grow to maturity. 

Agroforestry Guides for the Pacific

Islands were developed by Permanent

6 Inside Agroforestry | Summer / Fall 2003

Editor’s Note: Although the focus of

this issue of Inside Agroforestry is on

SARE Producer Grants, agroforestry

projects have also been funded though

Professional Development Program

(PDP) Grants. A PDP grant, like the

Agroforestry Guides described above,

can substantially increase the spread of

agroforestry information.

I ntegrating trees into agriculturaloperations, particularly in the

Tropics, can both lower the cost of

production and generate new revenue

for farmers. SARE-funded agroforestry

experts in Hawaii created a series of

eight guides for agricultural educators

that explain how to grow valuable

timber species, plant profitable niche

crops in tree understories, and how to

design productive and effective windbreaks, among other topics. 

In 1999, Hawaiian coffee growers

earned up to $1.50 a pound; in 2001 they

were getting just .80 cents. The guides

are intended to help them and other

farmers and ranchers find new, environmentally sound ways to improve profits.

Using agroforestry systems

to increase the productivity

and sustainability of 

tropical lands will be of

increasing importance 

in the next century.

Bruce Matthews, University of Hawaii

“

”

In that vein, the manuals detail how

nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs allow

growers to reduce reliance on costly

commercial fertilizer imported from the

mainland. They explain growing

methods for alternative crops such as

ginseng and shiitake mushrooms, which

thrive in tree stands and bring a premium in the marketplace. They describe

This publication was made possible

through a Professional

Development Grant from WSARE.

Western Region: Professional Development Program Grant

Mixing trees with tropical plants offers new revenue
Summer / Fall 2003 |Inside Agroforestry 7

Hedgerow intercropping is one of therecommended agroforestry farming

systems for the Pacific islands, although very

little information exists on site-specific

implementation techniques. Mari Marutani,

Associate Professor of Horticulture for the

University of Guam (UOG) teamed up with

fellow UOG professors, two USDA NRCS

Conservationists, and two producers to

experiment with potential hedgerow species.

They experimented with seed propagation

methods, biomass and seed production evaluation, and susceptibility to and impacts on

disease movement. The end result would be

the creation of educational materials on plant

management of nitrogen-fixing trees for

hedgerow intercropping.

Hedgerows are linear plantings of trees and

shrubs planted on field borders and across

fields to protect crops from damaging winds,

which in turn increase crop yields and in some

cases crop quality. Hedgerows also create areas

of stable, permanent vegetation which help to

reduce soil erosion and contamination of surface runoff and groundwater. However,

intense storms, increasing land conversion to

agricultural production and fires have reduced

Hedgerows of Calliandra calothyrsus

and Acacia angustissima enhance

production of jackfruit (Artocarpus

heterophyllus) and create areas of

permanent vegetation to protect soil

and water resources. (Above, right)

One of eight fact sheets on nitrogenfixing trees for hedgerows. Photograph

courtesy Craig Elevitch.

Western Region

Alley cropping in Guam; hedgerows 

benefit crops and soil nitrogen

the quantity of available tree and shrub seeds

and seedlings. Consequently there is a great

need to make the most out of all available seed

from potential hedgerow species. 

In 2001 the evaluation of nitrogen-fixing

species for hedgerow intercropping project

began at three different sites with distinct soil

regimes. The first of three evaluations was to

develop a protocol of propagating seed of six

potential hedgerow species. The study is completed and the UOG College of Agriculture

and personnel from USDA-NRCS in the

Pacific Basin are currently evaluating a publication of the results. 

The second evaluation was to compare biomass production of eight hedgerow species by

taking monthly measurements of production

from November 2000 through October 2001.

Distinct differences were found between

hedgerow species. The study showed that

Leucaena leucocehphala cv. K636 had the

highest yield in alkaline soils at two locations.

In acidic soil, Flemingia macrophylla and

Gliricidia sepium produced the most biomass. 

Monthly observations at the three locations

also demonstrated distinct variations of seed

production for the eight species of nitrogenfixing trees. Not surprising, is the correlation

between seed production and soil fertility and

the plant's adaptability to a particular soil type. 

The fourth evaluation was to determine

susceptibility of the nitrogen-fixing hedgerow

species to insect and disease problems.

Although several beetles, mealy bugs and stem

diseases were found, none were deemed a

serious problem that should discourage further

use of hedgerow intercropping. 

Two products are being generated from this

SARE-funded project. The first comprises the

data from the comparison study of nitrogenfixing trees under different soil regimes. This

information was presented at an international

conference and as fact sheet for local distribution. The second product is an educational

video and pamphlets on managing nitrogenfixing trees that are being produced for distribution through secondary schools and elsewhere through Guam Cooperative Extension.

For additional information about the

project, refer to the Western Region

SARE web site: www.wsare.usu.edu
8 Inside Agroforestry | Summer / Fall 2003

Forest Farming can take many formsranging from the cultivation of ginseng

or goldenseal on the forest floor to the intentional management of native forest species

like pawpaw in the forest understory. Native

pawpaw patches grow wild in Ohio on pasture edges, in riparian zones, and on steep

banks in southern Ohio. 

In 2000, Chris Chmiel of Integration Acres

near Albany, Ohio was selected to receive a

North Central Region SARE producer grant.

Chris wanted to experiment with increasing

pawpaw fruit production in the region by utilizing the existing stands of native pawpaw.

Chris says, “One of the best advantages of

this system is that it has a relatively low start

up cost and has earlier harvest dates. If native

stands are available, they may just need to be

cleared and paid attention to.” Chris has been

a certified organic vegetable and fruit producer in this area for several years. Along with

fruits and vegetables, Chris produces other

non-timber products like shiitake and other

cultivated mushrooms, ginseng, goldenseal,

and spicebush.

As Chris began networking he discovered

that a lot of the research focused on orchardstyle fruit production which was different

than what he was attempting to do.

Eventually Chris formed a group of people

who helped with his experiments. He joined

the Pawpaw Foundation and met researchers

from Kentucky State University. He also met

a nurseryman, a GIS Specialist, and a wildlife

student who helped with grafting, mapping,

and tracking his data.

North Central Region

Increasing production in native stands of pawpaw

Once Chris was able to focus on executing

his ideas, he selected ten trees as sources for

bud or scion wood for grafting onto selected

pawpaw rootstock from a nursery, orchard, or

other pawpaw patches. Chris observed and

kept records throughout the year on growth,

pollination, fruit production, taste, weight,

color, and size. Chris explains, “I've gained a

lot of experience on tagging, collecting data

and GIS mapping systems because of this

grant. This has all helped to create a strong

foundation, and as I continue to gather information over the next few years, I hope to

include observations of soil, microclimate,

and some other relationships that may

increase fruit production.”

Next came harvest. Harvesting pawpaw

fruit is tricky business since shaking the tree

bruises the fruit and won't work if you plan to

sell fresh fruit to the public. So, Chris developed a padded pawpaw picker which made

the process easier and minimized bruising and

he's looking forward to using it during future

harvests to make it an even better tool.

As a result of the grant Chris gained a lot

of valuable information:

• Over 40 native pawpaw patches were 

cleared of brush and major competition. 

• The scattered patches have been better 

organized, mapped, and studied. 

• Improved pawpaw varieties have been 

selected and developed through scion 

wood grafts.

• The patches were seeded with shade 

tolerant forage to compete with the 

invasive vines and shrubs and keep them 

to a minimum.

• The trees have been organically fertilized 

using local farm resources.

• Chris's database, data collection, and 

mapping systems have been greatly 

advanced.

Chris held a workshop that attracted over

35 landowners from all over southern Ohio

and two County Extension agents. It was promoted by local newspapers, radio, and TV stations. The extension agents continue to distribute the brochure Chris developed, Improving

Native Pawpaw Patches. A volunteer videographer produced several promotional pieces for

the pawpaw work that Chris has done and has

turned them into a micro-documentary. Chris

continues to speak to various groups and has

been featured in several publications.

Chris' advice for others: “If you are interested in this type of pawpaw production, I'd

say a lot depends on the density of native

pawpaw stands in your area. Are there enough

native stands to make it worthwhile to cover

all the other costs associated with having a

business? Are local landowners interested in

utilizing edges and ‘waste’ areas of their

farms? It may be an unconventional way of

farming, but by utilizing resources that others

might not appreciate eliminates the cost of

land for you. But, working on other people's

land increased my transportation costs and

management duties.” 

For more information, visit Chris’

web site at www.integrationacres.com

Native pawpaw stands in Ohio could be a unique way for

landowners to diversify and increase their operation profit.
Summer / Fall 2003 | Inside Agroforestry 9

Northeast Region

Improving financial returns early in an

orchard’s life through alley cropping

Along with the Maine Organic Farmers andGardeners Association (MOFGA), Jack Kertesz,

part time tree and shrub grower near Unity, ME, coordinated this SARE grant to evaluate the benefits of managing an orchard as an alley cropping system.

Jack has an acreage but the trial took place on the

MOFGA common ground fair site. The group planted a

1.5 acre site with five rows of apple trees on 30-foot

center and in rows averaging 230 feet long. Sea

Buckthorn, a nitrogen fixing plant that produces berries of

commercial value, was planted between the apple trees.

Two sea buckthorn shrubs were also planted between

each apple tree in the rows, 10 feet from the apple trees

and 10 foot between the shrubs. Finally, the long corridors

were planted to small grains in year one and to intensively

cropped vegetables in year two. For additional protection,

Jack planted a filbert windbreak along two sides of the site

to reduce winds and direct traffic flow and vantage points.

The windbreak is planted on eight-foot centers along 600

feet of the perimeter.

Jack feels that his project “will not only help farmers to

diversify farm products but will also enable farmers to

evaluate the economics of a similar cropping system

applied elsewhere.” He believes that some of the environmental, social, and economic benefits include:

• Improved crop quality and quantity as a result of 

enhanced microclimatic conditions

• Reduced excess surface water runoff and erosion

• Improved utilization and recycling of nutrients

• Enhanced aesthetics of the farming operation

• Sequestering carbon: trees are carbon ‘sinks’ and are 

one viable solution toward protecting our air quality.

• Possible improved pest control as a result of the 

additional habitat created for beneficial micro

organisms

• Enhanced food and habitat cover for wildlife.

Results will be measured by comparing the financial

returns for this planting to orchard budgets for newly

planted orchards. Establishment and maintenance costs,

and early returns will be compared and contrasted in the

alley cropped orchard versus the conventionally planted

orchard.

For more information, look up project FNE00-

328 on SARE’s database at www.sare.org/reporting

A fruit orchard

alley cropping

system may 

generate 

additional income

earlier than a 

traditional

orchard 

management

system.
10 Inside Agroforestry | Summer / Fall 2003

Ginseng can be a very profitable non-timber forest product.However, the harvesting of wild ginseng is regulated to prevent

over harvesting. As an alternative, ginseng is frequently grown in beds

either in the forest or under shade cloth. These ginseng beds are often

planted as monocultures at a high planting density. One of the drawbacks

to this approach is the increased incidence of fungal diseases (e.g. phytophthora cactorum - causes leaf blight and root rot) that can result in

large plant losses. When commercial fungicides became available for suppressing these fungal diseases, the

intensive production of ginseng

became possible. The fungicides

reduced labor costs and increased

profits.

Robert Eidus of Eagle Feather

Farm near Marshall, North

Carolina is concerned that the ginseng grown using the commercial

fungicides has changed the end

product and is not a sustainable

practice. He is also concerned about the long-term effects of continued

use of these chemicals on the individual site and its surrounding area. The

goal of Robert's SARE producer grant was to determine the efficacy of

possible alternatives to the chemical fungicides. He was aware of prior

research that showed goldenseal is able to grow in areas that previously

produced diseased ginseng. He theorized that applying a goldenseal tea

mixture to a ginseng bed might reduce the unwanted fungal activity. Since

other farming practices use horsetail (Equisetum, spp.) which is extremely

high in silca, as an anti-fungal, Robert decided to include it in the study. 

The site for the replicated study consisted of thirty beds in three rows

on a north facing wooded slope. The site was protected by a deer fence.

Each plot was 2.5 feet by 3 feet with 3 feet by 3 feet over-spray area

between the plots. Nine hundred ginseng rootlets were planted in the fall

with 30 roots per plot arranged in five rows with six plants per row. The

following April the leaf mulch was removed, a plant count taken (674

plants survived) and replants made. The plots were then sprayed with one

of the following treatments: 1) goldenseal tea, 2) horsetail tea, 3)

micronized compost tea, 4) Oxidate (commercial fungicide), or 5) water

(as a control). Each application was scheduled to be sprayed on a weekly

cycle. During the establishment period in 2001, the study site was in a

drought.

In mid-trial, the plots were vandalized and many of the roots were

stolen. Robert would have continued the study for seven years, the usual

growing period prior to harvest. However, with only one year of data the

results were still promising. The compost tea and commercial Oxidate

kept the foliage alive a little longer than the goldenseal sprays, but were

similar. The horsetail tea spray was only marginally more effective than the

Oxidate and compost tea sprays. For more information, go to

www.sare.org/reporting/ and search for project FS01-132, or visit

the Eagle Feather Farm web site, www.ncgoldenseal.com.

Southern Region

Ginseng production 

utilizing natural fungicides

Shown above, intensively cultivated 

ginseng under tree canopy shade. Ginseng

can be a profitable agroforestry product.

”

Jeanine Davis, Extension

Specialist with North Carolina

State University, who assisted

Robert with the project, 

indicated that these initial 

results warranted further study.
Summer / Fall 2003 |Inside Agroforestry 11

Sustainable Future

continued from page one

decades. This movement continues to garner

increasing support and acceptance within

mainstream agriculture. Not only does sustainable agriculture address many environmental and social concerns, but it offers

innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers,

policy makers, and many others in the entire

food system.

Agroforestry helps to further the growth of

sustainable agriculture by assisting an agricultural production and distribution system to

optimize the management and use of on-farm

resources. While reducing the use of nonrenewable resources and purchased production inputs, agroforestry assists minimizing

adverse impacts on health, safety, wildlife,

water quality, and the environment.

Furthermore, agroforestry helps supply an

added income and it also promotes family

farms and farm communities.

Innovative and sustainable practices continue to come from the sustainable agriculture

community. While university research, better

commodity programs, and other institutional

measure are vital to underpin these efforts, the

key to the transformation to an environmentally conscious agriculture is environmentally conscious landowners.

A refereed proceedings will be published and distributed at the conference. We invite

presentations (both oral and poster) on a wide range of subjects that tie riparian areas

and buffers to water resource issues. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of riparian

areas and buffer technology will encompass presentations in these areas: 

• Hydrological, geophysical/chemical, biological processes that control and influence

riparian ecosystem and buffers development and dynamics

• Riparian and buffer functions related to both water and habitat

• Methods to assess, evaluate and predict status of riparian and buffer processes and 

functions

• Design approaches to improve or enhance desired functions of riparian systems 

and buffers

• Economic and social aspects of riparian management 

• Case studies of riparian restoration and management

Call for Papers in November, 2003. Papers due January 30, 2004. For more 

information, go to www.awra.org

1st World Congress 

of Agroforestry

Working Together for 

Sustainable Land-Use Systems

June 27 - July 2, 2004: Orlando, Florida U.S.A.

Riparian ecosystems 

and buffers: 

Multi-scale structure, 

function, and management

American Water Resources Association

Summer Specialty Conference

June 28-30, 2004

The Resort at Squaw Creek, Olympic Valley, CA

Agroforestry attained prominence in the 1970s when the scientific community realized its potential in the tropics. During the 1990s, 

industrialized countries in the temperate zone began to recognize agroforestry’s relevance to solve different environmental and economic problems

in the agricultural sector. The first ever Congress will provide a global forum

for agroforestry experts from tropical and temperate regions to compare

experiences and ideas. Participants will plan future strategies in agroforestry

research, education and training, and development.

For schedule, travel information, accommodations, financial assistance,

exhibitor information, presentation abstract submission, registration, and

Orlando area information refer to: www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/wca/
National Agroforestry Center

East Campus-UNL

Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0822

PRSRT STD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

USDA — FS

PERMIT NO G-40

October 26-29, 2003

Agroforestry Technical Session: Society of 

American Foresters. Buffalo, NY . 

www.safnet.org/convention/index.cfm

November 2-6, 2003

Annual Meetings: American Society of 

Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of

America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society

of America (SSSA). Denver, CO. 

http://www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/anmeet/

March 27, 2004

Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference. 

Keokuk, IA. Contact: Hank Stelzer, 

University of Missouri, 

stelzerH@missouri.edu

June 27 - July 02, 2004

1st World Congress of Agroforestry. 

Orlando, FL. 

http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/WCA/

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use, $300

Summer / Fall 2003 | Agroforestry Inside

Upcoming Events Editor’s Notes

All articles were adapted from SARE

Producer Grant Summary Reports.

This is a special Summer / Fall double issue

of Inside Agroforestry. The 2003-2004

Winter issue will focus on how agroforestry

creates and connects wildlife habitat. Look

for this, as well as a newly revised Working

Trees for Agriculture brochure, in your

mailbox or on our web site soon.

Inside Agroforestry is published quarterly by the 

USDA National Agroforestry Center. 

Phone: 402-437-5178; Fax: 402-437-5712.

Greg Ruark, NAC Director ext. 27

Michele Schoeneberger, FS Research Lead ext. 21

Rich Straight, FS Lead Agroforester ext. 24

Bruce Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester ext. 36

Kimberly Stuhr, TT Specialist/IA Editor ext. 13

Ryan Dee, TT Assistant ext. 14

Mike Majeski, FS Agroforester

St. Paul, MN phone: 651-649-5240

Jim Robinson, NRCS Agroforester 

Fort Worth, TX phone: 817-509-3215

Gary Kuhn, NRCS Agroforester 

Spokane, WA phone: 509-358-7946

www.unl.edu/nac

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of the Forest Service, Research & Development

(Rocky Mountain Research Station) and State & Private Forestry and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

NAC’s purpose is to accelerate the development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable land-use systems. To accomplish its mission, NAC interacts with

a national network of partners and cooperators to conduct research, develop technologies and tools, establish

demonstrations, and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.

USDA policy prohibits discrimination because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or handicapping condition. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should immediately contact the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Opinions expressed in Inside Agroforestry are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the policy of the

USDA Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Mission Rocky Mountain Research Station