Agroforestry From A State Forester’s Point of View

by William Farris, State Forester
Towa Department of Natural Resources
Des Moines, Iowa

Agroforestry is forestry in Iowa. Iowa
like many midwestern states, is primarily
agricultural. When you think of Iowa, and
other agricultural states, you think of
corn, soybeans, hogs, and cattle. Most
people don’t think about trees and forests.
With agriculture so dominant, the grow-
ing of trees and forests must be blended
with and integrated into agricultural pro-
duction.

Agroforestry has been practiced since
settlement of our country. It may not have
been called agroforestry but the practices
certainly meet the definition of what we
now call agroforestry. The first plantings
were for farmstead windbreaks, orchards

for food, woodlots for a source of fuel and
raw material for building and they were
blended into farming/ranching operations.
These practices are as important to agri-
cultural operations today as they were 150
years ago, maybe more so.

We have added to our repertoire of
practices that are being used to address
economic, environmental and social
needs. Agroforestry practices such as
riparian buffers, streambank bioengineer-
ing, alley cropping, energy plantations,
specialty tree and forest crop systems are
becoming more and more common and
assist farmers and ranchers develop sus-
tainable agricultural systems.

Trees May Offer New Social Benefits

Scientists at the University of Illinois have reported findings that may place
urban trees even higher on the pedestal of social importance. Drs. William Sullivan
and Frances Kuo have reported preliminary findings to the national Urban and
Community Forestry Advisory Council that suggest powerful new arguments on
behalf of planting trees in urban areas.

The study took place at public housing areas in Chicago. Buildings with virtu-
ally identical architecture and social status of residents were used in the study, with
the exception that some of the buildings had nearby trees, grass, and perhaps a
small garden. The others were surrounded by “urban deserts” of concrete.

Using questionaires and hour-long interviews with 300 residents of the lower
floors of the apartment buildings, the scientists found some remarkable psychologi-
cal differences between people in the two kinds of buildings. Where there were
trees and “accessible nature,” residents reported stronger ties and better relations
with their neighbors than did individuals in the more barren housing areas.
Individuals near pockets of trees also felt safer and liked living in the apartments
more than people in the other study group. Perhaps more importantly, the residents
near trees had less violence in their homes. They were said to be more likely to use
reasoning to overcome conflict with a child and less likely to engage in violence
against their partners.

How can trees make such a difference? After observing use patterns of outdoor
common spaces near the buildings, Kuo and Sullivan theorized that places with
trees provide settings in which relationships grow stronger. This, in turn, reduces
frustrations by offering means of support via friends and, therefore, alternatives to
violence. The scientists also pointed out that symptoms found in the non-tree study
group can be termed “mental fatigue,” which can be chronic and severe in people
coping with poverty and a difficult environment. If trees and a bit of nature can
help reduce mental fatigue, individuals are likely to be more “future oriented,” less
irritable, more likely to generate creative solutions to problems, and more likely to
try working their way out of poverty.

More research is planned to attempt confirming the positive results from this
study. If substantiated, the findings that trees help reduce domestic violence and
fight endless poverty will offer another strong argument for supporting urban
forestry programs.

Source: Adapted from Arbor Day, May/lune, 1995

The establishment of riparian buffer
strips is one agroforestry practice that has
great potential for agriculture. Research
on the design and placement of multi-
species riparian buffer strips by the lowa
State University Agroforestry Research
Team shows the effectiveness of this
practice in reducing sediment, fertilizer
and pesticides entering water courses.
Riparian buffer strips have been designat-
ed as a high priority practice by lowa’s
Forest Stewardship Coordinating
Committee. Stewardship Incentives
money has been set aside to establish at
least one riparian buffer strip in each of
Jowa’s 12 forestry districts within the next
year. We hope to use these plantings as
demonstrations to educate other landown-
ers on their effectiveness for environmen-
tal as well as wildlife benefits. The ripari-
an buffer strip effort is gaining interest on
a national scale to help improve our env-
iornment.

Our urban areas can also take advan-
tage of the many benefits of agroforestry
practices. Wastewater and sludge disposal
is one area that is currently being studied
at Ames, Iowa. Community windbreaks
are also being utilized to control snow,
wind and dust at the Woodward State
Hospital in central Iowa and to protect
entire rural communities. Adapting agro-
forestry technologies for use in communi-
ties is showing great promise throughout
the United States.

Towa’s Rural Development Through
Forestry Program (RDTF) was developed
to increase rural economic activity
through the wise use of all forest
resources including water, wildlife, recre-
ation, scenic beauty and wood products.
Projects funded through this program
have been in the areas of recreation and
tourism; specialty forest products; forestry
assistance (consultants and vendors); for-
est products related business startup;
aquaculture; and wood waste utilization
and marketing. Agroforestry principles
and practices are essential to the success
of this program. Many states are utilizing
agroforestry practices to protect our pre-
cious natural resources. The future for
agroforestry looks bright and the rewards
will be many.

Inside Agroforestry 5


(Adoption from page 3-_—_—_—-—-—-

“For natural resource
conservation advocates,
it seems incumbent on us
to further explore, develop,
and pursue agroforestry solutions
that make good business sense,
help conserve natural resources,
improve species diversity,
and maintain the long-term
viability of agricultural
production and ecosystems.”
——Thomas Christensen

nology transfer and training set the stage
for carefully crafted, well-defined part-
nerships to flourish. Effective agro-
forestry partnerships will require that we
first come to the table and through a
deliberate, open process define our mutu-
al goals, delineate what we have to offer,
and decide who will provide what, when,
where, and how.

(Science from page 9) ——~. —-- —

systems need to be integrated into water-
shed and landscape systems.
Bio-physical ions. We need to
better understand and document the bio-
physical interactions that are generated or
enhanced when trees are introduced into
agricultural ecosystems. These include
microclimate moderation, habitat for nat-
ural enemies of crop pests, habitat and
corridors for wildlife, agricultural
pathosystem fluxes, soil retention and
quality, reducing runoff, and filtering of
contaminants in runoff water.
Socio-economic Interactions. We
need to evaluate the economic and social
dimensions of integrated systems, espe-
cially in relation to the needs of small
family farms. More emphasis must be
placed on products derived from agro-
forestry systems and their potential value.
As with any new product or small busi-
ness enterprise, a full analysis of the eco-
nomic and social impacts, infrastructure
required, and development of guidelines
are needed to facilitate adoption. Related
to this is the need for risk analysis, valua-
tion of non-product benefits, and policy
analysis to identify barriers to adoption.
Case Studies and On-Farm Research.

As an element of our partnership con-
tribution in Illinois, I recently have estab-
lished an NRCS Agroforester position to
provide technical guidance, support, and
the impetus for a more concerted
approach toward agroforestry. During the
coming year, NRCS in Illinois will be
seeking the formation of a coalition
designed to help landowners establish
more working trees in agricultural set-
tings — trees to help them enhance their
natural resources while sustaining their
agricultural production and profitability.
Based on my experiences, this coalition
can do the following: improve coordina-
tion of both public and private sector
assistance to maximize limited staffing
and incentives; increase landowner
awareness of the benefits of agroforestry
(including its economic dimensions);
increase agency/ organization/private sec-
tor recognition of agroforestry benefits;
bridge the gap between the developers of
technology and the end user — the
landowner; increase the use of pilot and
demonstration projects to improve

Case studies are needed to evaluate alter-
native integrated systems and predict what
their outputs would be. On-farm

research is needed to adapt technologies
to local conditions and validate the pre-
dicted outputs.

Plant Materials. There is an ongoing
need for development of multi-purpose
trees and shrubs that are well adapted to
the site and suited to the intended purpose.

System-level functions. We need to
understand the role and function of agro-
forestry practices in the watershed to max-
imize environmental benefits at minimal
cost. This addresses the National Research
Council’s recommendation for
more emphasis on “field and landscape
buffer zones”. System-level benefits are
the result of the bio-physical interactions
discussed above. We know that agro-
forestry is key to creating buffer zones
that provide these functions, but we need
to determine where the practices should
be located, how they should be combined
with other key technologies like construct-
ed wetlands and bioengineering, and what
the extent and value of these functions are.

i Application Support

Tools. Because system-level diagnosis

Jandowner adoption; and, furnish training
to landowners and technical assistance
providers to improve their skills in the
planning and installation of agroforestry
practices.

For natural resource conservation
advocates, it seems incumbent on us to
further explore, develop, and pursue agro-
forestry solutions that make good busi-
ness sense, help conserve natural
resources, improve species diversity, and
maintain the long-term viability of agri-
cultural production and ecosystems.
Using a partnership approach, we must
pursue further research, demonstrations,
and pilot projects to clearly articulate and
market the economic and conservation
benefits of agroforestry if we are to suc-
ceed. The efficient, economic production
of agricultural commodities must contin-
ue, bet we must collectively work to cre-
ate more resilient, diverse ecosystems.
Agroforestry success stories have demon-
strated that efficient, profitable, agricul-
tural production and working trees are not
mutually exclusive.

and applications are inherently difficult to
understand, computer-based decision and
application support tools are needed to
facilitate planning and technical assis-
tance. These models would allow the eval-
uation of different options by comparing
their predicted outcomes, and will be a big
help in whole farm planning and water-
shed analysis approaches.

Meeting the Challenge

Researchers have a choice: they can
change the research questions to fit their
disciplines, or they can override discipli-
nary boundaries to deal with problems.
as they occur in the outside world. The
first approach is easier, but it is not what
applied sciences are supposed to do. If we
take seriously the responsibility that
comes with accepting society’s support of
research to solve agricultural problems,
then the problems must dictate the struc-
ture of research, not the other way around.

Agroforestry is well on its way to
becoming a specialized science, and is
exciting because of its multidisciplinary
mix. The advances in agroforestry science
in this decade are impressive, but there is
still a long way to go.

10 Inside Agroforestry


Windbreak
Evaluation
Software Available

Researcher Jim Brandle at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln and John
Kort from the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre in
Saskatchewan, Canada have released a
new version of their Windbreak
Evaluation software, WBECON.

For those of you who already have
the program, Jim and John have
released a new Version, that corrects
an error. To receive the new version
follow instrucions at the end of this
article.

The program evaluates field wind-
break plantings for any rectangular
shaped field with dimensions greater than
500’ by 500”. It allows the user to select
from a number of windbreak tree species
and designs for local growing conditions.
The program considers 27 common crops
and allows additional crops to be added.
It considers all input costs such as estab-
lishment and maintenance, crop produc-
tion, land, and interest. Crop production
benefits are assumed to begin in the fifth
year after planting and are phased in as
the trees mature. Results of the analysis
include the annual economic return, the
total return on investment, and a net pre-
sent value based on the life of the wind-
break investment. Results can be viewed
on the screen or printed.

The program is designed primarily for
use by consultants, extension agents, or
other professionals and can be used by
producers too. The initialization portion
of the program allows the user to cus-
tomize the analysis program to fit their
conditions, making it usable almost
anhwhere in the United States and
Canada.

Copies of the program are available
by sending one 5 1/2 or 3 1/2 inch for-
matted, double-sided, high-density disk,
and a computer disk mailing envelope to
Dr. Jim Brandle, UNL, Department of
Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, 101
Plant Industry, Lincoln, NE 68583-0814
or to John Kort, Shelterbelt Centre,
PFRA, Indian Head, Saskatchewan,
Canada SOG 2K0.

i

In-Field Demonstration Projects — A Valuable

Technology Transfer Tool

If you’ re looking for an effective way
to encourage landowners to adopt agro-
forestry technologies, an in-field agro-
forestry demonstration project is what
you need. In-field agroforestry demon-
stration projects are excellent teaching
tools that: 1) promote the use of appropri-
ate technology to address a problem; 2)
show proper design, installation, and
maintenance techniques; 3) are located on
a highly visible site and are easily acces-
sible; 4) are maintained and utilized as an
outdoor classroom; 5) have an adequate
supply of printed educational materials
available for distribution; and 6) have
signs installed to describe the project and
mention partners involved.

Demonstration plantings are a valu-
able technology transfer tool because
they create a living example for people to
see and touch, making it easier for them
to understand and accept the technology.
Hosting tours of the demonstration site is
an excellent method to convey technolo-
gy concepts and design rational to visi-
tors. Ultimately, the demonstration serves
as an example of appropriate technology
for people to follow and apply on other
landscapes.

Windbreaks around and through irrigated fields can reduce evaporation losses from sprin-

Mattawa, Washington is home to a
new in-field agroforestry demonstration
project. The project is located on state-
owned, high-value cropland. It will serve
as an example of how windbreaks protect
crops from wind erosion, thus reducing
the volume of wind-borne soil particles
that degrades air quality. The Washington
State Department of Natural Resources
and Natural Resources Conservation
Service are working together to introduce
windbreak technologies to this region of
the country and demonstrate the cost
effectiveness of properly designed wind-
breaks. This planting will demonstrate
how windbreaks can be designed around
fields with center pivot irrigation systems,
and establishment techniques (drip irriga-
tion and weed control) necessary to
ensure the trees and shrubs will survive
and grow. In addition to being highly vis-
ible, the site will be utilized as a show-
case by both agencies, and receive the
attention of the local media to promote its
existance. If you would like to know
more about this demonstration project
contact: Milt Johnston, Washington DNR
Southeaset Region, in Ellensburg,
Washington at 509-925-6131.

klers and improve water-use efficiency. Windbreaks can also reduce damage to seedlings

from wind blown soil and improve crop yields.

Inside Agroforestry 7


(Evolving from page 1) ~

The National Agroforestry Center
serves the needs of agroforestry
through building awareness,
involving stakeholders,
acting as a clearinghouse,
developing concepts
and principles,
and leveraging resources.
The Center works in concert
with a national network of
cooperators to research new ideas,
transfer known technology,
and apply agroforestry

practices locally.

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
On October 1, 1995, the Center began
service as an “Agroforestry Institute” for
both agencies to more efficiently and
effectively serve natural resource profes-
sionals across the United States.
“Through the National Agroforestry
Center, NRCS is working closely with the
Forest Service to expand both agencies’
outreach and effectiveness,” said Paul
Johnson, NRCS Chief, in a recent article
in the Journal of Forestry. While the
roles of the USDA Forest Service and the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service differ in significant ways, the
agencies share a common interest in
encouraging the ecologically sound stew-
ardship of the Nation’s natural resources.
The National Agroforestry Center is a
pioneering program to accelerate the
development and application of agro-
forestry, a science and practice that inte-
grates agriculture and forestry land uses
to create more sustainable systems. The
partnership combines resources of the
two agencies to develop and apply agro-
forestry technologies in appropriate con-
servation and/or production systems for
farms, ranches, and communities. The
partnership is open-ended and NAC is
seeking the participation of other agen-
cies and institutions as active partners.
The National Agroforestry Center

6 Inside Agroforestry

serves the needs of agroforestry through |
building awareness, involving stakehold-
ers, acting as a clearinghouse, developing
concepts and principles, and leveraging |
resources. The Center works in concert DC
with a national network of cooperators to
research new ideas, transfer known tech- |
nology, and apply agroforestry practices
locally. The primary clients of the Center
are technical assistance providers who
help landowners with natural resource
conservation planning. The Technology
Transfer and Applications arm of the
Center also develops and distributes agro-
forestry technical information including a
quarterly newsletter, how-to technical
notes, training workshops, and technical
support to special field projects.

To help serve our clients more effec-
tively, our Technology Transfer and
Applications group has designated an ini-
tial contact person for each region of the
country (see map and legend). The initial
contact person will assist you in locating
the information you need which may
mean referring you to someone else in the
Center or agroforestry network who has
the needed expertise. We value your inter-
est and support of agroforestry and strive
to provide information, tools, and options
to enable you and your clients to make
wise land stewardship decisions.

West — Gary Kuhn, Seattle, WA 206-
616-7166

Northern Plains — Jerry Bratton,
Lincoln, NE 402-437-5178, ext. 24 |
Midwest — Bruce Wight, Lincoln, NE
402-437-5178, ext. 36

Southeast — Jim Robinson, Fort worth,
TX 817-334-5282, ext. 3624
Northeast — Bruce Wight, Lincoln, NE
402-437-5178, ext. 36

Stakeholders
Wail Held in

Stakeholders and agency staff inter-
ested in agroforestry met in Washington,
DC in late March to review current
efforts, provide input to improve program
delivery, and set the future direction of
agroforestry.

Attending were representatives of the
USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service, USDA Farm
Services Agency, Environmental
Protection Agency, Association for
Temperate Agroforestry, Biomass Energy
Alliance, National Tree Trust, Renewable
Natural Resources Foundation, and the
Wildlife Habitat Council.

Participants discussed what agro-
forestry is and the key issues addressed

; by agroforestry. They also had a “vision-

ing” session where they discussed the
desired future condition for agroforestry
in agriculture and community systems.
Finally, the group discussed how to
achieve the desired future conditions,
including how to overcome the chal-
lenges and barriers to agroforestry.
Merging agriculture and forestry cre-
ates tremendous opportunities to benefit
landowners and the environment. Themes
that emerged from the workshop were

_ linkage to the USDA sustainable develop-

ment initiative (which is connecting sus-
tainable agriculture, forestry, and commu-
nities); the need to make appropriate
agroforestry practices available for all the
different regions of the country; the
necessity for local involvement, support,
and collaboration to advance agro-
forestry; and the need for more economic

| information about various agroforestry

systems.
“This workshop was only the first step

' to meet with our stakeholders,” says the

National Agroforestry Center’s Bruce
Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester, “we
want to hear ideas and concerns from

everyone who has an interest in agro-

forestry.”



Science in Agroforestry

by Bill Rietveld, Program Manager, National Agroforestry Center
and Gene Garrett, Professor, University of Missouri, Columbia

Agroforestry is the integration of
agriculture and forestry to create more
productive, profitable, and sustainable
systems. There are two key principles in
agroforestry:

Integration. Through integration, we
increase the number of simultaneous
crops by more efficiently utilizing soil,
growing space, growing season, and
growth factors (light, water, temperature,
nutrients).

Interactions. More diverse, integrated
systems generate many beneficial bio-
physical and socio-economic interactions
that are not obtained from monocultures.

If these principles are used success-
fully, the results are increased productivi-
ty, profitability, and sustainability of the
overall system.

An Integrated Science

Our present paradigm is based on the
traditional segregation of land uses in
the United States, i.e., agriculture or
forestry. We have developed an extensive
institutional infrastructure to address
research problems within similar discipli-
nary boundaries. When research prob-
lems transcend disciplinary boundaries,
or individual disciplines have failed to
answer specific questions, we use an
interdisciplinary approach synthesized
from several disciplinary viewpoints.
When this need is pervasive, a new inte-
grated discipline emerges.

An integrative, synthetic approach is
also needed to address system-level ques-
tions, where system properties, functions,
and processes need to be understood and
optimized. A traditional “reductionist”
approach (dividing complex phenomena
into simpler components) is not appropri-
ate for studying systems, because the
whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Agroforestry matches both situations.
It is inherently interdisciplinary since
it is the integration of trees with crops
and/or livestock. And the agroforestry
component generates key ecosystem
processes important to sustainability.
Agroforestry science requires the com-
bined application of forestry, agronomy,
ecology, soil science, tree genetics, ani-
mal science, watershed science, and other

Alley cropping is growing an agricultural
crop simultaneously with a long-term tree
crop.

applied fields. When this fusion occurs,
and agroforestry is a recognized science,
what an exciting one it will be!

Scales of Agroforestry Science
There are two primary scales of agro-
forestry science: 1) Within an agro-
forestry system. We need to combine
trees with crops and/or livestock in a way
that maximizes complementary effects
and minimizes competitive effects.
Within an optimized system there would
be minimal competition for growing
space, light, water, and nutrients, so two
or more crops can effectively be grown at
once. Such multi-story systems moderate
the microclimate, allowing the production
of a variety of high-value sensitive crops.

2) Within the landscape. The integra-
tion of agroforestry systems within the
landscape provides many ecosystem-level
benefits from the bio-physical and socio-
economic interactions that trees generate.
Properly designed and located agro-
forestry practices provide buffer zones,
moderate microclimates, provide habitat
for natural pest controls, provide habitat
and corridors for wildlife, hold soil in
place, reduce runoff, and filter out conta-
minants. The system-level benefits real-
ized are stability, resilience, diversity,
reduction of wind and water erosion, reg-
ulation of pests, moderation of stresses,
soil generation, and waste management.
These system-level functions are a major
contribution to “ecosystem health”.

The Agroforestry Challenge
We need to move away from the tradi-
tional segregation of agriculture and

forestry in our minds and on the land-
scape. This barrier is not unique to the
agroforestry movement. The concept of
integrated systems and an ecological
approach is also advocated in sustainable
agriculture and sustainable forestry. The
environmental impacts of conventional
agriculture and the viability of small fam-
ily farms are driving forces. Fund-
amentally, the shifts are from segregated
systems to integrated systems, traditional
crops to alternative crops, exploitative to
sustainable, short-term outlook to longer
term, top down to bottom up grassroots
efforts, engineering/chemical approaches
to biological approaches, etc.

We lack a science-based understand-
ing of integrated systems. We must pro-
vide answers for how agroforestry adds
value to the system and is profitable.
There is an urgent need to develop, evalu-
ate, and document the benefits of agro-
forestry technologies, and the interactions
they generate in conservation and produc-
tion systems for farms, ranches, and com-
munities. This need is shared with other
stakeholders who advocate sustainable
development. When the needed fusion of
agriculture and forestry technologies
occurs, we will be poised to make major
advances in attaining sustainable agricul-
tural land-use systems.

Agroforestry Science Needs

The major gaps are in research deal-
ing with complexity, profitability, and
sustainability (both bio-physical and
socio-economic). Agroforestry is prac-
ticed on private lands that people depend
on for their livelihood. Thus, to go from
concept to practice, agroforestry must (1)
add value to the production system, and
(2) be profitable. To meet that mandate,
the science of agroforestry needs to
advance in a nunber of areas:

Integration. To successfully grow
multiple crops, there is a need to fully
utilize vertical and horizontal space, uti-
lize as much of the growing season as
possible, and minimize competition.
Multiple agroforestry systems need to be
appropriately integrated into whole farm
production systems, and multiple farm

(See Science on page 10)

Inside Agroforestry 9


~

% To more efficiently and effectively

estry Center i is
| Resources Conservation Service. Thi

itstitag Agroforestry

National Agroforestry Center x6) y

Winter/Spring 1996

serve Our ‘customers across the United States,
a full partnership, ofthe USDA
issue of Insi

nally an locally,

look at agroforestry nati

“as well as the National Agroforestry Center's role.

Agroforestry For
Farms, Ranches,
and Communities

Agroforestry — the intentional integra-
tion of agriculture and forestry practices
to attain more productive, profitable, and
sustainable ecosystems.

This is how we describe agroforestry
today. It’s a holistic concept that supports
sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry,
and sustainable communities. Agroforestry
is pragmatically marketed as “working
trees for agriculture” and “working trees
for communities” — planting the right tree
in the right place for a specific purpose.
Agroforestry puts trees and shrubs to work
in both rural areas and communities to
meet people’s economic and social needs.

Agroforestry practices include alley
cropping, windbreaks, riparian buffers,
streambank bioengineering, tree/pasture
systems, living terraces, living snowfences,
tree/specialty crop systems, and wildlife
habitat. Benefits are: increased crop pro-
duction, alternative crops and diversified
tural economies, improved water quality,
soil erosion/sediment control, filtering,
sequestering, and processing excess nutri-
ents and chemicals, reduced flooding,
microclimate moderation, and diversified
habitats for wildlife and humans.

The ultimate success of agroforestry
depends on the willingness of landowners
and/or community leaders to care for the
land and pass on sustainable systems to
future generations.

Inside this issue you’ ll find information
and tools that the National Agroforestry
Center has developed to help you educate
and encourage landowners and community
leaders to apply agroforestry practices.

The National Agroforestry Center is
Evolving

To support the growing national inter-
est in agroforestry, the National
Agroforestry Center has evolved into a

full partnership of the USDA Forest
Service (FS) and the USDA Natural

~~ (See Evolving on page 6)

On December 14, 1995, NRCS Chief Paul Johnson, FS Associate Chief Dave Unger, NASF
President Stanley Hamilton, and NASF Past-President Bill Farris signed a Memorandum of
Understanding as Under Secretary Jim Lyons and representatives of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Forest Service, and National Association of State Foresters look on.
This agreement strengthens the partnership and cooperation in forestry and related natural
resources, including agroforestry.

| Inside | This Issue

HB Plowing New Ground...page 2

HB Agroforestry Success Keeps Growing...page 4
IM Together, We Can Make A Difference...page 8
I Science in Agroforestry...page 9


NAC Fact Sheet

A Forest Service — Natural Resources Conservation Service Partnership

The National Agroforestry Center (6)
YW

History: The “Center for Semiarid Agroforestry” was authorized in the 1990 Farm Bill. In February 1995 the Center’s name was
changed to the National Agroforestry Center (NAC) in response to strong national interest in agroforestry. In June 1995 a partnership

agreement was signed by the Chiefs of the Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, making the NAC an intera-
gency joint-venture.

Purpose: NAC is a pioneering program to accelerate the development of agroforestry, a science and practice that integrates agricul-

ture and forestry land uses. The partnership combines resources of the two agencies to develop and apply agroforestry technologies in
appropriate conservation and/or production systems for farms, ranches, and communities.

Role: The Center serves as a catalyst to form partnerships, promote cooperation, and leverage resources. NAC cooperates with a

national network of agencies, universities, and organizations to encourage agroforestry research and technology transfer. The Center
Strives to develop and deliver agroforestry technologies based on the needs of resource professionals assisting landowners.

Programs:
Research & Development: Forest Service scientists and co-located NRCS scientists from the Watershed Sciences Institute and the

Wetlands Science Institute work with university cooperators to develop and integrate agroforestry technologies to attain more eco-
nomically, environmentally, and socially sustainable ecosystems.

Technology Transfer & Applications: Forest Service and NRCS Agroforesters work with a national network of cooperators to
develop and distribute agroforestry technical information.

International Exchange: An International Coordinator facilitates the development of agroforestry projects with international cooper-
ators and selectively involves agency and university professionals for mutual benefit.

For more information, call 402-437-5178 (extensions listed below):
Administration
+ Dr Bill Rietveld, Center Director, ext. 27
Research & Development
+ Dr. Michele Schoeneberger, Research Program Leader and Soil Scientist, ext. 21
Technology Transfer & Applications
+ Jerry Bratton, FS Lead Agroforester, ext, 24
+ Bruce Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester, ext. 36. Voice Mail: 1-800-384-8732, Box 945-5956
* Gary Kuhn, NRCS Agroforester, located at the NRCS Watershed Sciences Institute, Seattle, WA. Phone: 206-616-7166.
Voice Mail: 1-800-384-8732, Box 851-1570
+ Jim Robinson, NRCS Agroforester, located at the NRCS Grazing Lands Technology Institute, Ft. Worth, TX. Phone:
817-334-5232, ext. 3624. Voice Mail: 1-800-384-8732, Box 965-2290
International Technology Exchange
¢ Dr. Sarah Workman, International Coordinator, ext. 40
Geographic Contacts
* Northeast — contact Bruce Wight, NAC
* Southeast — contact Jim Robinson, Ft. Worth, TX
* Midwest — contact Bruce Wight, NAC
* Northern Plains — contact Jerry Bratton, NAC
+ West — contact Gary Kuhn, Seattle, WA

Serving natural resource professionals

Inside Agroforestry 11



Together, We Can Make A Difference

The National Agroforestry Center
functions as a contact point, clearinghouse,
and catalyst to advance the science and
practice of agroforestry. As a catalyst, the
Center is a small ingredient that acts as a
driving force to accelerate a process that
would otherwise occur slowly or not at all.
In an effort to accelerate the develoment
and application of agroforestry technolo-
gies, the Center has the following activities
and tools available to assist you. We
encourage you to take advantage of these
products so that together, we can make a
difference!

Current Information. In our quarter-
ly newsletter Inside Agroforestry we strive
to keep you informed on current events and
developments in agroforestry.

Technical Support. The Center pro-
vides technical support to resource profes-
sionals through consultation, development
of application tools and guidelines, and
training workshops. If you need technical
support, see page 6 for the name and tele-
phone number of your regional contact
person.

Conferences and Workshops. NAC
develops and delivers targeted, specialized
workshops, conferences, and symposia to
assemble and exchange information, stimu-
late new thinking and ideas, identify obsta-
cles and opportunities, and promote coop-
eration. NAC is co-sponsoring a sympo-
sium on “Agroforestry: An Integrated
Science” at the American Society of
Agronomy Annual Meetings in
Indianapolis, Indiana November 3-8, 1996.
See page 6 for more information.

Technical Information. Through var-
ious media, the Center strives to provide
you with the latest agroforestry technolo-
gies and information. Agroforestry Notes, a
new technical series, will be debuting this
year and will provide technical information
in a useful “how-to” format. Other tools
NAC has available include: Green Side
Up, A short, practical, three-module train-
ing video for professional tree planters; a
“Working Trees for Agriculture” display
available on a loan basis; technical guides;
and published papers. Also available are
“Working Trees for Agriculture” and
“Working Trees for Communities”
brochures.

Demonstrations. The Center facili-

8 Inside Agroforestry

tates and cost-shares demonstrations of
agroforestry technologies in both rural and
community environments to encourage
adoption of new, improved, or unused
technologies.

Applications projects. NAC facili-
tates and cost-shares applications projects
with cooperators to evaluate and adapt
technologies under local conditions, to
pave the way for general adoption.

Assessments. The Center cost-shares
assessment projects to assemble informa-
tion needed to advance agroforestry, such
as evaluating the need and potential for
agroforestry technologies in specific
regions or situations, and developing infor-
mation on the benefits of agroforestry.

Special Projects. The Center initiates
special projects to address special needs or
unique opportunities. For example, the
Center has developed a Native American
Agroforestry Project to assess and demon-
strate how agroforestry systems on Tribal
lands meet their unique, societal, econom-
ic, and spiritual needs; and a “Working
Trees for Communities” project to apply
agroforestry technologies in communities
and the rural/urban interface.

If you would like more information
about any of these projects or products that
NAC has available, contact Kim Isaacson
at the Center.

Our mission is to advance the science
and practice of agroforestry by providing
information and tools to assist you.
Together, we can make a difference!

The “working trees for agriculture” display
is available for you to use on a loan basis. It
is a wonderful informational aid to use at
meetings, fairs, workshops, field days, or
just in your office. Brochures are available
to accompany the display. The only cost
involved is the cost of sending it by UPS to
the next user. Contact Kim Isaacson at the
Center to reserve it.

Pos . -
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is coop-
erating with NAC to establish a windbreak
demonstration to show how windbreaks can

protect specialty crops in the Missouri River
bottom.

a
Filming “Green Side Up,” a tree planting
video for professional tree planters, is just
one of the tools that NAC has produced and
provides to resource professionals.

Proceedings of the
“Agroforestry and

- Sustainable Systems”

avaliable...For a
“free copy, contact

Dick Schneider
vat the USDA

Mountain Forest
& Range Experiment
Station, 240 West Prospect
Road, Fort Collins, Colorado
80526 or call 970-498-1719.
Copies are also available from
Kim Isaacson at the Center.



West Virginia

Agroforestry Success Keeps Growing

trees,

Editors Note: Bill Slagle is a true success story that keeps growing. It's
through his success that other landowners have been, and continue to be encour-
aged to apply agroforestry practices on their property, earn a profit, and help
conserve our natural resources. Slagle recently won the 1996 National Arbor Day
Foundation's Good Steward Award which is issued for excellence in tree planting
and conservation work on private property. Congratulations! Following is only a
part of what Slagle has done at his “Walnut Meadows” farm, but a part that has
been personally and financially successful for him.

His father taught him about managing the forest and how to
make a living off the land. In the 1930's and 1940’s his family
sold evergreens and moss to florists for Christmas decorations.
They also imported and raised registered Limousine breeding cat-
Ue and were on the cutting edge of embryo transfer. Today, the
William Slagle “Walnut Meadows” farm near Bruceton Mills,
West Virginia, among other things, raises black walnuts, ginseng,
and shiitake mushrooms.

“In West Virginia the agricultural industry has really shut
down,” Slagle says, “In the 1970's when the beef cattle market
got so bad, we had to get out. We couldn’t rent our land out for
much of anything either...it’s hard to make a profit. I hate to see
land lay idle and I need an income while my ten acres of black
walnut trees are maturing.” So, Bill Slagle currently has six acres
of cultivated ginseng growing in a variety of sites under his trees.

You could say that the 100-acre farm has been good to the
Slagle family and that they have been good to the land. In addi-
tion to a good land ethic, Slagle has a knack for staying on top of
“what's new” and taking advantage of an emerging product,
while moving on to something else when a particular market
becomes saturated. Ginseng is highly valued by Asian customers
for its medicinal qualities and is becoming more and more popu-
lar in the United States. The dried roots are so valued for their
health qualities that the wild variety can sell for as much as $450
to $500 per pound and woods-grown ginseng for about half that
much! Typically one acre of woods-grown ginseng yields about
3,000 pounds. Slagle digs anywhere from 200 to 1200 pounds per

4, Inside Agroforestry

year, which he sells to outlets in Hong Kong and New York.
.-now, you do the math!

“It’s not always easy,” Slagle says. “Ginseng requires intense
management, you must work the ground by hand and grow it in
raised beds.” Slagle also says that he has made a lot of mistakes
along the way, but this is how he educates himself. For Slagle it
has definitely paid off.

Slagle is a vocational education teacher at the Preston County
Education Center, and has been for 20 years. As his profession
would indicate, he enjoys educating others. His students benefit
from applying classroom skills to a real working farm. Each class
gets to come out to Walnut Meadows to help with the ginseng, or
the shiitake mushrooms, or the walnut trees, or build a house!
Slagle says that he’s “driven by teaching others.” “I’m not afraid
to give out my secrets. In fact, I work with the University to help
others get started.”

As a result, of his innovative nature and willingness to teach
others, Bill Slagle has unknowingly become quite beneficial to
the agroforestry movement. Dr. Gene Garrett, Director of the
Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, first met
Slagle in December, 1986 when Successful Farming Magazine
sponsored a conference on Agriculture Diversification Adds
Profit Today — 100 Ideas for Farmers in Des Moines, Iowa.
Slagle was attending the conference and heard Garrett speak
about opportunities for trees with other crops.

Today Garrett regularly speaks to groups, oftentimes using
Slagle and his achievements as an example to educate and
encourage other landowners about the benefits of agroforestry.
Garrett feels good about Slagle’s success because “he had an idea
and it came to fruition.” Garrett feels strongly that an individual
landowner should make a profit from an agroforestry technology,
while protecting the land and serving as an example for others to
follow. After one pre- pe
sentation Garrett made
to a forestry fisheries
& wildlife conference,
he received ten phone
calls. The most com-
mon request was for
information on the type
of system Slagle has.

Slagle has created a
lot of interest and
plans to retire soon,
but his ideas definitely
won’t retire. Garrett is
excited about the
future of agroforestry
and feels that “Slagle’s
success is spawning

other success and ——_ingeng is a smaill plant with mighty proper-
that’s very exciting!” ties.



The Partnership Approach — A Must For More Widespread
Agroforestry Adoption

by Thomas Christensen, State Conservationist,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Champaign, Illinois

The essential and cost-effective pro-
duction of food and fiber for human suste-
nance has led to today’s farms, often a
much simpler version of the natural
ecosystems they replaced. Even in a
prairie environment such as Northern and
Central Illinois, natural landscapes sup-
ported dozens of plant and animal species
that have been replaced by fields growing
a few species. The result has been a trend
toward an environment populated princi-
pally by a few introduced or generalist
species — those species most able to
exploit these simpler ecosystems.

Agroforestry presents a practical and
economically defensible tool for restoring
some species diversity to the landscape,
while maintaining (if not enhancing) farm
profitability, improving environmental
quality, and creating more aesthetically
pleasing and people-friendly conditions.
The trend of the last few decades toward
simple, less stable, and more fragmented
natural systems can be abated to some
extent by the sound, voluntary application
of agroforestry.

Agroforestry also affords an exciting
opportunity to develop stronger partner-
ships between a broad array of agencies,
organizations, and private sector con-
cerns. Conversely, the further develop-
ment of agroforestry in the United States
will require a partnership approach
between these many concerns. Based on
my experiences, I am convinced that a
partnership approach is essential if we are
to achieve a more widespread application
of agroforestry systems. At the same time,
a partnership approach will create oppor-
tunities for greater collaboration as part-
ners gain confidence, trust, and more
awareness of each other’s capabilities.
Successful partnerships will beget further
partnerships, and the opportunity for even
greater success in agroforestry applica-
tion.

The US Department of Agriculture’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) is but one partner that is working
collaboratively to further agroforestry

implementation in the United States.
NRCS Chief Paul Johnson recently has
established a cadre of Cooperating
Agroforestry Scientists within the agency
who will concentrate on agroforestry
development and collaboration.
Moreover, Chief Johnson is re-emphasiz-
ing the importance of a total resource
approach to conservation planning and
management, and he is creating and fos-
tering an agency environment where
locally driven, creative solutions to natur-
al resource concerns are encouraged and
supported. Certainly, agroforestry as a
conservation tool has the opportunity to
develop and flourish in this environment.
As an NRCS State Conservationist,
my career has taken me through positions
in the Northeast, South, West, and
Midwest. Along with having traveled in
all but two states, I have seen firsthand
the many landscape situations where
agroforestry systems would benefit the
natural resources, the farmer’s profitabili-
ty, and even the community’s aesthetics
and comfort. In all the regions of our
diverse country, carefully planned agro-

forestry systems have a place for willing
and able landowners. However, except for
pockets of success, agroforestry systems
have not been widely adopted. The rea-
sons for their limited adoption are many,
but principal among them has been the
lack of widespread, focused cooperation,
coordination, and collaboration in the
delivery of agroforestry technology and
assistance. We can and must do more
through a strategic approach if we are to
succeed in our efforts to encourage the
more widespread adoption of agroforestry
systems. Partnerships will provide the
vehicle for greater success.

The same driving forces that necessi-
tated the reorganization of the NRCS and
many other government agencies, create
the opportunity and incentives for more
effective and expanded partnerships.
Driving forces such as the need to reduce
staffing levels and operating costs, mini-
mize duplication of effort, place more
emphasis on client service, improve
empowerment and accountability at all
levels, and provide more effective tech-

a (See Adoption on page 10)

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ASA Divi

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Symposium
Agroforestry: An Integrated Science

tal

al

al

al

al

:
American Society of Agronomy Annual Meetings a
Indianapolis, Indiana * November 3-8, 1996 a
Sponsors S|

ion A-8: Integrated Agricultural Systems a
Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA) Fj
National Agroforestry Center a

Symposium Purpose S|

Synthesize current knowledge of temperate agroforestry in the US a
Enhance awareness of the benefits of integrated systems S|
Stimulate interdisciplinary research a

Format St

Invited Presentations a

Volunteer Poster Papers a

For more information, contact Dr. Bill Rietveld, 402-437-5178, ext 27 or
Dr. Gene Garrett, 314-882-3647

Paes eee

Inside Agroforestry 3


Message From the Manager

r

The National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is now a full
partnership of the USDA Forest Service and the Natural
Resources Conservation Service. The partnership enables an

“We're excited about the new partnership
and the future of agroforestry.”
—Bill Rietveld

enhanced effort to catalyze the development of agroforestry
technologies and apply them nationwide in resource manage-
ment systems for farms, ranches, and communities.

NAC staff from the two agencies has been busy develop-
ing a strategic plan, implementation plan, and annual work

A commentary on the status of agroforestry
as reported by Program Manager, Bill Rietveld

Plowing New Ground

plans to establish teamwork in Agroforestry Research and
Development, Technology Transfer & Applications, and
International Technology Exchange.

This is a special issue of /A to launch the new partnership.
But, we don’t want to focus only on us. We wanted to put the
partnership into perspective with what it means for our cooper-
ators and customers, and with working together to develop the
numerous opportunities for agroforestry technologies. This
issue tells the “agroforestry story.”

We're excited about the partnership and the future of agro-
forestry. The partnership is a big step in the right direction.
But, we must recognize the divergence that is taking place
between the increasing popularity of agroforestry on the one
hand, and decreasing funding on the other hand. Most agencies
and institutions are seeing the same trend. Now, more than
ever, we must work together to make a difference!

Coordinator

Dr. Sarah Workman, NAC International

NAC Initiates International Exchange
Program

Workman received her PhD in Forest
Soils and Biology from the University of
Georgia, a MS in Plant Ecology from
Western Washington University, and a
BS in Biology from Agnes Scott College
in Georgia. She has agroforestry field
experience in Senegal, West Africa,
Costa Rica, and Brazil as well as a wealth
of international coordination experience.

Workman will coordinate US activi-
ties with the International Center for
Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) in
Nairobi, Kenya, provide technical assis-
tance to USAID missions and the Peace
Corps, and develop a program to apply

2 Inside Agroforestry

In cooperation with the US Agency for
International Development (USAID), the
Center has initiated a new international
exchange program. Dr. Sarah Workman,
NAC’s new International Coordinator,
will facilitate the development of agro-
forestry projects with international coop-
erators and selectively involve agency and
university professionals for mutual bene-
fit.

agroforestry technologies in cities and
communities. She is excited about pio-
neering the International Exchange pro-
gram for NAC and says “working in this
capacity is a great opportunity to develop
agroforestry linkages between organiza-
tions, and I’m looking forward to work-
ing with a wide range of natural resource
professionals in an effort to accomplish
our goals.”