Hands-On Experience for Grade School Students

A windbreak and an outdoor labo-
ratory! That’s what Conrad, Montana
grade school students have. In the
spring of 1993, the children worked
closely with the Montana Division of
Forestry to help design and install a
five-row windbreak around their
school. The students continue to
maintain the windbreak which is also
used as an outdoor student learning
center.

The windbreak not only protects
school grounds and fosters environ-
mental education but it helps lower
fuel costs and provides habitat for a

variety of wildlife. It also demon-
strates the proper placement and
maintenance of windbreak plantings
to others in the area.

One of the things that Ruth
Carlstrom, Former Gifted and
Talented Coordinator for the Conrad.
School District, really likes about the
program is that the professional
foresters who helped with the project
were completely involved with, and
dedicated to helping the students. The
students developed and planned the
budget, chose tree species, assisted
with landscape design, and planted.

the windbreak. Media coverage was
also initiated by the children.

Carlstrom says that “the kids are
so proud to be a part of improving
their school grounds and the environ-
ment as a whole.” Besides the fact that
the school is located near a farming
community and the windbreak is a
necessity because of fierce Montana
winds, she is excited about the hands-
on experience that the outdoor lab
provides the children now, and well
into the future.

Two Crops...From The Same Land -

Any time grasses, annual crops, or
trees are intentionally mixed on a par-
cel of land, it creates a complex sys-
tem that requires special manage-
ment, but produces multiple benefits
— both financial and environmental.
And, alley cropping using eastern
black walnut trees as a long-term
investment, is a good example.

Alley cropping is growing an agri-
cultural or horticultural crop, simulta-
neously with a long-term tree crop, to
provide income from the land while
it's being converted to woodland.
Once trees grow large enough and
begin to shade crops, a grass mixture
can be planted between the tree rows
to graze livestock or produce hay.

Jim Jones, Vice President of
Hammons Products Company in
Stockton, Missouri (the only nut pro-
cessing company in the United States)
feels that his primary responsiblity is
to ensure a nut crop for the future.
And, it’s because of this that his com-
pany turned to promoting the agro-
forestry technique of alley cropping.

The economics of a system play an
important role in the successof alley
cropping too, and Bill Kurtz,
Professor of Economics at the
University of Missouri, cites definite
advantages for landowners.

Incorporating black walnut trees

into an alley cropping system opti-
mizes use of the land. A study done
by the University of Missouri shows
that returns from the land, and the
value of the land itself, continue to
increase, especially as the trees age.
Many financial benefits, aside from.
regular income from nut production
(once the trees reach 15 to 20 years),
exist and continue throughout the
rotation of the tree crop. For example,
establishing an alley cropping system
allows a landowner to diversify their
farming operation. Also, most tree
maintenance work is done during the
late fall and winter months — the off-
season of farm-
ing. Alley crop-
ping can addi-
tionally pro-
vide a money-
making hobby
for retired indi-
viduals.
Another factor
worth consider-
ing is that trees,
planted in rows
will serve as a
windbreak and
control soil ero-
sion as well as
yield a return,
often times more trees and soybeans.

An example of an alley cropping system using eastern black wainut

than a field planted with crops only.
Finally, thinning activities, which pro-
vide commercially marketable saw
logs produces mid-rotation income
for the landowner. And, ultimately
the harvesting of high-quality veneer
wood yields about $1.00 per board
foot!

It’s important to remember that
proper management skills are a must.
If a landowner has done their home-
work, and is willing to work closely
with a knowledgeable professional,
black walnut alley cropping is a long-
term investment that can’t be beat!

Inside Agroforestry 5


Spotlight On Success| 4ia@nmerieesry Across the United States

All Kinds of Options...All Kinds of Places

Agroforestry practices can be applied most anywhere.

Trees planted in the right place and in the right design,
to serve a purpose is what agroforestry is all about!
Practices include riparian buffers, streambank bioengi-
neering, alley cropping, windbreaks, tree/pasture sys-
tems, tree/specialty crop systems, and living
snowfences. There are a lot of landowners and public
facilities in the United States who could use one or more
of these practices to conserve, protect, and further utilize
their land. Here's an array of successful, innovative projects

that show you just how diverse and adaptable agroforestry really is!

Trees to Improve Air Quality?--——-._

Wind erosion is a persistent prob-
lem that affects farmers, and rural and
urban dwellers alike. The Clean Air
Act of 1990 brings attention to wind
erosion, which has long been a con-
cern for growers in low precipitation
areas like that of the Pacific
Northwest.

Landowners continually strive to
control cropland wind erosion, while
attempting to stay within the econom-
ic constraints of their farming opera-
tion. Today, however, they are faced
with increasing public pressure to
reduce erosion in-order to protect air
quality. To help them meet this chal-
lenge, a new research and educational
program is underway in the
Northwest to improve our under-
standing of the wind erosion /air
quality problem and develop practical
management solutions.

4. Inside Agroforestry

The Columbia Plateau PM-10
Project involves a comprehensive
group of scientists, engineers, and
conservationists who will study all
aspects of defining and managing the
wind erosion/PM-10 problem. Part of
the project involves the installation of
windbreaks in several counties in
eastern Washington.

PM-10 (particulate matter less than
10 microns in size) are airborne partic-
ulates small enough to be taken into
the body’s respiratory system. The
Clean Air Act made state govern-
ments responsible for monitoring and
controlling the amount of PM-10
released into the air. Wind-blown
dust from cropland is one source,
while other sources include road dust,
wood stoves, and industry. These are
being addressed by local governments
as well.

Urban and rural areas that exceed
the PM-10 health standards must
develop and implement plans to
reduce emissions from major PM-10
sources. It is here that we may realize
another one of the benefits of incorpo-
rating windbreaks and other agro-
forestry practices into farming sys-
tems. Mike Klungland, PM-10 Project
Coordinator with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, feels
that windbreaks, in combination with
other control measures like crop
residue management and conserva-
tion tillage (to increase the amount of
surface residue and roughness), will
play a big part in controlling wind
erosion and reducing the amount of
PM-10 emissions in the future.

By spring, 1997, research results
and recommendations will be made to
the EPA.



More Than Just A Windbreak oo mo

Windbreaks can be utilized to do a
lot more than break the wind and
reduce soil erosion! In parts of the
United States like the southwest,
where overall precipitation is low, but
snowfall is heavy, and winds are
high, they’re often referred to as “liv-
ing snowfences.”

The first, and most traditional pur-
pose of a living snowfence is to strate-
gically “trap” snow to keep it away
from roads, livestock, working areas,
or other structures... just as traditional
slatted snowfences do.

The second, and more unique, pur-
pose of a living snowfence is to dis-
perse snow across a large area. This
becomes quite an art, as the density

Money Really Can Grow ON UNDER Trees

American ginseng, a shade-loving
herbaceous plant native to the hard-
wood forests of the northeast, is an
herb with medicinal values that have
long been recognized in the Orient.
Futhermore, it has significant eco-
nomic value and can be “wild” culti-
vated under a forest cover.

. For its 5,000-year known history,
ginseng has been taken as a general
health tonic or to bring about a level
of “balance” in the body. It is recom-
mended as a safe, effective, natural
stimulant; a health tonic; a herb that
provides various psychological bene-
fits; and acts as an anti-stress supple-
ment, natural regulator of blood pres-
sure, and an anti-diabetic.
Additionally, it may increase sexual
function; reduce the side effects of
menopause; and actually slow down
the ageing process.

The slow-maturing crop has strict,
but reasonable, demands. It thrives in
fertile, wooded, well-drained soil,
needs critical amounts of shade and
moisture, and must be protected from
animal and human predators.

A grower can invest large amounts
of money on equipment, tillage,
sprays, and artifical shading in a high-

and composition of the planting play
a major role in the success of snow
distribution. The planting needs to be
approximately 35 to 50 percent dense,
depending on the site, and is usually
made up of a mixture of evergreen
and deciduous trees.

Strategically distributing moisture
can do several things. For one, it can
manipulate the native vegetation that
will grow ina given area. By simply
“storing” snow and providing addi-
tional moisture, a typical warm sea-
son pasture can have the potential to
produce a warm/cool season mix that
is better for livestock, hay production,
and wildlife.

Another way to benefit from

ly managed system. But, a better, less
costly option, is to sow seed in a nat-
ural wooded setting. The naturally
grown ginseng is in higher demand
and also commands the highest
prices. Wild-simulated ginseng usual-
ly brings from $100 to $200 per pound
but has sold for as high as $400 per
pound!

In New York alone, ginseng is a
million-dollar-per-year commodity.
About 90 percent of the estimated
annual 1,000-ton North American
crop is exported to the Far East.

It’s the root that is so valued and
used for medicinal purposes. But, be
careful, it takes 60 to 90 mature, dried
roots to make a pound of marketable
ginseng. The shrinkage from fresh to
dry roots is significant, about 70 per-
cent, so be cautious in estimating suc-
cess.

Bob Beyfuss, Cornell Cooperative
Extension County Agent, feels that
there is great potential for forest culti-
vation of ginseng. It’s a great opportu-
nity for small scale woodlot owners
because typically only small plots (the
average size is less than one acre) are
planted. It also takes a lot of work and
the crop needs to be hand cultivated.

manipulating snow distribution is to
store it in an area where snow melt
can drain into a water collection site,
like a pond. This allows a landowner
to use the water at a later date for stock
watering or irrigation purposes.
According to Hal Brockman,
forester for the New Mexico Natural
Resources Conservation Service, there
are over 100 sites in the New Mexico,
Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas area
that use variations of this method.
The goal is to protect areas and strate-
gically distribute snow for maximum
water usage. The benefits and success
of living snowfences is so high that
65-75 percent of Stewardship
Incentive Program funds in New
Mexico are used for this purpose.

More and more people in the
United States, and in other western
countries, are beginning to listen more
attentively to the folk wisdom of peo-
ple who have been reaping the bene-
fits of medicinal plants for centuries.
If the proper environment exists and a
landowner has the willingness to
invest some time and effort into a
alternative crop, ginseng could be the
way to go.

Fourth
North American
Agroforestry

Conference
July 23-26
Boise, Idaho
For More Information Contact:
Dr. John Ehrenreich
208-885-7600

6 Inside Agroforestry


Inside Pater

Welcome to Inside Agroforestry! —

For those of you who are new to
Inside Agroforestry (IA), welcome to
the latest source of agroforestry news
and information available. IA is a
quarterly newsletter designed for nat-
ural resource professionals like your-
self, who are interested in the chang-
ing face of sustainable agriculture and
agroforestry.

For those of you already familiar
with Inside Agroforestry, we hope that
you've enjoyed it so far and are as
excited as we are about what's in
store for agroforestry in the future!

Agroforestry is the integration of
agriculture and forestry production
and conservation practices to attain

Working Trees...in Communities

We're all aware of the fact that
windbreaks in rural areas help to min-
imize wind erosion and protect
homes, livestock, and crop fields. But,
did you know that they’re just one of
the numerous agroforestry practices
that can also protect community
recreation areas, parking lots, hospi-
tals, schools, and homes?

Agroforestry is putting trees and
shrubs to work for us. In other words,
“Working trees.” Working trees are
planted in a specific place, in a specif-
ic design, for a practical purpose.
They have a job to do. Agroforestry’s
goal is to use working trees to help
make agricultural land...and commu-
nities, more sustainable.

Windbreaks are quite functional in
the roles that they play, as are many
other agroforestry practices. In addi-
tion to windbreaks, here are some
examples of how community leaders
and natural resource professionals
can incorporate already-proven rural
techniques into their communities.

(See Working Trees on page 7)

more economically, environmentally,
and diversified sustainable ecosys-
tems. This technology can be applied
in communities too!

Agroforestry is applicable nation-
wide. The demand for, and interest in,
agroforestry continues to grow and,
as a result, the Center continues to
grow too! For more information on
the Center, who we are, and where
we're going, please see “Message
From the Manager” on page 2.

One of our first efforts in response
to this national need for agroforestry
information is to make Inside
Agroforestry available to organizations
and professionals throughout the

oforestry

Rocky Mountain Forest & Range Experiment Station

National Agroforestry Center

Spring, 1995

United States. So, we’re currently in
the process of expanding our mailing
list. If there is someone in your orga-
nization that should be receiving
Inside Agroforestry in addition to, or
instead of yourself; you would rather
not receive this newsletter; or you're
getting more than one copy, please
send a note to Kim Isaacson at the
Center and we'll be happy to correct
our mailing list.

We do hope that you enjoy Inside
Agroforestry and find it helpful and
informative. If you need more infor-
mation about agroforestry or have
suggestions for future issues of IA,
please contact us.

Riparian areas are just one of the rural agroforestry practices that can be applied in a com-
munity to work to protect and improve soil, water, air, and wildlife for human environments.

Inside| This Issue

lf A New Name...page 2

ll The National Development of Agroforestry...page 3

Ml Agroforestry across the Country...pages 4-6

Ml Flying Worms to Rescue Trees?...page 7


(Working Trees from page 1)

Properly spaced working trees
placed around homes, businesses, and
other public facilities reduce energy
costs and evapotranspiration from
lawns and gardens. They also provide
aesthetic value. Homes protected by
shade trees or windbreaks can expect
energy savings of 15-30 percent in the
winter and 10-20 percent in the sum-
mer.

Rows of trees planted between res-
idential areas and unsightly or loud
areas can screen and buffer residents
from unwelcome sights, sound, or
dust associated with roads, industry,
organized sports, businesses, or land-
fills. Reduction of sound levels in the
range of 8-12 decibels (approximately
half as loud) are common for tree,
shrub, and grass combinations.

Natural or re-established stream-
side forests made up of trees, shrubs,
and grass plantings help filter pollu-
tion from lawn runoff before it enters
streams and rivers. These filter strips
also reduce bank erosion, protect
aquatic environments, enhance
wildlife, provide recreational sites,
and increase biodiversity.

Rows of trees near access roads
and emergency routes reduce danger-
ous crosswinds, limit snow drift,
lower snow removal costs, and
increase driving safety. These “living
snowfences” can also be designed to
enhance recreational activities. For
example, hiking and biking trails can
be incorporated between rows of trees
and berry producing shrubs mixed
into the planting improve songbird
and wildlife habitat.

Strategically placed plantings of
trees, shrubs, grasses, and food
sources provide havens for wildlife.
This vegetation provides necessary
food, shelter, breeding, and nesting
sites. Wildlife plantings can be incor-
porated into backyards, recreation
areas, or any open space that allows
for the proper combination of plants
and an available water supply.

As you can see, narrow rows of
trees improve community environ-
ments for both work and play. Since
agroforestry technologies such as
windbreaks, living snowfences, ero-
sion control plantations, and riparian

buffer strips provide conservation,
economic, wildlife, and aesthetic
value in rural america, it seems logical
they have an important role to play in
urban or community natural resource
management, as well. And, working
tree practices effectively conserve
energy and natural resources, diversi-
fy the environment, and improve the
environment for people.

A private nonprofit foundation has
been created to administer the work-
ing trees in communities concept. The
Plant-A-Tree/Help-A-Kid
(PAT/HAK) Foundation has taken
one more step toward a more sustain-
able future and added a youth com-
ponent to the working trees concept.
PAT/HAK functions to solicit and
administer working trees projects by
locating worthy projects, soliciting
outside funding, and involving local
youth groups to assist with the plan-
ning, planting, and maintenance of
the project. These activities create a
better environment for the communi-
ty and at the same time foster
environmental education for the chil-
dren.

For more information about
PAT/HAK, or if you know of a poten-
tial project, contact: Carol Green,
GreenTree, 4125 Mill, Kansas City,
Missouri 64111. Phone: 816-753-1147.
FAX: 816-756-1135.

(National Development from page 3)

Working Group, and with the agrono-
my profession through active discus-
sion to convene an Agroforestry
Symposium at the 1996 American
Society of Agronomy national meet-
ing. That symposium will yield a
state-of-the-art textbook on agro-
forestry in the US. AFTA has also ini-
tiated a dialogue with the sustainable
agriculture community. As an exam-
ple, with the assistance of Dr. Garth
Youngberg, Director of the Wallace
Institute for Alternative Agriculture,
the Wallace Institute recently spon-
sored a “primer” on agroforestry to
introduce agroforestry to a diverse
assemblage of key individuals in
Washington, DC.

US agroforestry has come a long

| way ina very short time and is ina

very dynamic period of growth and
development. The NAC, federal inter-
agency partnerships, regional organi-
zations, state and provincial coali-
tions, presence of AFTA and its devel-
oping linkages with traditional disci-
plines, conservation and sustainable
agriculture organizations, plus
increasing educational opportunities
being developed in Universities and
Colleges throughout the US and
Canada, all bode well for the future of
agroforestry in the US. All of these

' efforts, working in synch, will help

change and broaden our national
vision of land use to include agro-
forestry as a viable land-use practice.

Worms Fly and Swim to Rescue Trees

Flying worms? Worms that swim into dark tunnels to rescue trees from
certain death? No, this is not science fiction. It is an ingenious use of a bio-
logical alternative to chemical pesticides that is proving effective against
boring insects that destroy dogwoods, lilacs, and peach trees. Scientists at
Biosys, Inc. of Palo Alto, California, have isolated a species of tiny, worm-
like nematode that likes nothing better than to find a boring insect inside a
tree, enter its body, and live there until it kills the host. Unlike their cousins
that can damage plant roots, nematodes that attack insects have no appetite
for plants and are not known to be harmful to humans or the environment.
Tree experts can spray a mixture of nematodes and water ona tree after the
boring insect has started to tunnel into the wood. The tunnel provides just
the kind of dark, moist place nematodes enjoy. Using water from the spray
application, the nematodes swim their way through the tunnel until they
encounter the insect larvae, and the rest is history!

Source: Arbor Day, January/February, 1994

Inside Agroforestry 7


Message From the Manager

Note that we have officially changed our name to the
“National Agroforestry Center.” Agroforestry has
evolved and grown a great deal since the 1990 Farm Bill.
As discussed before in my column, agroforestry is “com-
ing of age” and is rapidly becoming recognized both
within and outside the forestry community. Agroforestry
is now clearly of national importance, with strong interest
and support emerging in all parts of the country.

Our name change and expanded scope are in
response to this national demand and support for agro-
forestry. The national agroforestry community of interest
is now well organized under AFTA — the Association
for Temperate Agroforestry. During the past year AFTA
has published several key documents that have height-
ened awareness of the need and potential for agro-
forestry. Those documents list specific recommendations
on what is needed to fully realize the potential of agro-
forestry. One recommendation is expansion of the scope
of the Center, which we have done. We are also respond-
ing to recommendations to develop key partnerships that
will further expand the Center’s scope, responsibilities,
and capabilities. We will keep you abreast of these devel-
opments in upcoming issues.

So what is the role of the National Agroforestry
Center? How does the Center respond to agroforestry
technology and information needs in 50 states and US
territories? The answers are found in the words catalyst,
partnerships, cooperation, networking, and leveraging.
The word catalyst best describes our role. A catalyst

as reported by Program Manager, Bill Rietveld

A New Name — An Expanding Future

A column of important events

is an ingredient, usually a small amount, that accelerates
a chemical reaction that otherwise occurs slowly or not at
all. That's our purpose, an ingredient that acts as a con-
tact point, advocate, clearinghouse, reliable source of
good information, and driving force to accelerate the
development of the science and practice of agroforestry.
We are a small group, so there is no way that we are
going to do everything ourselves, and we don’t want to.

The words partnerships, cooperation, networking, and
leveraging describe how we attain our goals. We are com-
mitted to addressing the needs of agroforestry through
networking with the existing national consortium of
agencies, universities, and organizations that have agro-
forestry research and technology transfer expertise.
Partnerships and cooperative projects between agencies,
universities, and conservation organizations provide an
avenue to leverage resources and expertise to attain com-
mon goals. The target audience is natural resource pro-
fessionals who provide technical assistance to landown-
ers, so our collective efforts are also leveraged through
the multiplier effect. Agroforestry development is a
national effort involving all stakeholders.

For the remainder of this fiscal year we are working
with partners to be as nationally responsive as possible
with limited resources. At the same time we are prepar-
ing to deliver expanded programs next year, assuming
new partnerships and funding materialize. We look for-
ward to working with your organization, and as always
we welcome feedback.

Springtime On The Farm...Magic Is All Around Us ——_-

I believe in magic again, and life is
more fun because of it. I don’t know
when I again started believing, but I
think it was farming that reopened
my eyes.

When I was young, magic was fun.
“How did you do that?” It was magic.
Then, like many kids, I sent off my
hard-earned $1.95 for a Book of Magic
so that I too, could amaze my friends
and family! And I soon learned that,
after I had learned the secret, it was
no longer magic — it was just a trick.
Performing magic was another name
for “trying to fool someone,” and

believing in it was admitting to being
a fool. Magic wasn’t fun any more.

Then I became a scientist, and
accepted the goal of learning nature’s
secrets. We call it “acquiring knowl-
edge.” No tricks, no magic — the
world was full of knowledge waiting
to be acquired. I had graduated from
being foolish to being just plain igno-
rant. Learning is fine, but the goal of
learning it all is a heavy burden.

But I want some fun now. And in
the meantime spring happened again
this year. Springtime is a time of won-
der. Whether I plant a handful or a

truckload, dry, hard seeds burst open
with new life. Naked branches sud-
denly become clothed with leaves and
flowers. Baby animals appear in sin-
gles, pairs, litters — like rabbits out of
hats. Wonderful things happening,
and so much that I don’t understand.
But springtime is not knowledge wait-
ing to be acquired. It is magic to be
enjoyed. I am still ignorant, and I am
still learning. But I’m a fool, too. A
fool who believes in and depends
upon magic in the fields and forests,
and prairies. And magic is fun again.

Source: By Jim Lukens, ATTRA News, June, 1994. Volume
4, Number 2.

2 Inside Agroforestry


National Development of Agroforestry ———_—

by Michael A. Gold, President

Association for Temperate Agroforestry, and
Assistant Professor of Agroforestry

Michigan State University, Department of Forestry

As an alternative to conventional
agriculture, agroforestry is unique
because it simultaneously addresses
critical economic, environmental, and
social needs within agroecosystems.
Up to the present time, a vision “gap”
has existed in our government
research and extension agencies, US

...” Agroforestry
is unique because it
simultaneously addresses
critical economic,
environmental, and social
needs within

agroecosystems.”

University research and extension
systems, in traditional commodity
production organizations, and in the
minds of those who make their living
from the land. This manifests itself as
a distinct separation of land-use prac-
tices and has lead to our vision of the
landscape as feedlots, woodlots, and
crop monocultures. This gap in vision,
with regard to potential production
and conservation benefits of agro-
forestry, has constrained its develop-
ment and implementation.
Discussions of the merits and
potentials of agroforestry land-use
practices invariably “turn on a light”
in the minds of many stakeholders. A
common question is: if agroforestry
land-use practices have so much to
contribute to land-use protection, pro-
duction, and restoration, why are
these practices not already wide-
spread and in common use? The
response is that agroforestry consists
of a group of land-use management
practices that have heretofore differed
from the way most of us view land-

use and our perception of the land-
scape. Serious consideration of the
integration of trees and shrubs into
landscapes that traditionally have
excluded woody plants requires a
major change in perception. These are
issues of vision, issues that must be
addressed by those within the agro-
forestry community of interest.

In 1989, a ground-breaking confer-
ence, The First North American
Agroforestry Conference (NAAC),
held at Guelph, Ontario, Canada,
brought the agroforestry community
together to focus on temperate agro-
forestry in North America. The 1989
conference crystallized the awareness
that no professional organization
existed to represent the interests of
those individuals or organizations
interested in the interdisciplinary field
of temperate zone agroforestry.

The Association for Temperate
Agroforestry (AFTA) was established
in 1991 to help fill this gap in vision
and assist in promoting the broader
use of integrated land-use practices in
which trees play an integral role.
AFTA exists to help organize, cat-
alyze, develop, promote, and network
agroforestry practices and stakehold-
ers. AFTA has been involved in a
number of national activities over the
past 18 months to further the aware-
ness and develop the support base to
increase the use of agroforestry
throughout the US. In March, 1995,
AFTA completed and released a poli-
cy paper outlining national needs that
can be addressed through agro-
forestry “Agroforestry: Blending
Agriculture and Forestry Production
and Conservation Practices.” Needs
include (in no special order of priori-
ty): 1) rural economic development; 2)
field and landscape buffer zones; 3)
land retirement programs; 4) integrat-
ed production systems; and 5) resolv-
ing rural/urban interface conflicts.
Recommended policy actions are: 1)
USDA leadership and coordination; 2)

research and development; 3) technol-
ogy transfer and application; and 4)
technical assistance and landowner
incentives. This document reflects the
combined effort of an alliance repre-
senting forestry, agronomy, range,
agroforestry, conservation, and sus-
tainable agriculture organizations.

Numerous efforts are currently
underway to examine the potentials
for increased use of agroforestry land
use practices at state, regional, and
national levels. At the state level,
efforts range from very advanced like
Missouri, California, and Ontario,
Canada; to those well underway such
as Iowa, Idaho, Oregon, New York,
and Florida; to new initiatives like
those in Minnesota and Georgia.

The Fourth NAAC will take place
in Boise, Idaho, July 23-26, 1995, con-
vened under the umbrella of AFTA
and organized by the University of
Idaho and the Idaho Agroforestry
Coalition. The Idaho Agroforestry
Coalition is a “collaborative public/
private partnership that serves to help
landowners enhance natural resource
conservation while sustaining agricul-
tural production through the estab-
lishment of working trees.” This coali-
tion exemplifies the partnerships cur-
rently being established to address the
opportunities for blending agricul-
ture, forestry and range production
and conservation practices.

At the federal level, the USDA’s
National Agroforestry Center (NAC)
has expanded its mandate to the
entire US. The NAC is sponsoring
eight regional agroforestry assess-
ments. By years end, under the aus-
pices of NAC, AFTA will develop a
report on national agroforestry needs
and priorities and propose an overall
framework for regional agroforestry
working groups.

AFTA is cooperating with the
forestry profession through its Society
of American Foresters Agroforestry

—-- (See National Development on page 7)

Inside Agroforestry 3