value to conventional agricultural production methods, and thus contribute to

the economic and environmental sustainability of both farm and community. 

Ecosystem services

Until recently services like clean air and

water purification, decomposition of

waste, and climate regulation haven’t

been seen as revenue sources. These

processes are worth trillions of dollars

annually, but because they are difficult to

assign a price tag to, they are overlooked

and potentially threatened. However,

ecosystem services and market-based

conservation are gaining as slow but

steady investment alternatives. 

Today a savvy producer realizes that

green space and Working Trees are 

realistic ventures. k

VOLUME 15 ISSUE TWO

3

CONNECTIVITY =

POTENTIAL CASH COWS

Most financial planners agree: diversification reduces risk. Just like

managing a financial portfolio of stocks

and bonds, managing a land portfolio

must blend an individual’s investment

style with various investment instruments. This issue of Inside Agroforestry

identifies a mix of alternative agroforestry

investment options. 

Alternative crops

Allocating time and resources to alternative crops can be straightforward, and

easy to reevaluate or roll over into

another production venture. 

Alternative enterprises

Prospective risk-takers are looking for

innovative ways to obtain a larger share

of the consumer’s dollar. Alternative

enterprises, like U-pick operations or

producing goods for niche markets, add

9 SILVOPASTURE, 

STEP BY STEP

4 THE COLOR OF MONEY

(JUST PRETEND THE BROWN INK

IS GREEN).

Working Trees offer

a range of options
The USDA National Agroforestry

Center’s website is new and

improved! More than just a facelift,

the site was redesigned from the

ground up. By complying with W3C

standards, we ensure accessibility

for all visitors.

Check out the steady stream of

agroforestry-related news on our

blog, or subscribe to the RSS newsfeed and let the news come to you!

Looking for agroforestry images for

your publication or presentation?

Our new image library contains our

best photographs and illustrations.

More new features are on the way.

It’s hard out there for a farmer...

NAC Director’s Corner

A commentary on the status of agroforestry 

by Dr. Greg Ruark, NAC Program Manager

2 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 15, Issue Two

... and you can never have too many options.

Farmland in the United States, is converted to 

residential and commercial uses at a rate of almost

four million acres annually. Those landowners that

remain often find themselves located near or even

adjacent to expanding cities. Scaling up the 

production of conventional agricultural crops like

corn and soybeans seldom helps to increase the

economic bottom line unless someone has a lot of

land. Sometimes even that does not help.

This issue shows how some landowners have

been able to take advantage of agroforestry

options. Farm and forest lands adjacent to cities

can play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem

services and connecting green space at the rural

and urban edge, while presenting new income

opportunities. We examine how agroforestry 

windbreaks can be integrated into organic food

production systems to provide physical buffers

between organic fields and conventional farming

operations to prevent herbicide drift, limit the

spread of pollen from genetically engineered crops,

and reduce wind speed for bees and other 

pollinators. In Illinois, the Travis family learned

how to convert an patch of unwanted and 

aggressively spreading wild onions into a 

sustainable and profitable “ramp” enterprise. In

Mississippi, a landowner kept a diary of his 

experience in converting his native pasture into a

loblolly pine silvopasture system. These are only a

few examples of how agroforestry practices can

help sustain farmers and farmland.

A website working for Working Trees

Visit NAC online at

www.unl.edu/nac.

Edible woody landscapes

Typically, urban-type landscape

plantings do not achieve their full

potential for wildlife or people.

Incorporating edible woody plants into a

design can create beautiful gardens that

provide food for both. Woody landscapes that include fruit and nut trees

increase opportunities for wildlife

feeding, watching, and photography.

Many plants produce showy and fragrant

flowers; multicolored stems, leaves, and

fruit; and provide visual interest yearround. For more information, see the

“Edible Woody Landscapes For People

And Wildlife” brochure on NAC’s 

website: www.unl.edu/nac.
enhanced by Working Trees. Non-farmers provide a

consumer base for direct sales of farm products

including fresh fruits and vegetables, beef, pork,

poultry, dairy products, eggs, and nursery landscape

plants. Marketing options include:

• U-pick vegetable and fruit sales: short commute 

distances for customers and ease in publicity due 

to proximity to city.

• On-farm, roadside sales markets, or farmer’s 

market: locating on blacktop and well-traveled 

roads help increase visibility and sales.

• CSA ventures: community supported agriculture

Volume 15, Issue Two | Inside Agroforestry 3

The rural/urban interface is the physical place between a community and

the agricultural area surrounding it. This

zone is often occupied by people with

two completely different sets of goals,

lifestyles, daily activities, and expectations. Mixing the two can lead to problems. For instance, in this “zone of conflict” urban residents may object to agriculture’s influence on the adjacent environment like livestock odors, herbicide

drift, and slow-moving equipment. At

the same time, farm or ranch neighbors can be resentful of urban intrusion into their day-to-day activities. 

Using tree-based

buffers as a transition

zone between land

uses can help

“reconnect” agriculture and communities, thereby creating a more sustainable landscape.

Farms near cities can take advantage of a nearby labor force for

certain types of intensive production

activities, and can also produce food

and other agricultural products for

direct sale to the nearby population.

Finally, there is great potential for

education of the general public

about the food system; where and

how food is produced is becoming

an increasing concern for some

urban residents. 

Planning now for future needs

allows for creative solutions that can

provide many future benefits. A

number of farming enterprises can

flourish at the interface when

see Interface on page 8

Alternative enterprises

Alternative enterprises can take many forms. They can produce

food and fiber or have little to do with agriculture. They can produce

new or unique crops or livestock or add value to traditional agricultural

products. They can produce fun, recreation, nature-based, or educational

products. They can rely on traditional farm practices or use alternative

methods, such as organic systems. They can be labor and resource intensive or require few inputs. They can operate seasonally or year-round. 

But, alternative enterprises have a common theme: farmers and

ranchers rely on the natural resources of their land – the soil, water,

air, plants, wildlife, and scenery – to keep their family on the farm and

the farm in their family. Since the land’s resources generate income,

conserving those resources only makes good business sense. In many

cases, the value-added alternatives can be combined to yield an even

higher income to the farmer or rural community.

Get the

withWorking Trees

Direct marketing through farmers markets is an

important outlet for agricultural producers. Photo courtesy

USDA NRCS.

Agroforestry can help “reconnect”

agriculture and communities,

while also diversifying a

landowner’s income.

There are several innovative ways to

add value to the farm and generate

more income:

•Grow a commodity for a special market.

•Change the form of a commodity before 

it is marketed.

•Change the way a commodity is packaged

for market.

•Change the way a commodity is marketed.

•Add a new enterprise.
I n the beginning, Kris

and Marty Travis

did not intend to harvest wild onions. They

merely wanted to keep

the perennial forest herb

from crowding out the

other wildflowers. Marty’s

cousin, the owner of the 26-

acre Illinois woodlot had

approach them, concerned that the

onions were taking over. That was

three years ago. Today, these greens

provide almost 70 percent of their total

farm income. 

Ramps (Allium tricoccum), also called

leeks or wild onions, are bulbs native to

eastern North America. They can be

found in patches of rich, moist, deciduous forests from as far north as

Canada, west to Missouri and

Minnesota, and south to Tennessee 

and North Carolina. In late 

winter or very early spring, 

each plant sends up two 

or three broad, smooth, 

ovate leaves, which grow 

to 8 to 12 inches tall. Ramps 

reproduce by bulb division as 

well as by seeds. Large colonies can

blanket a whole hillside or cove.

Harvest usually starts in late March and

early April and continues into May, until

the tree canopy shades the understory

and the ramp leaves die back. see Ramps on page 10

In March 2003, the Travises

harvested 3,500 pounds of ramps

from one-tenth of an acre. They

sold them to a distributor for

$14,000 (twice as much income as

generated from the rest of their

farm’s 100 acres of corn and soybean). In 2004 they harvested fewer

ramps but generated a higher priceper-pound by selling them directly to

restaurants, in addition to distributors.

Restaurants paid $8.00 to $10.00 per

pound whereas the distributors paid

$4.25 per pound. This year, the

Travises harvested just under 4,000

pounds of ramps and several pounds

of seed which they 

will sell to interested entrepreneurs. For

the past two years, they have hosted a

“Chef’s Day,” for nearly 30 chefs and

other “foodies” from Chicago and

downstate. The chefs help dig, wash

and package ramps in the morning.

Then they move into the kitchen to

prepare delicious recipes for folks. The

Travises plan to expand the Chef’s Day

and reduce direct sales to distributors.

They are going to test market providing

ramp flowers to one of their big customers in the Chicago area.

Digging the ramps is labor-intensive

and hard work. The last harvest took

about 4 to 5 weeks. Kris and Marty dig

most of the ramps themselves with

help from high school students that dig

and wash ramps during their spring

break. When the students return to

school, local retirees finish up.

Students are paid $5 per box (dug) and

$8 per box (dug and washed). The

retirees are paid $6 per hour. 

In recent years, the market for ramps

has grown from a local item to a delicacy on the menus of restaurants in

cities like Atlanta, New York, and

Chicago. Still, harvesting ramps remains

a tradition in many communities. 

Annual ramp festivals in North 

Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are

fundraisers for many local organizations and communities. Research by

Dr. J. Chamberlain, USDA Forest

Service, indicates that up to 80 percent

of these groups’ annual income comes

from ramp festivals, and a considerable

amount of the total ramp harvest 

is done by groups like these. 

The Travises realize

Marty and Kris Travis’

farm is located near

Fairbury, Illinois, in

Livingston County. • Fairbury,

Illinois

4 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 15, Issue Two
Volume 15, Issue Two | Inside Agroforestry 5

No longer just a niche market,organic food and the consumers

who buy it are becoming a larger part of

the mainstream. The organic sector has

grown at least 20 percent per year for

the past decade, and currently shows no

indication of slowing down. Consumers

are increasingly concerned about where

and how their food is produced, and

they want access to safe and healthy

fare, which makes organic a viable and

attractive choice for a growing number

of producers.

To sell a crop as “organic” it

must have been, among other

things, raised on land where no

synthetic chemical inputs (including fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, or

fungicides) were applied for three years

prior to harvest. Also, no “genetically

modified organism” (GMO) crops, like

Roundup® Ready soybeans or Bt-corn, are allowed in organic

production. Organic growers and certifying agents are naturally

concerned about contamination from pesticide drift and potential

cross-pollination with genetically-engineered crops. Welldesigned windbreaks can offer many advantages to organic producers; in addition to their obvious function, to protect crops

from physical damage by strong winds, windbreaks can provide a

higher level of assurance that the buffer zone between organic

fields and non-organic uses will remain effective as surrounding

conditions change.

Windbreaks can reduce movement of applied agricultural

chemicals from fields by reducing wind speeds in the fields, and

by intercepting the chemical agents as the drift plume passes

through the windbreak. Windbreaks can also help mix the

drifting compounds vertically in the air by disrupting airflows at the field edge, thereby reducing the concentration of the chemicals in the drifting air. Canada's draft

standard recommends “a hedgerow or trap crop that is

1.5 times the height of the adjacent crop treated with

prohibited materials and at least eight meters wide.”

Specifics are case dependant; more extreme measures may

be necessary adjacent to major sources of contaminants.

In October 2002, regulations set forth by the USDA National

Organic Program (NOP) went into effect. Section 202.202(c) of

the NOP requires a producer to provide “distinct, defined boundaries and ‘adequate’ buffer zones to prevent the unintended application of a prohibited substance to land under organic management.” 

see Organic on page 10

Windbreaks can protect melons from 

pesticide drift and from damage

caused by strong winds, ensuring a

higher quality crop for producers. 

Original photo by Richard Straight.

The organic sector has

reached $7 billion 

annually and continues

to grow at a steady pace.

Kimberly Stuhr

NAC Technology Transfer Specialist

Lincoln, Nebraska
6 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 15, Issue Two

Healthy ecosystems provide a wide

range of economic, environmental,

and aesthetic goods and services. We

readily recognize goods provided by

farms and forests like fruits, vegetables,

and timber. Some services, however, are

so fundamental to life that they are easy

to take for granted; so large in scale that

it is hard to imagine that human activities

could irreparably disrupt them. For

example, bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates help make soil fertile and break

down wastes and organic matter; insects,

bats, and birds pollinate flowers; trees

and other vegetation hold soil in place,

regulate the water cycle, supply food for

animals, and provide aesthetic beauty and

spiritual experiences. These services, and

the ecological systems that supply them,

are so interconnected that they are difficult to quantify and assign value.

Because we are not billed for these

services, the true worth of healthy

ecosystems is not recognized or

accounted for on society’s balance sheet.

Scientists, however, estimate that the

worldwide value of all of these services is

$33 trillion per year. Regardless of their

estimated value, they are considered

public services because their use and benefits are not exclusively controlled or

received by the landowners. 

Markets

In a traditional market system, buyers

and sellers come together to exchange

Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, announced a new

USDA policy on Market-Based Environmental Stewardship

“...to broaden the use of markets for 

environmental and ecosystem 

services through voluntary 

market mechanisms.”
Volume 15, Issue Two | Inside Agroforestry 7

goods or services. In the case of ecosystem services, sellers such as owners of forestland, wetlands, and grasslands are providing clean air,

clean water, and wildlife habitat. Buyers, such as

power plants, community water treatment facilities, and developers may be interested in purchasing credits to offset air emissions, water discharges, habitat/wetland destruction, or simply

ensure future benefits. 

Motivation

• Government or public payments to private 

landowners through conservation incentives

and tax credits.

• Voluntary payments to private landowners 

for philanthropy, public relations, ethical 

considerations, or protection of investments. 

For example, a developer might pay a forest 

landowner to maintain an attractive view, or 

a bottled water company may protect its 

water source by paying upstream landowners 

to implement good management practices.

• Regulations to drive entities to seek more 

efficient compliance, such as conservation 

payments. For example, the EPA watershed-based permit for the Tualatin River 

basin wastewater treatment plants in Oregon

allows trading methods to achieve the 

permit requirement for temperature. Instead

of installing refrigeration systems at two 

Tualatin River treatment plants (at a cost of 

more than $60 million), the wastewater 

utility will pay upstream farmers to plant 

shade trees in the riparian area (at a cost of 

about $6 million). 

Barriers

Markets and mechanisms to assign worth,

quantify delivery of services, and target benefits to buyers are currently being developed.

There are concerns, however, about: the

quality of the services; potentially high transaction costs of facilitating, quantifying, and verifying the services; and a lack of knowledge

among buyers and sellers. k

What is the

NRCS doing?

Market-based conservation is a

set of economic principles and

guidelines taken from the free

market and applied to our natural resources. NRCS overarching strategy is to facilitate the

growth of market-based opportunities that encourage business

and industry to invest in conservation on private lands.

• Encourage broader participation in market-based efforts.

• Build infrastructure – 

internal capacity, communications, research, and 

strategies to increase the use 

of marketing principles.

• Develop measurement tools 

that demonstrate the 

effectiveness of various 

conservation practices.

What is the Forest

Service doing?

Ecosystem Services refers to a wide

range of conditions and processes

through which natural ecosystems,

and the species that are part of them,

help sustain and fulfill human life. 

• An ecosystem coordinator is the 

primary point of contact and 

liaison for agency actions 

involving activities and issues 

related to ecosystem services 

and market-based 

environmental stewardship.

• A Carbon Market Team is 

identifying opportunities and 

making recommendations for 

forest carbon trading systems.

• An agency Ecosystem Service 

Advisory Group is providing 

strategic advice and a set of 

recommended actions to the 

agency executive leadership team. 

What is the USDA doing?

In August 2005, the Secretary of Agriculture issued a memorandum on

USDA Roles in Market-Based Environmental Stewardship. This memo

established an undersecretary-level council to facilitate department activities

and outlines responsibilities for promoting environmental credit trading to

improve the environment and fulfill agency missions. This council will:

• Establish a role for agriculture and forestry.

• Develop a portfolio of tools, models, and procedures for accounting 

and reporting.

• Enable USDA partners to take advantage of stewardship markets.

• Promote the use of voluntary reporting registries.

• Implement a communication plan, both internally and externally, to 

promote market-based approaches, and conduct outreach, education, 

and technology transfer.
8 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 15, Issue Two

delivers a weekly supply of products to

subscribers.

• Organic production and sales: this 

sector continues to increase at 20 

percent per year in the US and has 

reached $7 billion annually.

• Direct marketing: meats and vegetables

for ethnic markets.

Depending on the rural nature of the

farm environment, the space available for

certain recreational activities, and the ecological services provided by the rural landscape, there are additional enterprises that

can be sources of diversified income for

interface farm families. Windbreaks and

riparian forest buffers can provide raw

materials and enhance the natural beauty

of these enterprises. Some options include:

• Horse boarding stables, training, and 

places for riding: growing interest in 

equestrian sports in the US opens this 

opportunity for farmers.

Agritourism

“Agritourism” is a partnership business that can

provide a supplemental, off-season income, or it can

grow into a year-round primary business. This crossroads

of tourism and agriculture allows a producer to generate

profits by replacing or supplementing traditional farm

operations with innovative on-site ventures. There is a

growing concern in the farming sector that consumers

are increasingly disconnected from their food supply and,

subsequently, the policies that support agriculture.

Agritourism provides a means for the agriculture 

community to reconnect with the consumer. For tips on

evaluating potential agritourism ventures, visit ATTRA,

www.attra.org/attra-pub/pickyour.html.

Interface

continued from page 3

• Wildcrafting or harvest of wild or 

semi-wild foods: harvesting mushrooms, berries, or other wild fruits can 

be a source of income.

• Hunting and fishing on private lands, 

fee hunting: close proximity to cities 

All aboard!

Agritourism is a

growing industry

in the United

States. It helps

optimize the 

connectivity

between rural and

urban landscapes,

and narrows the

gap between 

producers and

consumers.

Photo by Rich Straight.

may make hunting difficult, but 

fishing in ponds or streams may be 

possible. 

• Facilities for special events and 

catering: some farm families have 

prepared facilities for weddings, 

parties, corporate picnics, encounters 

with livestock, and other child-friendly 

activities.

• Sports: hiking, cross country skiing, 

camping, snowmobiling, and 

bicycling tours. 

• Birding and wildlife: wildlife watching

generated $32 billion in retail sales in 

2001. 

• Landscape and flowers: flower shows/

nurseries, prairie restoration.

• Heirloom/exotic animals and heirloom

plants.

• Miscellaneous: cooking demonstrations, craft center, general store/

souvenirs, and moonlight activities.

Adapted from: Farming on the Edge:

Agriculture at the Rural/Urban Interface.

Producers can use alternative enterprises

or agritourism to help children cultivate an

interest in agricluture. Photo by Rich Straight.

Agritourism ideas include: 

• Seasonal sales and activities: Upick; small animal petting pens; 

crop art; mazes and tunnels 

(corn, hay, sudan), hay rides; 

sleigh rides, sledding, and ice 

skating (plus, hot snacks afterward); Christmas trees.

• Agricultural events: festivals, 

regional identity marketing, 

tractor pulls.

• Tours: scenic byways, barns, 

wineries/distilleries/breweries, 

cider pressing/tasting, maple 

sugaring, rural education 

centers, living history farms, 

historical sites and museums, 

antique farm equipment.

• Extended visits: bed & breakfasts, vacation farms, dude 

ranches, retreat centers.
June 2003

Before I ordered seedlings, I visited

with Tannis Danley, the Nursery

Manager of Bellville Supertree

Nursery in Bellville, Georgia. I

described the soil type, pH, and

overall condition of the site and I

explained the raised planting beds I

would construct. She recommended

loblolly pine seedling families from

International Paper (IP) Select 2d

Generation. Tannis said,

“International Paper provides the

genetics, a landowner provides the

environment. To get maximum

growth and survival both must be

intensive.” 

June - August 2003

Tested soil, fertilized, and harvested

two cuttings of hay.

Volume 15, Issue Two | Inside Agroforestry 9

From my experience, intensive management is the key to this system. If a silvopasture is not managed, it won't function properly.

A silvopasture is born. Newly-planted

loblolly pine seedlings await their 

complimentary grass planting next fall.

Original photo courtesy Lyn Ellison.

• Tupelo,

Mississippi

Lyn Ellison NRCS Forester Tupelo, Mississippi

September 2003

I set up the planting beds and added

two tons of lime per acre to the

entire site. After several rainstorms,

I ran a cultipacker over the beds to

compact the soil. This eliminated air

pockets and created optimum

planting conditions for the pine

seedlings.

December 2003

We hand-planted IP seedlings on a

5x9-foot spacing. I set a two-row 

silvopasture system up with 40 foot

between each set of two rows of

trees. This worked out to be 326

seedlings per acre.

Early March 2004

I band sprayed (six-foot band) the

seedling beds with 3 oz. Oust Extra

per acre.

see Diaries on page 11

Establishment

decided to incorporate a 40-acre

silvopasture system into my farm

operation during the summer of

2003 after traveling to Florida and

Alabama with Jim Robinson, an agroforester with the USDA National

Agroforestry Center. I tailored information from examples I saw to fit my site

in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. My

plan was to establish a silvopasture

system with improved loblolly pine

trees and improve the pasture grass.

Here is a summary of the steps I took.

I

Silvopasture diaries
10 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 15, Issue Two

Organic

continued from page 5

Figure 1. Geographic distribution of Allium tricoccum. (Jones 1979)

Ramps

continued from page 4

that ramps are a major crop and income

for their farm and that the production

and exposure of ramps will increase in

the future. They continue to make furniture, harvest pawpaw fruit, and are

involved in farm education with hopes

that the diversity of income will show

other farmers and young peoplethat

there are many alternatives to genetically

modified corn and soybeans. 

Typical harvest methods remove the

whole plant and significantly disturb

the regeneration. Studies on ramps

show that a ramp population needs

many years to recover from a single

harvest of this nature. This means that

ramps are a vulnerable species to largescale, frequent harvesting. Also, logging and ridge-top housing development have long-term impacts on ramp

populations; although the extent of the

impact is unknown at this time. 

There have been studies on cultivation of ramps (Jeanine M. Davis and

Jacquelyn Greenfield, Cultivating

Ramps: Wild Leeks of Appalachia) that

indicate that ramps can be cultivated

successfully for commercial purposes

in a forest setting. Harvesting ramps

from easily accessible, concentrated

plantings could benefit festival participants, chefs, and consumers, but also

create a new marketable product for

the commercial grower.

Adapted from an internal Food and

Agriculture Organization (FAO) report

by Emil Nilsson, FAO Intern 2004.

Some common

tools of the trade

include a good pair

of leather gloves, a

digging tool, and a

sturdy bag to take

home the “fruits of

the labor” for

washing and

cooking. 

Photo by Dr. James

Chamberlain.

Integrating windbreaks into a farm

ecosystem provides many additional benefits for organic growers:

• Windbreak species can be selected to 

help develop a natural balance of insect 

pests and predators.

• The buffer zone can be used to grow 

non-organic forage or feed crops. 

Windbreaks offer additional crop 

production choices for home use: seeds,

fruit, and even supplementary feed for 

livestock. 

• Crops grow more efficiently when 

protected from extreme temperatures. 

• More effective pollination and better 

fruit set are possible since bees and 

other pollinating insects are not exposed

to strong winds. Also, wind protection 

produces more marketable fruit with 

fewer skin blemishes and abrasions.

• Windbreaks can reduce fire hazards, 

provided windbreak species are selected

with this function in mind. Of course, 

windbreaks of readily flammable species

can potentially increase fire hazard.

• Trees provide a mulch source when 

windbreaks are trimmed or when 

temporary internal windbreaks are 

removed.

• In drier climates, windbreaks can trap 

snow, thereby improving spring 

moisture conditions. 

• Many wildlife species benefit from the 

diverse habitat that trees and shrubs 

provide. The linear nature of windbreaks makes them invaluable as travel 

corridors. 

Organic farming is a complex challenge

but a promising alternative for producers.

Despite the rigorous standards growers

must meet, the number of organic farmers

continues to increase steadily. Today, there

are approximately 10,000 certified organic

producers in the United States. 

For more information, visit the USDA

National Organic Program website,

www.ams.usda.gov/nop. k
Volume 15, Issue Two | Inside Agroforestry 11

Diaries

continued from page 9

Benefits

This system offers a number of benefits over other pastures on our farm. 

• First, we generate additional cash flow from these acres by producing a foal crop 

that we market each year. The timber benefits from the herbicides we use and 

especially from the fertilizer applied to the grass. This fertilizer will convert more 

tons of pine per acre, which translates to dollars at final harvest. Essentially, I have 

created a cash flow pasture which is also my farm retirement plan. 

• By planting MaxQTM fescue we have reduced our need for hay and eliminated the 

annual planting of ryegrass for our winter grazing. Since we don't have to till the 

soil each fall, soil stays on the farm instead of eroding into the creek. 

• We share our pastures with deer, turkey, and quail. We move the 

mares to summer perennial pastures from June to September, so 

wildlife have the pasture to themselves. This past summer, quail and 

turkey successfully nested in the areas between tree rows. 

• Our farm provides quality habitat for the horses and for wildlife. It 

provides us with a yearly cash flow and also offers long-term financial security 

for my family and future generations. k

Future management

• Fertilize each year as needed 

according to yield and soil 

test results.

• Introduce white clover as a 

companion crop for the MaxQTM.

• Establish central livestock 

watering system.

• Divide property into grazing 

cells so that we can manage 

animal impact on the soil, 

pines, and MaxQTM Fescue. 

• Mares will be moved every 

seven days into a new grazing 

cell. If the pastures start to 

become over-grazed, we will 

reduce number of head or 

remove the entire herd. 

Late June 2004 

The beds became overgrown

with signal grass and foxtail so

we sprayed again with 5 oz.

Arsenal AC, 1 oz. Oust, and 1⁄2

oz. Escort with 15 gallons per

acre (GPA) of water. By controlling the competing vegetation the

trees were able to grow all

summer and into the fall. Like

Tannis said, “without a good

environment the superior genetics

are not fully utilized.”

August 2004

The pasture grass was sprayed

with 5 quarts glyphosate to 20

GPA of water to kill summer and

winter grass in preparation for

planting MaxQTM fescue, a cool

season perennial grass. We

decided on MaxQTM for two 

reasons: 1) the pastures will be 

utilized by brood mares, and 2) we

planned to use these pastures for

winter grazing.

Left, Lyn Ellison

stands next to

loblolly pine trees

on his farm in the

spring of 2005.

Below, horses

graze a MaxQTM

fescue pasture. 

Photos courtesy Lyn

Ellison.

April 2005

I sprayed pastures with Weedone LV4 EC

to control buttercups and band sprayed the

pine seedlings with 4 ounces Arsenal AC, 3

oz. Oust Extra with 15 GPA to control

grass near the trees. We also applied fertilizer to the MaxQTM and the pine seedlings.

My seedlings got 35 pounds of Nitrogen

and 50 pounds of Phosphorus. The pastures

received double this amount. Another cycle

of pasture fertilization followed in October.

Summer 2005

I cut hay on the silvopasture twice to keep

the MaxQTM from producing seed heads.

Cutting promotes tillers and increases grass

stand density.

October 2004

We drilled in 25 pounds of

MaxQTM fescue per acre. 
USDA National Agroforestry Center

East Campus–UNL

Lincoln, NE 68583–0822

PRSRT STD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

USDA — FS

PERMIT NO G-40

August 15–17, 2006

2006 Sustainable Agriculture Research

And Education (SARE) National 

Conference. Oconomowoc, WI. 

Contact: Linda Kleinschmit, 402–254–

3310, lkleinschmit@nebraska.edu, 

www.sare2006.org.

September 5–8, 2006

Floodplains, Riparian Zones, And 

Buffer Strips. Columbus, OH. Contact: 

Holly Bartholomew, 843–471–2357,

bartholomew.6@osu.edu,

http://streams.osu.edu/conf.php.

October 25–29, 2006

Eighty-Sixth Annual Society Of 

American Foresters National 

Convention: "Our Woods: Wild And 

Working." Pittsburgh, PA. Contact: 

Society Of American Foresters, 

1–866–897–8720, 

www.safnet.org/natcon-06.

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use, $300

Address Service Requested

InsideAgroforestry VOLUME 15 ISSUE TWO

Upcoming Events

“Inside Agroforestry” is published quarterly by the USDA

National Agroforestry Center. Phone: 402–437–5178; Fax:

402–437–5712.

• Greg Ruark, NAC Program Manager (256–372–4540)

• Michele Schoeneberger, FS Research Lead (ext. 21)

• Rich Straight, FS Lead Agroforester (ext. 24)

• Bruce Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester (ext. 36)

• Kimberly Stuhr, Technology Transfer Specialist/

“Inside Agroforestry” Editor (ext. 13)

• Ryan Dee, Technology Transfer Assistant (ext. 14)

www.unl.edu/nac

Mission

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of

the Forest Service (Research and Development and State and

Private Forestry) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

It is administered by the Forest Service, Southern Research Station;

and its program manager and headquarters are located in Huntsville,

AL, on the campus of Alabama A&M University, while its research,

clearinghouse, and technology transfer staff are concentrated in

Lincoln, NE, at the University of Nebraska. 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.

Policy

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.

November 12–16, 2006

Annual Meetings Of The American 

Society Of Agronomy, Crop Science 

Society Of America, Soil Science 

Society Of America, Indianapolis, IN.

Contact: Keith Schlesinger, 608–273–

8080, kschlesinger@agronomy.org, 

www.acsmeetings.org.

For more upcoming events, visit our 

website calendar: 

www.unl.edu/nac/calendar.htm.