NE Advanced Agroforestry Training for Natural Resource and Agricultural Educators

2015 Annual Report for ENE15-134

ENE15-134 (project overview)
Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2015: $96,444.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2018
Grant Recipient: PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry
Region: Northeast
State: Pennsylvania
Project Leader:
Susan Richards
Email
Capital RC&D
Co-Leaders:
Tracey Coulter
Email
PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry

NE Advanced Agroforestry Training for Natural Resource and Agricultural Educators

Summary

Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees with crop and/or animal production systems to create economic,environmental, and social benefits. Agroforestry practices provide protection for topsoil, livestock, crops, andwildlife; increase productivity of agricultural and horticultural crops; reduce need for energy and chemical inputs;
improve water and air quality; enhance biodiversity and landscape diversity; and diversify local economies.A study of Pennsylvania farmers and land owners (Strong and Jacobson, 2006) found that 90 percent of the respondents would consider adopting agroforestry if information were made available and if they could see working demonstrations. In the past year, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, PA Certified Organic, PA Women Agriculture Network, Woodland Owner’s Associations and the PA Farmer’s Union requested

agroforestry support and education. However, despite growing interest and recent advances in the science and practice of agroforestry, regional adoption has been limited, in part, because few natural resource advisors and educators have sufficient agroforestry training to support landowners and practitioners in agroforestry adoption.Further, most existing agroforestry materials are designed for the Southeast and Midwest regions.

 

Agricultural service providers need educational resources and support to assist Northeastern farmers and landowners in developing and implementing agroforestry practices that enhance agricultural operations, diversify income sources, and build ecological resiliency and stability on farm and forest lands. This project will provide

advanced training on the five key agroforestry practices

• windbreaks or living fences that buffer field, farmstead, and livestock;

• riparian and upland buffers, which act as sponges and filters to protect water quality;

• silvopastoral systems that combine trees, livestock, and forages;

• alley cropping integrates annual or perennial crops with high-value trees and shrubs; and

• forest farming where agricultural products are grown under a managed forest canopy.

Natural resource educators, including agency, NGO, early adopters, peer-to-peer volunteer networks, and extension staffs will be the primary project beneficiaries. These trainees will form the foundation of a regional community of educators that, in turn, will provide advice and information to farmers. Expanding the pool of producers and service providers who are comfortable with agroforestry practices and design will facilitate knowledge transfer and land steward adoption of agroforestry. This will have cascading effects by enhancing economic and ecological diversity and increasing the resiliency and sustainability

of rural and urban forest and agricultural communities and food systems.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objectives/Performance Targets

 PERFORMANCE TARGET

Performance target: 60 Northeast service providers who receive comprehensive agroforestry training will provide agroforestry assistance to 120 farmers and graziers who manage 3,600 acres of woodlot. 

 

 

Accomplishments/Milestones

Accomplishments and Milestones

The multi-state agroforestry training team held 3 conference calls during Fall 2015 to develop and assign chapters for the NE Agroforestry Training Manual – with a target completion date of June 2016.  The team comprises the core membership of the nascent Northeast – Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Working Group (NEMA) and includes members from federal, state and academic institutions.  The team established tentative dates and times for webinars, beginning in March of 2016 with an introduction to agroforestry that will cover the five main practices.  The team is working with producers and venues in northwestern Pennsylvania to plan a three-day agroforestry intensive training for July 2016. Site visits for this training will focus on agroforestry products such as maple syrup, ramps, mushrooms, ginseng, and chestnuts. Website development is underway to house agroforestry materials produced through this grant and to provide links to agroforestry information pertinent to markets and growing conditions found in the Northeastern United States.

 

Milestones

  1. 400 service providers and 300 farmers are invited to Agroforestry webinars

January 2016

 

  1. 100 providers and 40 farmers participate in webinars and are introduced to agroforestry, 80 respond to survey at end of introductory webinar to identify interests and gaps in education

February 2016

 

3 40 service providers and 40 producers attend maple syrup field days in NY and PA.

Early Spring 2016

 

  1. 50 service providers respond to invitation and 30 are confirmed for 3 day training, enroll in community of practice and core training program and commit to participating in 3-day comprehensive training workshops

April 2016

 

  1. 40 service providers and 40 producers attend ramp field days in 2 states.

Early Spring 2016

 

  1. 400 service providers and 300 producers receive invitation to 2nd webinar series.

Early spring 2016

 

  1. 30 service providers attend first 3 day training that will prepare them to advise farmers on the benefits and opportunities of implementing agroforestry practices on their farms and woodlots. Participants will complete pre-program knowledge surveys.  Participants also complete post-training survey to identify future training needs and to measure knowledge acquired.

Summer 2016

 

  1. 140 service providers and producers participate in 2nd webinar series; 80 respond to survey at end of introductory webinar to identify interests and gaps in education.

Fall 2016-Summer 2017

 

  1. 80 service providers and 40 farmers attend 4 agroforestry workshops on silvopasturing and forest farming.

Summer 2017

 

  1. 300 service providers

Invited to participate in community of practice and core training program and commit to participating in 3-day comprehensive training workshops.

January 2017

 

  1. 50 service providers respond to invitation and 30 are confirmed for 3 day training, enroll in community of practice and core training program and commit to participating in 3-day comprehensive training workshops.

March 2017

 

  1. 30 service providers attend 3 day training that will prepare them to advise farmers on the benefits and opportunities of implementing agroforestry practices on their farms and woodlots. Participants will complete pre-program knowledge surveys.  Participants also complete post-training survey to identify future training needs and to measure knowledge acquired.

Summer 2017

 

  1. 40 service providers respond to participant follow-up survey and complete and return verification surveys to report on completed and planned educational and outreach programs and stakeholder adoption of agroforestry practices as a result of these efforts. Project evaluation and report.

Winter 2017-18

 

Project team completes project evaluation and report.

Fall 2017 – Summer 2018

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Collaborators:

Steve Gabriel

sfg53@cornell.edu
Ext. Agroforestry Specialist
Cornell Small Farms Program
15A Plant Science Building
Ithaca, NY 14853
Office Phone: 6072559227
Lee Rinehart

lee@paorganic.org
Director of Education and Outreach
PA Certified Organic
106 School St
Suite 201
Spring Mills, PA 16875
Office Phone: 8144709734
Stephen Childs

NY State Maple Specialist
Cornell Cooperative Extension
G19 Fernow Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Office Phone: 6072551658
Craig Highfield

chighfield@chesapeakebay.com
Prgm Mgr: Foersts for the Bay
lliance for Chesapeake Bay
410 Severn Ave
Suite 209
Annapolis, MD 21403
Office Phone: 4102675723
Susan Stein

Director
National Agroforestry Center
201 14th St SW
Mailstop 1123
Washington, DC 20002-9900
Office Phone: 2022050837
Dr. James Finley

fj4@psu.edu
Center for Private Forests
Penn State RNR Extension
332 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
Office Phone: 8148630402
Susan Parry

susan.parry@pa.usda.gov
Grassland Conservationist
PA NRCS
1 Credit Union Place
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Office Phone: 7172372253
Brett Chedzoy

bjc226@cornell.edu
Sr. Resource Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension
323 Owego St
#5
Montour Falls, NY 14865
Office Phone: 6077423657
Erik Hagan

erik.hagan@psu.edu
Project Coordinator
135 W. Chestnut St.
PO Box 654
Pine Grove Mills, PA 16868
Office Phone: 3034082442
Hannah Smith-Brubaker

hannah@villageacres.com
Diversified Livestock abd vegetable farmer
Village Acres Farm
229 Cuba Mills Rd
Mifflintown, PA 17059
Office Phone: 7174369477
Dr. Peter Smallidge

pjs23@cornell.edu
Senior Extension Associate
219 Fernow Hall
Ithaca, NY 14851
Office Phone: 6075923640
Dr. John Fike

jfike@vt.edu
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech
185 Ag Quad Lane
365 Smith Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Office Phone: 5402318654
Dr. John Munsell

jfmunsel@vt.edu
Forest Management Extension
Virginia Tech
304 Cheatham Hall 0324
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Office Phone: 5402311611
Dr. Eric Burkhart

epb6@psu.edu
Plant Science Program Director
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center (PSU)
3400 Discovery Rd
Petersburg, PA 16669
Office Phone: 8148632000
Website: www.ShaversCreek.org/plantscience|http://ecosystems.psu.edu/directory/epb6
Dr. Michael Gold

goldm@missouri.edu
Ass.Dir. Center for Agroforestry
University of Missouri
203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building
Columbia, MO 65211
Office Phone: 5738841448
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