Pacific Island Agroforestry Workshops and Field Visits

View the project final report

• 2006 annual report

Commodities

• Agronomic: sugarcane
• Fruits: avocados, bananas, figs, citrus, pineapples, general tree fruits
• Vegetables: sweet potatoes, beans, greens (leafy)
• Additional Plants: herbs, native plants, ornamentals, trees
• Animals: bees, bovine, poultry, goats, sheep, swine

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage, free-range
• Crop Production: conservation tillage
• Education and Training: technical assistance, demonstration, display, extension, networking
• Farm Business Management: value added, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: afforestation, biodiversity, hedgerows, riparian buffers, soil stabilization, wildlife
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, holistic management
• Soil Management: organic matter, soil analysis, nutrient mineralization, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, sustainability measures

This project presents two 4-day workshops in Hawai‘i (primarily for Hawai‘i participants) and Guam and Palau (primarily for Pacific Basin participants). Each workshop consists of about 50% classroom-style presentations and 50% field visits. Resource professionals will present topics such as “agroforestry-friendly” NRCS standards, soil quality considerations with agroforestry, tree-crop competition, new perspectives in windbreak design, conserving traditional varieties and native species, and value-added and direct marketing strategies. This project gives NRCS personnel, cooperative extension agents, and other agricultural professionals firsthand experience of agroforestry systems, presentations from experts, and resources, thereby furthering the introduction of agroforestry throughout the region.

1) Audience

Based on consultations with NRCS staff in Hawaii and Guam, and UH cooperative extension staff in Hawaii, the following numbers of participants are expected:

NRCS personnel: 30–40 (15–20 each workshop)
Cooperative extension: 10–15 (5–8 each workshop)
Other extension professionals (ethnobotanists, ag consultants, NGO’s, etc.): 20–40 (10–20 each workshop)
Farmers, ranchers, nurserymen, etc.: 20–40 (10–20 each workshop)

The minimum expected at each workshop is 40, with a minimum total number of 100.

2) Activities and methods

Workshops will consist of three half-day classroom presentations followed by half-day field visits, and one full day of field visits. Classroom presentations will be scheduled to illustrate the day’s field tours as best as possible.

3) Products

An agroforestry resource list for Pacific islands will be produced. Each presenter (both speakers and farmers) will be asked to recommend agroforestry resources, including books, periodicals, internet sites, and organizations. The resource list will be given to workshop participants in hardcopy form, and posted at agroforestry.net (and made available for posting to other web sites). Also, a photographic record of the field visits will be made consisting of photos taken by the project coordinator and photo contributions from participants. The photos will be compiled with captions into a virtual tour of the field visits and posted for free viewing at agroforestry.net. The resource guide and virtual tour will be distributed on CD to 100 NRCS, cooperative extension and other ag offices throughout the American-affiliated Pacific.