Agroforestry Training and Resources for Natural Resource Professionals in Washington and Oregon

View the project report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: agroforestry, alley cropping, forest farming, intercropping, silvopasture, windbreaks
• Education and Training: extension, technical assistance, workshop
• Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, habitat enhancement, hedgerows, riparian buffers, soil stabilization, wildlife
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, integrated crop and livestock systems, permaculture

Agroforestry is emerging as a valuable solution to seemingly opposing land use issues and demands in the Pacific Northwest. Innovative farmers in our region are adopting agroforestry and showing how this land use is both sustainable and resilient while also increasing habitat and restoration goals in Washington and Oregon. 

This project will combine in-person and online educational content including farm field days, webinars, videos, and a handbook for agroforestry planning and design to increase capacity to plan and implement agroforestry across Oregon and Washington. Following on successful models in the Midwest and the Northeast, this project will build the capacity for state agencies to support a burgeoning interest in agroforestry from producers throughout the region and add a critical tool to the suite of practices promoted for climate smart agriculture in our region. Professionals who engage with these trainings will be plugged into the regional agroforestry working group for ongoing networking and training opportunities. 

This project is a collaboration between working farms, agroforestry practitioners, and state conservation agencies to provide training in regionally specific agroforestry practices for natural resource professionals. The project team will create videos in collaboration with farmers to highlight agroforestry systems in Oregon and Washington. A handbook for Pacific Northwest agroforestry planning and design will be adapted from the University of Missouri’s Center for Agroforestry. We will conduct two professional development field trainings that include: 1) in-person gathering for networking and discussion including presentation of the handbook; 2) site visits to local farms (highlighted in the videos) to view active agroforestry sites and learn from farmers and service providers who collaborated to develop the successful projects. Finally,  we will host an online training utilizing content developed through the videos and handbook to reach professionals that could not attend in-person events.  All educational products will be distributed to participants and project collaborators for dissemination.

This project has three overarching project objectives. Related activities are listed below each objective. 

Objective 1:

Increase the capability of resource professionals (NRCS, conservation districts, Extension service, and watershed councils) to articulate, plan, and implement agroforestry on farms in Washington and Oregon by 2025.

1. Host two in-person and two online sessions over the project period
   1. train a minimum of 100 agriculture and natural resource professionals.

Objective 2:

Increase the quantity and availability of regionally specific agroforestry resources for use by resource professionals by 2025.

1. Develop a series of four 10 minute case-study videos highlighting farmers who are utilizing agroforestry practices and make available for free viewing
   1. Achieve 200 views per video.
2. Record two online trainings and make them available for asynchronous viewing
   1. Achieve 100 views of recorded webinar/training.
3. Develop “Handbook for Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Planning and Design”
   1. Achieve 200 downloads of guide.
4. Promote and disseminate professional and peer reviewed resources (video and webinars, literature) via the networks of all partners including both working groups, Oregon State University, Washington State University Extension, Agroforestry Northwest, Center for Rural Livelihoods, and NRCS.

Objective 3:

Build and streamline collaboration and outreach for agroforestry in Washington and Oregon by 2025. 

1. Agroforestry Northwest and the Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Working Group will grow their membership by at least 50 members across their respective state geographies. 
2. WSU Food Systems, NRCS, Washington and Oregon Conservation Districts, Oregon Watershed Councils, and Washington and Oregon Extension Service will collaborate to promote and disseminate educational content to their networks.
3.