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AFTA Publications
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July 2005
AGROFORESTRY NEWSLINE >>> July, 2005 News of the science and practice of temperate agroforestry in North America, brought to you by the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA). Welcome Agroforestry Conference Participants Following last month's Ninth North American Agroforestry Conference in Minnesota, AFTA has started a complimentary subscription to our monthly email letter, Agroforestry Newsline, for all registrants. We hope that you will find it a useful source of current information on agroforestry and related disciplines. It will alert you each month when new information is added to the AFTA website and announce events of interest to the agroforestry community. We welcome you to join AFTA as a regular or student member and enjoy the benefits thereof, e.g. significant discounts on books and journals, and access to exclusive content. Should you wish to unsubscribe from Agroforestry Newsline, or change to a different email address, please visit the subscription page. Don't worry - we respect your privacy and your email address will go no further.
IN THIS EDITION:
"Forest Gardening" New to the Agroforester's Bookshop is the revised (1996) edition of "Forest Gardening" by Robert Hart. Co-author with J. Sholto Douglas of the classic agroforestry text, "Forest Farming" (1984), Hart created an intensive seven-story forest garden on his farm in England. The book will provide some interesting insights on combining trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants to maximize productivity in a small space. As always, AFTA members can purchase the book at a significant discount. A brief introduction to Hart's forest garden can be found at http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/roberthart.html. "What's New" Update Visit the "What's New" page of the AFTA website to see new listings of books in print, internet resources, calendar listings, research in progress and job opportunities, all related to temperate agroforestry. Dynamic Bibliographies of Conservation Buffers The Water Quality Information Center at the USDA National Agricultural Library offers dynamically-generated bibliographic searches of topics related to conservation buffers, including alley cropping, riparian buffers and windbreaks. You can do a one-click general search or focus on specific water quality aspects of conservation buffers, e.g. effects on erosion and sedimentation, nutrients, pesticides, and fish and wildlife. Agroforestry Update (BC) The June edition of "Agroforestry Update," published by the British Columbia Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, includes several interesting stories. In southeastern BC, the Hawthorn Agroforestry Demonstration Farm trials are experimenting with alley-cropping the native hawthorn (Cratageus spp.) for medicinal herbal products. In the same region, Christmas tree growers are benefiting from silvopastoral management of the understory in stump-cultured Douglas fir stands. Native peoples in the Peace region of northern BC have formed the Boreal Centre for Conservation Enterprise to develop new enterprises based on agroforestry for rural development. To receive a PDF copy of the latest "Agroforestry Update" or to subscribe, contact George Powell at agroforestry@uniserve.com. Wood Quality Implications of Forest Management A new extension publication from Oregon State University looks at the basics of conifer tree growth, characteristics that define wood quality, and the effects of silvicultural management practices on wood quality. Of relevance to agroforestry practices that aim to grow valuable timber are the various ways that managers can influence wood quality, e,g, planting density, thinning, pruning, fertilization, etc. The publication is relevant not only to western conifers, but also to softwood species in other regions as well. Read "Tree Growth, Forest Management and Their Implications for Wood Quality" (PNW 576) online or order a printed copy ($2.50) from Extension & Station Publications, Oregon State University, 422 Kerr Admin., Corvallis, OR 97331. Trial of Fast Growing Trees for Phosphorus Uptake The East Texas Plant Materials Center near Nacogdoches is testing several fast-growing tree species for planting in riparian buffers specifically to intercept high levels of phosphorus in poultry waste before it impacts water bodies. Six species were planted in 2003 in high-P and control plots, including cottonwood (Populus deltoides), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). For more information, contact Jim Stevens, PMC Manager, at Jim.Stevens@tx.usda.gov. USDA Announces Farm Bill Forum Sessions To gather input on issues related to the next US Farm Bill, USDA is sponsoring a series of public meetings around the US. The first Farm Bill Forum was held July 7 in Nashville, TN. Upcoming events are planned for North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. There is also a link from the website above for anyone to submit comments online. USDA is seeking public comment on six policy questions related to barriers to entry into farming, domestic and global competitiveness, distribution of program benefits, conservation and environmental goals, rural economic development, and opportunities to expand products, markets and research. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to the following correspondents and sources for the information they contributed this month: Gary Kuhn, George Powell, and NACD. YOU CAN HELP Please tell us about agroforestry-related news from your area or institution. We welcome your contributions of photos and/or news about useful information sources (in print and online), education and training opportunities, research or demonstration projects, success stories, etc. For submission guidelines, please visit www.aftaweb.org/resources1.php?page=47. Contact the Newsline editor by e-mailing editor@aftaweb.org. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Agroforestry Newsline: www.aftaweb.org/resources1.php?page=7 |
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