As a result of a cooperative project between AFTA and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, many new agroforestry-related activities in Canada have been added to the o­nline database. Some of these projects are described in French and others are in English, and there are now search tools in both languages. Over 170 activities are currently listed in the database, including research, demonstration, training, university courses, etc., from every region of the US and Canada.

 

Medicinal Herbs for Commerce

 

As part of its Specialty Crops program, North Carolina State University is working with farmers in the Appalachian region of NC to develop a medicinal herb growing industry. The Medicinal Herbs for Commerce project provides start-up grants of $2,500-$5,000 for program participants who agree to cooperate with Extension advisors to keep careful records and host educational field days. Participants also receive technical assistance with production and marketing. Information contacts and application forms are posted o­n the website above.

 

 

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) has published a new, second edition of its book, "The New American Farmer,' which documents 60 "success stories" of farmers and ranchers who have improved the economic, social and environmental aspects of their farming operations by adopting sustainable agriculture practices. Profiles of three landowners who have adopted agroforestry practices are included: a coffee, fruit and vegetable small farm in the Northern Mariana Islands using windbreaks and alley cropping; a Missouri farmers practicing alley cropping in his pecan orchards; and an intensive forest farming operation to grow ginseng under hardwood forests in West Virginia. Read individual chapters o­nline, or purchase the book from the SARE website.

 

 

United Plant Savers (UpS), a nonprofit group based in Vermont, is dedicated to the conservation of native medicinal plants. Priority attention is given to a list of 20 species that are most at risk from over-harvesting in the wild, including American ginseng and goldenseal. The group actively promotes cultivation of native woodland herbs as an alternative to wild-crafting and its website includes information about cultural practices that are relevant to forest farming. For more information, see http://unitedplantsavers.org/.

 

 

Scientists at the ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, West Virginia report in the August issue of "Agricultural Research" o­n lessons learned from o­n-going silvopasture research. Charlie Feldhake, ARS soil scientist, initiated the silvopasture trials at the Center in 1991. All aspects of the tree - forage - livestock systems are under investigation, including both above and below-ground interactions. ARS research has shown that silvopasture is not o­nly well-suited to Appalachian hill land conditions, but is also a viable way for small landowners to diversify their farming activities.

 

 

USDA announced the availability o­nline of National Cooperative Soil Survey maps and data. Three integrated tools help users find and display the soil survey info they're seeking: Define, View and Explore. Once a specific geographic area is selected, the soils map and related information can be printed or saved. Customized reports that include soil suitability info can be created for delivery o­n CD, DVD or other media.

 

 

In the Ozark Mountains of southeastern Missouri,  Nicola Macpherson and her husband, Dan Hellmuth, are using forest farming techniques to cultivate shiitake mushrooms under native oak forests. Oak logs thinned o­n a rotational basis from the family forest are inoculated and then stacked in the shade of the forest canopy until the mushrooms fruit 6-9 months later. The farm business, Ozark Forest Mushrooms, supplies the organic-certified mushrooms to gourmet restaurants, specialty markets and direct to consumers through an o­nline catalog.