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Silvopasture Works with Landscape, Climate to Meet Farming Goals

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Silvopasture Works with Landscape, Climate to Meet Farming Goals How to decide Research results MOSES Conference Cooperative which market for no-till in registration opens model for CSA is best fit organic system Nov. 30 marketing Page 5 Page 9 Page 10 Page 13 Volume 23 | Number 6 Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service November | December 2015 Silvopasture works with landscape, climate to meet farming goals By Keefe Keeley Although a subject of contem- ■ Interactive relationships porary agricultural science, silvo- among tree, livestock, and pasture has timeless roots. The forage components; word comes from the Latin silva ■ Integrated function in a single for forest, or the Roman deity management unit, including Silvanus, known for protecting both farm and forest produc- woodlands, fields, and flocks of tion as well as amenity values livestock. Aptly enough, silvopas- such as wildlife habitat, water ture integrates these very ele- quality, and soil conservation. ments of the farm. Although still relatively In more recent history, USDA uncommon in the Midwest, scientist J. Russell Smith silvopasture is big business in researched the value of trees in other parts of the world. Dehesa agricultural systems. The first silvopasture in Spain and Portu- half of his classic volume Tree gal covers about 5 million acres Crops is devoted to the use of (one-seventh the area of Wiscon- trees in livestock production. sin). This cultural landscape Silvopasture—the integration Icelandic sheep graze under hickory trees at Badgersett Farm in Canton, Minn. features oak for cork, acorns for of livestock, pasture, and tree Photo by Tobias Carter, Savanna Institute high-value Iberian ham, and crops—offers a modern method fodder for other livestock to to achieve Smith’s vision of trees providing for Not to be confused with the tree-like Ents graze among the trees. In Finland, Norway, and human needs while sustaining the land. The of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, these four “Ints” dis- Sweden, commercially-harvested reindeer graze USDA considers silvopasture one of five practices tinguish silvopasture and other agroforestry 100 million acres of managed birch and pine within the field of agroforestry, and define the practices from other farming methods: forests—an area nearly the size of California. practice as “intentional combinations of trees ■ Intentional combinations of trees, livestock, Silvopastures also are common in the pine plan- with livestock which involve intensive manage- and forage for their mutual benefit; tations of the southeastern U.S. ment of the interactions between the components ■ Intensive management of land, fertility, grazing, as an integrated agroecosystem.” water, and other farm features; To Silvopasture on page 6 Business is booming for St. Paul-based aquaponics venture By Jennifer Nelson Where once beer flowed off an assembly line, vegetable production, including seeding, trans- tilapia and leafy greens grow. Aquaponics facility, planting, and harvest. Urban Organics seeds Don’t miss an issue! Urban Organics (UO) now grows thousands of leafy greens of kale and chard, and herbs includ- pounds of fish and certified organic produce in the ing basil and cilantro directly into seedling trays, Check the date in the address box below. former Hamm’s brewery near downtown St. Paul. then transplant into main grow-out area. The UO opened in 2014 and already has a second site vegetables grow in inert neutral growth substrate Renew online or call Carly at 715-778-5775. in the works at the former Schmidt brewery on under 180 fluorescent grow lights for 14 to 16 West 7th Street, also in St. Paul, Minn. hours per day. The fish wastewater cycles through Dave Haider, UO’s co-founder and manager, the agri-foam, feeding nutrients to the veggies. Picked up this newspaper at an event? took time out of his busy schedule overseeing The veggie-cleaned fresh water filters back into operations and construction of the new facility to the fish tanks, and so the cycle continues. Subscribe now — it’s free! share the business’s founding story. Haider ran a Lunds and Byerly’s are loyal buyers of UO fish construction business for years, and came home and vegetables, along with many local restau- one evening after a long, hot day and told his rants and retailers. mosesorganic.org/sign-up wife, Kristin Koontz Haider, he wanted to do dif- Kristin Koontz Haider facilitated the organic ferent work. Watching TV that evening, she saw certification process through the Minnesota Crop the charismatic Will Allen of Growing Power talk Improvement Association (MCIA) in 2014. Dave about the benefits and ease of aquaponics. Koontz To Aquaponics on page 14 Haider encouraged her hus- band to look into it. Haider did his research, and soon had two friends, Chris Ames, a realtor, Eau Claire,Eau WI PERMIT # 203 and Fred Haberman, a mar- NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID keter, interested in the project. With these thoughtful, creative minds involved, it wasn’t long before the quartet—Koontz Haider jumped in to help—was in the aquaponics business. Haider oversees operations while managing the produc- tion at the Hamm’s site. His day often begins with main- tenance on the recirculating aquaculture system, including Please renew Please your free before subscription expires! it feeding and taking care of the fish. Currently they are grow- ing tilapia with a 12-month Greens irrigated by water from the fish tanks in the foreground grow inside growth cycle. On the other side the Urban Organics aquaponics facility in St. Paul, Minn. PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 Spring Valley, 339, PO Box of the aquaponics system is the Photo by Urban Organics TM Change is coming to MOSES Volume 23, #6 November | December 2015 From the From the Executive Director Board President Executive Director Faye Jones Twenty years ago The organic food Managing Editor Audrey Alwell MOSES was just a sector has seen Contributing Editors Harriet Behar Jody Padgham glimmer of an idea. tremendous growth in Advertising Coordinator Eric Hatling Today, it’s a thriving the past 25 to 30 years. Online Coordinator Carly Stephenson organization with 10 hard-working staff members What some may not know is that the pioneers in this and many program areas, including the flagship movement were working the fields, walking the halls TM The Organic Broadcaster is a bimonthly MOSES Organic Farming Conference. I have been of Congress, and developing strong standards many newspaper published by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a privileged to be a part of growing MOSES into a years before the federal Organic Foods Production nonprofit that promotes organic and sustainable agriculture through education, resources and nationally respected organization serving farmers Act of 1990. practical advice. and advocating for organic and sustainable farming. Faye Jones was one of these pioneers. Her early Opinions expressed by the authors do not Today, I’m announcing that I’ll be leaving MOSES leadership and resulting contributions have been necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply In the spring of 2016. I was the first MOSES employee instrumental in making MOSES what it is today: endorsement of a product. We reserve the right all those years ago, and it’s time to pass the reins a leading national resource for farmers who want to to refuse inappropriate advertising. © 2015 MOSES to someone new. This is a great time for MOSES: transition to or improve their organic and sustainable Content may be reprinted with permission. our core programs are thriving; we have two new practices. Her creativity, energies and vision helped Contact [email protected]. Organic Specialists in the MOSES office; we are strong shape the annual MOSES Organic Farming Display Advertising: financially; and, we have many solid programs in Conference into an event now serving over 3,400 [email protected] or 715-778-5775 place and new partner projects underway. attendees from all across the U.S. and overseas. Content Submissions or Inquiries: It gives me such hope to see the commitment and As a long-time organic farmer and teacher, I will [email protected] dedication to organic farming of so many people be forever grateful for the programs, materials and Free Subscription: from diverse backgrounds. When I started organic personal connections MOSES has made available to mosesorganic.org/sign-up or 715-778-5775 farming more than 30 years ago it was hard even me over the years. As president of the MOSES Board to be taken seriously. Now organic has become of Directors, I speak on behalf of current and past MOSES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit qualified to mainstream! There are so many terms used now to board members in thanking Faye for the strong receive tax-deductible donations. Please support our programs and this talk about healthy food. Whether you’re growing organization we have today. It is fiscally sound, FREE publication with a donation: organic, local, sustainable, natural, biological, or programmatically robust, and very well staffed. MOSES, P.O. Box 339,Spring Valley, WI 54767 grass-fed, you’re helping change the way America As our first, and, to date, only executive director, Online: mosesorganic.org/donate farms. Faye has plowed an impressive path. it is hard to One farm at a time, we are creating a better imagine MOSES without her. We honor her transition MOSES educates, inspires, world. I feel truly blessed to be part of the good food and wish her well in her next chapter. We are and empowers farmers to thrive in a revolution. I look forward to many more years of confident our next executive director will find MOSES sustainable, organic system of agriculture. shaping our agricultural future. well positioned for the future. ~ Faye Jones, MOSES Executive Director ~ Carmen Fernholz, MOSES Board President Posting for MOSES Executive Director: mosesorganic.org/farming/job-postings mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775 | 3 Spread word about benefits of organic to counter negative media stories By Harriet Behar Each year, organic products make up a higher learned.
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