InsideAgroforestryVOLUME 22 ISSUE 2 LocallyLocally SourcedSourced When we think about agroforestry, the production side of agroforestry – the trees, crops, and livestock that make up agroforestry systems – Inside is often what we think of first, not the economics or products. Plant a Many publications address the ecology The articles in this newsletter aren’t meant Tree of Life and management of agroforestry systems or to be comprehensive. There are many 4 their ecological benefits. Others focus on agroforestry systems not mentioned here the ecological benefits of these agroforestry that produce important food products, like FOOD HUB FACTS Food hubs manage the aggregation, practices, such as improved water, soils, meat from silvopasture systems and grain distribution and marketing of source-identified products primarily from local and regional = 5 producers producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy and wildlife habitat. Food sometimes gets from fields protected by windbreaks. Instead, wholesale, retail, and institutional demand. overlooked, even though its production is this newsletter tries to get us thinking about often a primary driver for landowners. emerging agroforestry markets and systems. Median number of producers The Emerging Role or suppliers per food hub This newsletter seeks to highlight the It addresses agroforestry in places where of Food Hubs 6 62% of food hubs FOOD HUB surveyed began foods that agroforestry producers grow. It we don’t traditionally think of them, like operations within also addresses how agroforestry producers backyards, and discusses new species that the last 5 years 62% Customers are usually within fit into food systems at different scales. can be grown in more traditional agroforestry 400 miles of the food hub In addition to being a component of the systems, like hazelnuts in windbreaks. physical landscape, these producers are For the general public, food products Eat Here important components of economic and produced in agroforestry systems can be an social landscapes as well. Explaining what important route to understanding Schools & Grocery Restaurants Hospitals these landscapes look like and what happens agroforestry. Highlighting some of these 9 to products once they get off the farm is foods can help gain more attention for the important to understanding agroforestry. other benefits of agroforestry systems. ] Meet Steep Demand Percentage of food hubs surveyed that are either non-profit, for profit, or have another organizational framework Source: Fischer, M., Hamm, M., Pirog, R., Fisk, J., Farbman, J., & Kiraly, S. (September 2013). Findings of the 2013 National Food Hub Survey. Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems & The Wallace Center at Winrock International. Retrieved from http://foodsystems.msu.edu/activities/food-hub-survey of trees and other woody plants Elders of the Northern Ojibwe with the Bayfield and Ashland and the economic benefits Nations on a Native Foods Project Counties and UW-Extension, the associated with their products. to promote a healthier diet based on AERC established the ten acre Lake By incorporating trees into traditional native food plants. This Superior Woody Biomass Trials in agricultural landscapes, farmers includes traditional recipes that use 2010 to research and demonstrate can bolster the economic woody biomass cropping in and environmental When completed, this site will provide support of wood-to-energy sustainability of their As time marches on it is good to reexamine what has been done as The other new AF Note also has a dimension of looking back. an example of a functional conservation projects in the region. This a way of strengthening how to move forward. The most recent This Note is the first one that looks at Traditional Ecological farming enterprise. This project site is another great particular demonstration Agroforestry Notes have come about in this way. The first AF Note Knowledge, TEK, as it relates to agroforestry. TEK is indigenous practice that can produce food, culturally opportunity to demonstrate site consists of a windbreak the use of income-generating was an introduction to agroforestry in the U.S. Quite a General – 1 cultural resource management information that has designed to keep snow important plants, and other income bit has changed since 1995. For starters, this been developed over time. Although agroforestry is a plant species in agroforestry AF Note — 44 from drifting onto the generating products. revision of AF Note 1 has photographs May 2014 AGROFORESTRY NOTESrelatively new term in land management, some plantings. Together with Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Introduction NGLVC parking lot. This in Agroforestry the demonstration site C of each agroforestry practice instead ommunities around the world have practiced diverse and evolv General — 14 of the production of food and goods both indigenous and non-indigenous practitioners have developed agroforestry practices of gr publication, we focus on the role of indigenous, traditional ecological knowled USDA NRCS PHO kind of windbreak is sometimes include American Indians, Alaska Natives, Caribbean and Pacific Islanders, and others. Because i many of the fruit and nut species groups have lived in the same areas for long periods of time, each generation has built on t previous generation through observation and experiment at NGLVC, this location will intricate ways to manage bioculturally diverse ecosystems. of diagrams, because landowners AGROFORESTRYbines NOTES TO done with TEK are very similar to fuel, building materials, agricultural and plant-tending tools, hunti A Changed ceremonial spaces essential to life and maintaining cult called a living snow fence. Landscape found in great diversity on public United States are learning from these complex sy r-resilientstry May 2014 Within the United States, many indigenous communities and practitioners continueing to forms car of agroforestry for centuries. demonstrate to farmers that money are applying agroforestry and we An Overview of Agroforestry onmental management practices, but others struggle to do so. While some indigenous commu agroforestry. Many Tribal communities to continue managing their ancestral homelands, a AF Note – 1 Agroforestry is a management system that com incentives, and socio-cultural practices mean that most indigenous and The Northern Great Lakes Visitor ation. In this manner, indigenous groups have evolved and private lands in the region. agriculture and trees to address conservation needs have not been managed in their traditional ways for over a hundred years. Thi ge. Indigenous communities 2 These ecosystems are managed to provide food, and build more profitable and weathe impossible—toNRCS District Conservationist continue speakstraditional with two management landowners pract eat value, in this 1 can be made with windbreak. This can share their systems instead of farms, ranches and communities. Agrofore icultural towns,about and their subdivisions. forest management Others plan. are managed by state and federalstems. agenciesural traditions. or p Many agroforestry practitioners in the While are currently managing lands using TEK practices provide opportunities to integrate whose management goals are different from the indigenous peoples’. Even w ng and trapping equipment, baskets, and Introduction ltural crops; 3) reduce inputs of productivity and profitability with envir communities have been able to retain or secure management rights to land, they may need t he knowledgendigenous of the Center (NGLVC), located on the amount of managementlants and (e.g. animals; thinning, 5) improve burning, water pruning, planting) in order t About four times per year the Tribal stewardship resulting in healthy and sustainable agricultural systems that can be passed on to landscape (e.g. to provide food, medicine, basketry materials, etc.).ltered political boundaries, laws, regulations, economic future generations. may lead to more windbreaks g lands at the landscape scale. drawings of concepts. People and Additionally,m climate income; change 7) enhance is altering biodiversity; storm, fire, 8) improvedisease, drought, and flooding patter with excellent results. These systems are Trees and shrubs can be included into agr ranges for many of the speciesurban upon landwhich uses indigenous by creating people “ecobelts” traditionally that rely. On top of t systems in many ways. Depending on the continue to cause dramatic ecological changes. Thus, traditional practitionersices. Some are ancestral adapting homelands their practi have become cities, northern edge of the Chequamegon- Learning from tribal communities’nities ancestral have been homelands able Elders have met at the Visitor Center ry on traditional situation and application, agroforestrysuit the new conditions of today functionaland to prepare landscape for tomorrow. that can Many contribute of these to practicesthe can infor practices can:Traditional 1) provide protectionadaptation for strategies. Ecological econnect agriculture, people, and communities. Applying valuable topsoil, livestock, crops, and s has made it difficult—if not being planted. Knowledge At the same time that indigenous practitionersards are adaptingand vegetable to changing fields shelteredconditions, by ther organizations are also looking at wildlife; 2) increase productivity of agricultural and horticu sect problems, and in many cases described in this Agroforestry Note. NAC interest among landowners and land managers to manage