Workshop will give a broad overview of agroforestry with special attention focusing on forest farming & silvopasture.

OSWEGO CO., N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Oswego County will be hosting a free online workshop through Zoom on Wednesday, November 10^th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This workshop will explore some of the different ways the small farms community can develop greater resilience by adopting agroforestry practices. Agroforestry describes a wide range of land-use practices that combine farming (of plants, animals, fungi) with trees, shrubs and forest ecosystems. Agroforestry can help provide new opportunities to increase farm income while also receiving other environmental and social benefits.

This workshop will give a broad overview of agroforestry with special attention focusing on forest farming and silvopasture. Forest farming is the cultivation of high-value, non-timber forest products under the protection of a forest canopy. Forest farming does not significantly interfere or modify forest ecosystems, but essentially allows agricultural producers to farm in the woods. Some of the forest products that will be highlighted include: maple & walnut syrup, raspberries, blackberries, pawpaw, shitake & lions mane mushrooms, nuts trees (walnut, hickory, pecan, hazelnut) and medicinal crops like American ginseng, cohosh and goldenseal.

Silvopasture is the integration of livestock, trees, and forages into existing woodlots or by bringing trees into pasture settings. Grazing livestock under tree cover not only reduces animal heat stress during the summer months, it also allows livestock producers to grow wood or other agricultural products as an additional source of income. Essentially, agroforestry practices like forest farming and silvopasture try to stack multiple enterprises on the same piece of land. Not only can this increase and diversify farm revenue, it can also lead to greater farm resilience.

This online workshop is open to all members of the general public, including those interested in learning about agriculture, new/beginning farmers or longstanding agricultural producers looking to make a change or add something new to their farm. Guest speakers will be Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth Mudge, from the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, and Brett Chedozy, Senior Resource Educator in Agriculture and Natural Resources at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County. To register please go to: reg.cce.cornell.edu/agroforestryworkshop_235

For more information please contact Joshua Vrooman, Agricultural Community Educator for CCE of Oswego County at jwv33@cornell.edu or 315-963-7286 ext. 200.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities, and provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County office if you have any special needs. For more information please call 315-963-7286 or go online to www.thatscooperativeextension.org.

–Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County