UMCA News Release
MU Center for Agroforestry to bring North American Agroforestry Conference to Columbia May 31-June 3
April 20, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The top agroforestry researchers from across North America (and beyond) will converge on Columbia, Mo., Sunday, May 31-Wednesday, June 3, as the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry hosts the 11th North American Agroforestry Conference.
Agroforestry - intensive land-use management combining trees and/or shrubs with crops and/or livestock - promotes new market opportunities, sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, habitat for wildlife, improved water quality, and diversified farm income.
"We are delighted to showcase our agroforestry research program," said Mike Gold, associate director of the MU Center for Agroforestry. "Agroforestry practices are a great way for the family farm to diversify income and protect the environment in a sustainable manner. We will all learn from the expertise that will be on the University of Missouri campus for the conference."
The conference will bring together expert speakers on all aspects of agroforestry, including carbon markets, soil and water quality, economics and marketing, bioenergy and forest farming. In addition, the event will include tours of local working agroforestry farms, featuring practices such as forest farming, silvopasture, upland buffers and alley cropping. Producers already involved in agroforestry practices will be on hand to share their experiences.
One-day and full registrations, and exhibit and sponsorship opportunities are still available for the conference. In addition, media are invited to attend any portion of the conference by contacting Michelle Hall, senior information specialist, at 573-882-9866 or hallmich@missouri.edu
Conference sponsors include the Association for Temperate Agroforestry; MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center; MU's Wurdack Farm; MU's Greenley Research Center; the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station; USDA, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education; USDA, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service; and the USDA National Agroforestry Center.
For more information about the conference, contact Julie Rhoads, technology transfer events coordinator, at 573-882-3234 or rhoadsj@missouri.edu, or go to: http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/events/afta/index.php
--Michelle Hall
Senior Information Specialist
Center for Agroforestry
University of Missouri
(573) 882-9866
hallmich@missouri.edu
Source:
Mike Gold, 573-884-1448, goldm@missouri.edu
Julie Rhoads, 573-882-3234, rhoadsj@missouri.edu
