UMCA News Release
UMCA's Inaugural Agroforestry Research Symposium
to be streamed live
December 30, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. - You can now learn more about research, resources and possibilities in agroforestry from the comfort of your own home or office.
The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry will stream its upcoming Inaugural Agroforestry Research Symposium live Wednesday, Jan. 6, beginning at 9 a.m.
"We hope this will make the information more accessible," said Mike Gold, associate director of the Center. "We like to get the word out about what's going on in this innovative field to as many landowners, natural resource professionals and other interested parties as possible." Agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees, shrubs, crops and/or livestock, provides habitat for wildlife; diversifies farm income; and improves air, water and soil quality.
The keynote speaker for the symposium will be Andy Mason, interim director of the USDA National Agroforestry Center, who will speak on "Agroforestry in America: New opportunities for a sustainable future." Mason's talk will begin at 9 a.m.
The symposium also will include presentations by David Burner, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, USDA-ARS, Booneville, Ark., "Regional Collaborative Research on Diverse Biofuel Grasses," 10 a.m.; Ranjith Udawatta, Stephen Anderson and Peter Motavalli, MU Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, "Agroforestry's Environmental Services: Drawing the Big Picture," 10:40 a.m.; and Mike Gold and Larry Godsey, MU Center for Agroforestry, "Specialty Crop Industries for the Midwest," 11:20 a.m.
To view the live stream for the event, go to http://www.more.net/content/streamed-events; contact information for MOREnet, the stream host, and system requirements are also on this Web page. A test stream is available and trying it ahead of the live symposium stream is recommended. If you encounter trouble viewing the test stream, first contact your network administrator.
The morning symposium itself is free and open to the public, Gold said. No registration is necessary; the event will be in Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union North, on the University of Missouri campus. Posters will be on display beginning at 8:30 a.m.
In addition to the live stream, the symposium will be recorded and posted for future viewing on UMCA's Web site, http://www.centerforagroforestry.org
Michelle Hall
Senior Information Specialist
Center for Agroforestry University of Missouri
573-882-9866
hallmich@missouri.edu
Source:
Michael Gold, 573-884-1448
