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Cultivating agriculture that works for the future

There are currently 8 active working groups in the agroforestry coalition. Each working group functions as a community of practice, where people with experience or interest in the topic areas connect, learn from each other, and spark collaborations that remove barriers to agroforestry adoption. To learn more or join a working group, please visit our contact page.

Communications

Co-chairs: Mallory Daily, University of Missouri, Center for Agroforestry, and Renee Gasch, Savanna Institute

The communications working group focuses on raising the profile of Agroforestry activities led by Coalition members and adjacent groups. This year they are particularly focused on placing agroforestry-related stories (featuring coalition members) in national publications, and in building and training an agroforestry speakers bureau. The goal of these efforts is to build awareness of the benefits of agroforestry among members of congress, and to connect members of congress to agroforestry activities in their constituencies. To learn more about how to get involved, read the blog post and visit our contact page

Demonstration Farms

Co-Chairs: Samantha Bosco, National Agroforestry Center Nathan Ayers, Chiwara Permaculture and West Michigan Agroforestry Partnership

Agroforestry demonstration farms are businesses or organizations practicing agroforestry with a public-facing educational component of their mission. Demonstration farm leaders, agroforestry educators and those interested in learning more about agroforestry practice connect, support each other, and share resources through this working group. This group is also in the process of collecting information for a US agroforestry demonstration farms database. To learn more about how to get involved, read the blog post and visit our contact page

Ecosystems Services

Co-Chairs: Nate Lawrence, Savanna Institute and Siddarth Machado, The Nature Conservancy
The ecosystem services working group builds shared understanding about how the ecological benefits of perennial agriculture are measured, interpreted and communicated. Currently, much of the funding for conservation practices in agriculture goes to large-scale operations and traditional forestry. This is changing with the launch of the federal Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities program. The ecosystems services working group is currently convening agroforestry-focused recipients of the PCSC grant to discuss approaches to carbon measurement and how the grant recipients work together to amplify their impact. To learn more about how to get involved, visit our contact page

Finance

Co-Chairs: David LeZaks, Food System 6, PJ Connolly, Savanna Institute and Sarah Larson, Food Finance Institute
The finance working group focuses on growing the quantity and quality of capital invested in the agroforestry sector. Interest and investment in Agroforestry is accelerating, with private, federal and philanthropic agencies and organizations increasing their support for climate smart agriculture. The finance working group is engaging finance providers and the broader capital community in a pre-competitive space to work collaboratively toward appropriate financing for agroforestry. To learn more about how to get involved, visit our contact page

Markets

Co-chairs: Tera Johnson, Kitchen Table Advisors, and Bill Davison, Savanna Institute.

The markets working group focuses on growing the market for agroforestry products and supporting agroforestry entrepreneurs. In 2023 this group is generating ideas for processing infrastructure development for functional berries, and for an entrepreneurship training program for emerging agroforestry products companies.

Nurseries

Co-chairs: Erik Hagan, Savanna Institute and Steve Gabriel, Wellspring Forest Farm (Amy Miller, Route 9 Cooperative - co-chair emeritus)
The nurseries working group focuses on germplasm development and nursery stock production and sales for agroforestry crops. While creating space for conversation and connection around these topics, they are also developing a collaborative project to support breeders and nursery owners. The nurseries working group is designing a mini-grant program to help nurseries experiment with new, or scale up existing, practices or technologies, and extend what they learn to other nursery businesses. To learn more about how to get involved, read the blog post and visit our contact page

Policy

Co-chairs Bev Paul, Davenport Policy, and Cristel Zoebisch, Carbon 18
The policy working group focuses on identifying and advancing policy priorities to support agroforestry. Policy working group members gather to learn about active policy initiatives and how they can support this work by activating their networks in strategic states and districts. The working group’s 2023 priorities include: developing and garnering bipartisan support for two agroforestry marker bills to be included in the 2024 Farm Bill, a white paper on agroforestry practices and impacts, and advocacy within the USDA to help shape new agroforestry technical assistance programs. To learn more about how to get involved, read the blog post and visit our contact page

Technical Assistance and Training

Co-chairs: Hannah Hemmelgarn, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, and Katie Commender, Appalachian Sustainable Development
As demand for agroforestry and funding for its implementation increases, so does the need for technical assistance. Currently, the number of natural resource professionals (NRPs) experienced in agroforestry is significantly limited nationwide, and those who are capable of providing technical assistance are overwhelmed with farmer requests. This working group will provide a critical space to address this issue by bringing together NRPs and partners to develop national level solutions and proposals for agroforestry training across regions to scale up NRP technical capacity. Over time, this group will serve as a peer-to-peer support and learning network for agroforestry technical assistance providers (TAPs). To learn more about how to get involved, read the blog post and visit our contact page
The Agroforestry Coalition

We foster collaboration across sectors to increase the number of farms and ranches producing food via the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into cropping and livestock systems.

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