Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The Saskatchewan Forest Centre (SFC) is putting on a conference in Saskatoon on March 21 and 22, 2006, on the subject of "Deriving Diversity on the Farm through Agroforestry." Organizers hope to attract farmers, researchers and government representatives to discuss the future of this emerging economic sector in Saskatchewan, according to SFC’s Joanne Kowalski.
“We wanted to get people together to talk about the opportunities in agroforestry, so we put together a two-day event that would allow the dissemination of research," she says. "I am sure there are farmers who want to know what research is going on, and some researchers who want to know what opportunities exist in their chosen field, as well."
Mark Shepherd, an American consultant, will give a presentation entitled "Diversification from a Wisconsin Experience." Shepherd is actively involved in agroforestry in Wisconsin and with all the on-farm diversification it can lead to.
Later on, in "A Perspective from the Poplar Council of Canada," silvoculturalist, consultant and poplar expert, Cees van Oosten, will share some of what he has learned on the ground.
“Mr. van Oosten is actually doing some work through our Forest Development Fund, in partnership with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and the Canadian Forest Service, on preparing a hybrid poplar growing manual, and is looking at some crop densities for hybrid poplars on the prairies,” says Kowalski. “He has lots of experience growing poplar, and he knows the physiology and the trees really well. We wanted to get his input.”
This presentation will be followed by a session on "Silvopasture: a Component of Tree Farming," with Phil Leduc of Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI). The SFC has a silvopasture demonstration site through its Forest Development Fund. This is a collaboration among PAMI, the Farm Co-operators and the Agri-Food Innovation Fund (AFIF).
“Later on, we’ll have a session on 'Alternative Agroforestry Systems: Fruits and Nuts' with Bob Bors of the University of Saskatchewan," says Kowalski. "He is the fruit tree breeder. After that, Kurt Chesley of Forintek Canada Corp./SFC will talk about 'Agroforestry and Niche Markets'—which niche markets need to be filled and which poplar products can answer these needs.”
The conference participants will also be invited to pick up a paper in which the Saskatchewan Forest Centre is promoting a community development model that would incorporate trees.
“If you had a hog barn, you could plant trees around the barn, reduce energy costs and diffuse odours, but you could also fertilize the trees with the hog effluent, and, eventually, the community could have a sawmill or other industries that could produce value-added products. It is an integrated model that corresponds to each community’s vision. Doug Currie of the Saskatchewan Forest Centre will look after that one,” Kowalski says.
There will also be a session entitled “Future Paths for Farming Trees," with Bill Sullivan, the president of Parkland Agroforestry. Parkland is a group that has been around for a long time and has lots of demonstration sites. Parkland is engaged in a number of key initiatives. Sullivan, himself, produces hybrid poplars and cattle, and he is starting to grow some fruit trees. Organizers picked him to speak because he is an example of what can be done in agroforestry.
The session takes place at the Park Town Hotel in the Oak Room. Registration is $50.00 for the two days or $25.00 for one. To register, contact Kowalski at the Forest Centre at 765-2840.