The 2024 Agroforestry Symposium: Silvopasture in Practice to take place January 17th in Columbia, MO and Online

News,

Contact:
Mallory Daily  dailyml@missouri.edu
Hannah Hemmelgarn  hemmelgarnh@missouri.edu

                                                       

Every year, the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri hosts a public Symposium to grow connections and raise awareness about important work happening in our field. The 2024 Symposium on Silvopasture in Practice is free to attend and will take place at the beautiful Center for Missouri Studies building in downtown Columbia and online for virtual participants. Registration and program details are available at https://centerforagroforestry.org/annual-symposium/.

During the full-day event, we bring together leading scientists, technical service providers, and experienced producers to explore the complexities, promise and potential of silvopasture – the intentional combination of livestock, forage, and trees managed as part of integrated farm systems.

Silvopasture practices have emerged as some of the most critical agroforestry tools for carbon sequestration and farm system integration. As funding and technical assistance for silvopasture establishment becomes more readily available within new and existing incentive programs, we understand the need to convey the complexity of these integrated systems, the challenges producers face, and their stories of success.

The 15th annual Symposium on January 17, 2024 will celebrate collaboration and encourage knowledge exchange among a diverse community committed to identifying a roadmap for integrated agricultural systems, ecological health, and farm viability. The program brings leaders in this field from all corners of the U.S. to share their important perspectives:

Long-term Silvopasture Research at the Center for Agroforestry, 10:15 – 11:00am CT

  • Dr. Ashley Conway-Anderson, Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri, assistant research professor focused on silvopastural systems and tree-forage-livestock interactions

Silvopasture Adoption & Technical Assistance Insights, 11:00am – 12:00pm CT

  • Julie Hager, Savanna Institute, technical service provider and grazing specialist who develops plans for managed grazing and silvopasture in Wisconsin
  • Steve Gabriel, Wellspring Forest Farm, agroforestry practitioner, consultant, and author of beautiful and informative books, Silvopasture (2018) and Farming the Woods (2014)

Producer Conversations: Confronting Realities of Silvopasture Implementation for Intergenerational Land Repair, 1:00 – 2:00pm

  • Molly Taylor, PT Ranch, farmer-rancher and coordinator for a USDA climate-smart project with Wolfe’s Neck Center in California
  • Josh Payne, Rusted Plowshare Farm, farmer and agroforestry champion in Concordia, MO stewarding 30 acres of chestnuts, 800 ewes, and NRCS-supported conservation buffers

Real Impacts of Silvopasture Panel, 2:00 – 3:15pm CT

  • John Fike, PhD, Virginia Tech, Extension specialist and professor focusing on forage systems, biomass, and silvopasture adoption
  • Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Regenerative Agriculture Alliance cofounder, and Tree-Range Farms farmer, mentor, and innovator
  • Austin Unruh, Trees for Graziers, founder and consultant focusing on tree fodder and nursery stock for silvopasture

Silvopasture Across Regions and Climates Panel, 3:15 – 4:30pm CT

  • Wyn Miller, Lick Skillet Farm, silvopasture practitioner and ecological landscape design consultant in East Tennessee
  • Eli Roberts, Interlace Commons, Technical Service Provider, forester and grazing specialist serving the Northeast U.S.
  • Christine Nieman, PhD, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, USDA Agriculture Research Service, research animal scientist focusing on silvopasture management and forage establishment

Reception and poster session, 4:30 – 5:00pm CT

  • featuring music from Noah Earle, Brush and Trouble Farm

Join us for this full day of presentations, panels, networking and discussions on silvopasture research, intergenerational land management, regional insights and challenges, and the impacts of silvopasture as a climate-smart land management strategy.

The 2024 Agroforestry Symposium: Silvopasture in Practice
Wednesday, January 17 from 10 am to 5 pm
Attend in-person at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St. Columbia, MO
or participate virtually via Zoom!
For more details, visit https://centerforagroforestry.org/annual-symposium/
Register at https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Di19FhGfoMi3l4

About The Center for Agroforestry
The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri (UMCA), established in 1998, is one of the world’s leading centers contributing to the science underlying agroforestry, the integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes. The Center provides technical resources, training, and engaged research for the advancement of agroforestry. Learn more at https://centerforagroforestry.org/ and follow our work @MizzouAgroforestry.

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