AGROFORESTRY FIELD DAY is sponsored by

Itinerary:

11:00 am Registration and refreshments
11:15 am Presentation: Agroforestry, Wildlife Conservation, and Food
11:45 am Catered Lunch from Out n’ Out
12:30 pm Transit to Riveredge’s Sandhill Agroforestry Site
1:00 pm How to Hazelnut
1:45 pm How to Heritage Apples
2:45 pm How to Prairie
3:30 pm How to Elderberry
4:30 pm Social hour with local beer + Tree and Plug Giveaway!

Session Descriptions:

Agroforestry for Wildlife Conservation, Connection and Food: Matt Smith will share how agroforestry crops meld agriculture and ecological restoration to create more wildlife habitat and access to new food systems. Highlights include funding sources for land owners, the wildlife benefits of adding native cover, and Riveredge’s plans for a future community orchard.

How to Hazelnut: Savanna Institute will discuss the planting of native vs. new hybrid hazelnuts for production and enjoyment. Session includes how-to’s on plant selection, site preparation, establishment, pruning, harvest, and disease management.

How to Heritage Apples: Dan Bussey will help us better understand how to care for existing or inherited apple trees in disrepair, or those that we are planting new. Session includes how-to’s on ‘when to throw in the towel’, grafting applications, plant selection, site preparation, establishment, pruning, harvest, and disease management.

How to Prairie: Matt Smith will showcase planting and seeding strategies for acreages as small as a backyard corner to “back 40” acres. Session includes how-to’s on site preparation, seed and plug selection, installation timing, cover cropping, maintenance mowing, weed management, and burning.

How to Elderberry: Mike Breckel, owner of Ocooch Mountain Elderberries, will speak on elderberry propagation for a bountiful harvest. Session includes how-to’s on plant selection, site preparation, establishment, to pruning, harvest, and disease management.

Speaker Profiles:

Dan Bussey: Dan is widely known for his expertise as the author of The Illustrated History of Apples In the US and Canada and his previous work as Orchard Manager for Seed Savers Exchange. Dan has been dedicated to preservation and management of heirloom species, bringing many back from the brink of extinction.

Matt Smith: Matt has over 22 years of experience as a restoration ecologist. He is the Director of Research and Conservation at Riveredge, leading project planning, monitoring, reporting, and implementation. Matt has worked on projects throughout the Great Lakes region, covering a wide range of disturbance and habitat type.

Mike Breckel: Mike is the owner of Ocooch Mountain Elderberries, an agricultural cooperative. Mike has 20 years of experience propagating elderberry varieties in the upper midwest. In addition to mentoring elderberry enthusiasts, he is the inventor of a unique elderberry destemmer.

Members:

Follow the instructions using the button below to login to your member account for member discounts on programs and events. You can use this login to check your membership status, see your expiration date, and renew your membership as well.

If you don’t see the member price after logging in, need help checking your membership status, or you are unsure what email address we have on file, please reach out to our Membership Manager, Renee Buchholz at [email protected] or call the Riveredge office at 262-375-2715.

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