Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals
Do you advise land managers, and have an interest in learning more about forest farming, silvopasture, or alley cropping? The increasing interest in agroforestry among land managers has produced a growing need for technical assistance. Join us to learn more about these practices to provide agroforestry technical assistance to your clients.
Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals (ATFNP) programming is an inter-regional collaboration that is has been led by Appalachian Sustainable Development since its inception in 2021. ATFNRP offers consistent, regionally appropriate educational opportunities to natural resource professionals who advise or assist land managers with the adoption or expansion of agroforestry practices. This program offers a series of in-person trainings combined with online courses. The online courses are all designed to be a la carte, so you can attend whichever sessions you choose. In-person trainings are offered across the United States through various partners at both the 100 & 200 educational levels. To learn more about current educational opportunities within our region, the online courses and our current ATFNRP partners, please click the associated tab below.
If you are interested in learning more about Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals programming opportunities, please contact Stesha Warren at swarren@asdevelop.org. If you’d like to stay up to date on ATFNRP programming within our region then please consider signing up for our quarterly ATFNRP Newsletter below:
As a part of Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals, online courses are now available on-demand. While it isn’t required, we do recommend that you take the relevant online courses before attending an in-person workshop, as it will provide important foundational knowledge. Online courses are self-paced and include videos, audio presentations, and supplemental resources so you can dig deeper into each subject.
Course topics include:
• Introduction to Agroforestry for Natural Resource Professionals
• Fundamentals of Alley Cropping
• Fundamentals of Forest Farming
• Fundamentals of Silvopasture
• Fundamentals of Social Competency: Growing Agroforestry
• Understanding NRCS Support for Agroforestry
Registration is now live at www.learnagroforestry.com/professionals.
Seating is limited for all events. In the event the training you are registering is full, please sign up on our waiting list to be notified if spaces open up. All events are rain/shine.
Agroforestry Fundamentals
September 17, 2024 | 9am-4:30pm
Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program, Virginia Tech’s Center for Systems and Community Transformation, Appalachian Sustainable Development and partners are excited to invite you to this one-day Agroforestry Training for Natural Resource Professionals on Agroforestry Fundamentals.
Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees and/or shrubs are grown with crops and/or livestock. This intentional combination of agriculture and forestry has a variety of environmental and economic benefits. Join us and learn about the principles, practices, design tools, and historical context of agroforestry in Virginia. Hear from farmers and natural resource professionals about their experience establishing and managing agroforestry systems in Virginia. Get to participate in hands-on activities in a forest farm mushroom demonstration plot. You’ll leave with a greater understanding of agroforestry and ways you can support your clients with these practices.
This event has been approved for the following: 4 NRCS Planner Certification Contact Hours; 4 DCR Certified Conservation Planner Contact Hours; 6 SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits.
For more information contact Katie Trozzo at ketrozzo@vt.edu or Nadine Jackson at njackson@vsu.edu.
Silvopasture 201: Design Intensive
October 24-25, 2024
Catawba, Virginia
Virginia Tech’s Catawba Sustainability Center, Virginia Tech’s Center for Systems and Community Transformation, Appalachian Sustainable Development and partners are excited to invite you to this one-day Agroforestry Training for Natural Resource Professionals Silvopasture Design Intensive.
Silvopasture is the intentional integration of forages, trees, and livestock, and can help increase the productivity and health in farm and forest systems. Join us for a deep dive where we go beyond the basics to share the latest research, technical resources, and on the ground silvopasture case examples. Participants will learn about design tools and processes and then be guided through hands on design activities. You’ll leave with a greater ability to support landowners with silvopasture technical assistance.
An online silvopasture course is available for free to all registrants. This introductory online course OR participation in the Silvopasture Fundamentals training held last year is a required prerequisite to help prepare you for this more advanced training.
This event has been approved for the following: NRCS Planner Certification Contact Hours: 8 total (4 each day); DCR Certified Conservation Planner Contact Hours: 8 total (4 each day); SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits: 10 total (4.5, Day 1 and 5.5, Day 2).
For more information contact Stesha Warren at swarren@asdevelop.org or Katie Trozzo at ketrozzo@vt.edu.
These Virginia workshops are made possible through partnerships and funding by:
● Appalachian Sustainable Development
● Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation
● Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center
● Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program
● Virginia Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS)
● Virginia Cooperative Extension
● Virginia Association for Biological Farming
● Southern Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE)
● Edwards Mother Earth Foundation
● Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARK) Exchange Network
● Stone Root Farm
This training program is an interregional collaboration between Appalachian Sustainable Development and:
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