Agroforestry
The Hunt for the Hickory
Beginning this year, we are conducting a public “Hunt for the Hickory” campaign, seeking to identify existing stands of hickory trees that have potential to be harvested for nut oil production. After locating existing hickory stands, landowners will be offered contracts to allow crews of people to clear and maintain the harvest area around the trees in the late summer, and to return in October for harvest. \
Some Questions
Do you like spending time outside?
Could you use seasonal work paying a living wage?
Are you interested in becoming part of a grassroots movement that builds place-based food security?
Quick Details
Did you know that the most common hickory species in our region produces an oil-rich nut that can be pressed into a delicious culinary oil similar to olive?
This fall, beginning late September, Yellowbud Hickory trees will be dropping thousands of gallons of fresh nuts that will be pressed into a delicious and nutritious staple fat.
We have located many beautiful trees waiting for our love and attention, all we need is a team of dedicated pickers!
We have created a volume-based payment system that will provide a living wage for pickers. For each 5-gallon bucket of fresh nuts, we will pay $25. Conservatively, this equates to $10-15/hour while learning the ropes, and can very likely become $25+/hour once pickers “get the swing of things.”
If you’re interested, please email Tina Barney at tbarneyvt@mac.com. More details to come soon!
Save the Date!
To kick off the Hunt, on August 10-13th we will be hosting a new, immersive musical, EF! at the Dartmouth Organic Farm in Hanover, NH.
EF! brings the audience into the direct action environmental movement via an immersive performance that imagines the audience as attendees at an action camp, preparing for a blockade. This performance will be coupled with a clean up and educational activity in the same hickory tree forest where we are performing. The audience will be invited to either camp out overnight after the performance or return in the morning to participate.
Upper Valley Urban Agriculture and Agroforestry Tour
The Upper Valley Agroforestry and Urban Agriculture Tour, organized by the White River NRCD and VT Healthy Soils Coalition took place on July 29, 2022.
The goals for this tour were:
- To connect VT Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Conservation District staff with on-the-ground projects focusing on agroforestry and urban agriculture and to help direct federal funding to projects such as these.
- To better understand federal and state funding opportunities, codes and calendars, block Grants for community gardens and composting, opportunities for urban ag and agroforestry, mulching, cover cropping, tree nurseries, and food security.
- To lift up the amazing work being done on the ground by Vermonters all over the state who are leading the way to invite massive biodiversity back to the land while building the social mycelium and shared educational systems.
The Six Tour Stops:
Pocket Park, South Strafford, VT
Clifford Park Food Forest and Abenaki Garden, West Hartford VT
Riverwalk Trail Food Forest, White River Junction VT
Tina Barney's Home, Hartland VT
Windsor Community Garden & Food Forest, Windsor VT
Cedar Mountain Farm, Hartland VT
Thank you to our local TV Station, JAM, for documenting this event.
Pictured from left to right: Joe Buford, USDA-NRCS VT; Jesse Marksohn, Yellowbud Farm; Stephen Leslie, Cedar Mountain Farm; Travis Thomason, USDA-NRCS VT; Karen Ganey, Permaculture Solutions; Jennifer Byrne, White River NRCD; John Roberts, USDA-FSA VT; Elodie Eid, Yellowbud Farm; Cat Buxton, VT Healthy Soils Coalition; Karl Thidemann, Soil4Climate and White River NRCD
Agroforestry Presentations with Juan Alvez, Ph.D
In April 2023, our District co-hosted a mini-series with the Franklin County NRCD and the VT Healthy Soils Coalition featuring Juan Alvez, Agroforestry Specialist at University of Vermont Extension.
Watch the recordings of Juan's presentations here:
Rotational Grazing in Silvopasture: Research Lessons from Brazil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgmqviz7M_U
Proposal to Advance Agroforestry among Vermont Farmers
Farm2Plate Agroforestry Priority Strategy Team
Our District Manager co-facilitates the Agroforestry Priority Strategy Team hosted by the Farm2Plate Network. The team meets on the first Friday of every month from 10-11:30am. This is a space where practitioners and researchers of agroforestry meet to share ideas, knowledge, and updates on their work. Consider joining the Network to stay in the know about agroforestry work in Vermont! https://www.vtfarmtoplate.com/user/register