USA - views from a foreigner

Observations

So some observations from my nearly 4 weeks in the USA;

1. iPhone with Tom Tom – Brilliant – door to door faultlessly all over the USA
2. Flags – Patriotism is high everywhere – ive never seen so many flags on porches, in gardens, over shops, car lots etc etc……I guess us brits are more reserved and ned a royal wedding to shake the union Jack
3. Mowing grass – I have never seen so many mowers operating….in gardens, on verges, in parks, on campuses etc. The grass ‘medians’ between freeway lanes are superwide and stretch for hundreds of miles – they top them frequently – I wonder if anyone has thought that they would make excellent hey!....also some of the front grass curtlages in front of some factories are larger than some of my cropping fields – I wonder If they would let me grow some onions on them???
4. Gas (petrol) is $3.90/ gallon c.60p/litre at the pumps – and they are moaning about price hikes! – I think climate change and dwindling oil reserves will come as a shock
5. No diesel cars in the USA – I believe it’s a Detroit conspiracy…..With the long distances you would expect lots of TDI cars…but no. Yes smaller cars being driven than 20 yrs ago when I last visited, cars are typically not much bigger than in the UK but all are large engine petrol cars which on a good day do 30mpg….many pickup trucks only doing 10-15mpg…..
6. Humidity at 95% in Georgia – takes some getting used to – Feels like someone dripping hot water over you and sticking you in an oven……
7. Corn and Soy beans in the mid west – Miles upon miles of nothing but corn and soy beans – Im only seeing them at 1-2 feet high but I bet by August it looks like a continual swathe of green. The endless prairies go on for ever but are not featureless or unlikeable…
8. Trees and hills in PA – I had forgotten how green and tree covered Pennsylvania was from visiting 20 yrs ago. Its very pretty with long high ridges and deep valleys with streams and rivers…50% of the state is covered by trees….beautiful.
9. Cinnamon – Other than a bit in apple pie we Brits don’t realy do cinnamon…In the USA however its popular. Cinnamon bread, toast, buns, breakfast cereals, coffee etc etc etc. Some supermarket Isles smell of cinnamon
10. Meal ‘sides’ – Im used to ordering a meal and that’s what I get….as ordered. In the USA you get a whole bunch of ‘sides’ as well….a side of fries, a salad, bread etc all accompany the main event….so I have to remember not to order too big a main dish as the meal doubles in size with all the ‘sides’
11. Supersize – The Germans have extra engineering chromosomes, the Indians and extra small biz chromosome, the Brits an extra queuing one…the USA…well I think they have an extra ‘supersize’ chromosome…
12. Wonderful hospitality -  I cant fault it. I have been treated so very well by so many people and made to feel so welcome. I have seen wonderful things, met great people, generated good contacts and made some truly special friends. I hope I get to see some of them again. I think the Christmas card list has expanded somewhat.
13. Thank you USA and all my hosts and new friends.

Final travel blog from USA soil

Wed 15 June

Said a farewell to Mike Jacobsen and his family, thanking them for their kind hospitality, hosting me the last two days. Went into Penn State University. The Uni has a student population of c.40,000 students at the ‘State College’ campus plus other campus sites. State College is truly a university town, around which everything revolves…The campus is immaculate and well laid out. The American Football field is massive and has a capacity of 110,000 people….as big as most premiership football teams in the UK, however only 6 games per year are played in the stadium and practise is elsewhere….Crikey!

Went to the forestry department with Mike Jacobsen and gave a presentation n EU and UK agroforestry including outlining what we are doing at Whitehall farm. Some useful discussion re ecological impacts and in particular use of different trees and biomas to benefit pollinators earlier in the season.

Filled the car with more inexpensive fuel (US$30 to fill the car c.£21!!)…and set out for route 80 east taking me through the heart of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Newark Airport. Stopped for lunch and was unfortunate to be first on the scene of a motorbike/car accident…..poor chap got badly mangles and I helped by applying some pressure to a bloody wound. Thankfully the police came quickly and I departed – washed up / cleaned up. Thankfully I had already eaten my steak lunch….I may have thought differently had it been before lunch. Funny though, the Boy Scout training from 30 yrs ago kicked in….…….4.75 hrs later and after hunting for the hire car drop off for half an hour I arrive – seems the ‘hire car drop off’ signs don’t apply to Alamo hire car and I should have trusted my faultless Tom Tom on my iPhone….certainly the best purchase I made for the trip. It has taken me door to door everywhere without any problems – Im converted to iPhone and Tom Tom…..Technophobe goes all Tecky!!!

So now just the 8.5hr flight to London with Virgin Atlantic – Richard Branson better treat me well…..

Agroforestry in practice PA style

Tuesday 14 June

Bloomsburg with Mike Jacobsen for an agroforestry workshop with USDA staff. A workshop designed to provide a better overview of AF to technical staff. Useful for me as there was some very high quality presentations on land use in PA and attitudes to management as well as information on AF systems and options for non timber forest products such as Ginseng production. With 50% of PA in woodland its prob a difficult sell to many to adopt AF, but when landowners are looking at harvesting timber there is a real option to Thin woodland, create understorey grass and develop silvopasture systems with livestock….

We viosited Fork Farm in the afternoon where just that is being undertaken with thinning of woodlands and grazing with Angus Cattle, followed by free range poultry and then Glos Old Spot pigs in rotation using ‘mob grazing’ approaches – ie very high number for veryt short periods. i.e 10-100 cows per ac for 5-10 hrs only before moving then resting pasture. The principle – graze 30%, trample, 60% leave 30% to regrow – plus dunging and Organic Matter trampling leads to improved soil life and better productivity. Interestingly an analogy to ancient Buffalo grazing – large numbers moving on quickly…

A strange occurrence was that we walked c.1-2 miles on the farm walk, over a road, up a hillside and down again. The host farmer was followed by a solitary gosling…who chatted all the way – a determined bird who was centre stage for all group discussions! A very good day. On the way back to mikes went shopping for T shirts and baseball caps for the kids and bough 3 pairs of levi jeans at £6 each!

Apples

Monday 13 June

Early start and said a fond farewell to Gary & Heidi. I thank them for the kind hospitality during a busy time. I drove the 3.5 hrs west to State College. I hadn’t realised that the town is called ‘state college’ and it really is a college town. Met up with Rob Cresweller an apple specialist and had lunch in town and chatted about research. Went to Rock Springs Farm with Rob and looked at Apple research including variety assessment for Organic Production. The highlights were finding that we are growing some of the same varieties, that they are growing a ‘ping flesh’ apple that when cut is pink inside and makes a pink apple juice !. They are also doing some pollination work with Japanese solitary bees that live in bamboo sticks plugged with mud in a pipe – they stay over winter and breed up. Not honey bees so no honey but still do the pollination job.

Late evening went to meet Mike Jacobsen at his house. He took me out for a ber and toi meet some friends at a local bar. Had a rely good Jambalaya dinner.

Pancakes and Bald Eagles

Sunday 12 June

Had a lazy breakfast of Spelt pancakes and maple syrup with Heidi, Gary & Heid’s dad – yummy. Whilst Gary and Heidi went to the farm to clear up after the festival I spent some time sorting my things and updating notes and blogs. We had lunch in downtown Stroudsbury, a nice town with lots of old buildings. In the afternoon we met some friends and went up onto one of the ridges near a quarry to spot some bald eagles…..spotted chicks in the nest and mother at a distance watching us watch the chicks…..but still thrilling. Now Ive seen a Bald Eagle….

Spent the evening with Skip and his wife who kindly cooked us all a chicken dinner. A thunderstorm accompanied our journey home.

Fun Farm Festivals in PA

Sat 11 June
Im Being hosted by Heidi Secord & Gary Bloss at the The Josie Porter Farm and the Cherry Valley CSA. They spotted a semi abondened farm with a long history of bio-dynamic farming about 5yrs ago and convinced the local community and district council to develop a shared vision.
The farm under the guidance, management and extreemly hard garft of Heidi and Garry is going into their fifth season of operation.  They provided 45 shares to the community in 2007, and have increased shares to over 100 for 2011 - feeding over 100 families for a share of $650 each per year!!!! - its remarkable on how much good local organic food camn be produced from just a few acres to fed so many families -its got me thinking about a CSA at home.
 
The farm operates on a portion of the former Josephine Porter Farm, which is owned by Stroud Township and was acquired as part of its open space initiative.
The farm, envisioned by Heidi Secord, focuses on the legacy of Porter, who made biodynamic agriculture preparations in this country for almost three decades. Biodynamic growers recognize the soil itself to be alive and that human health and vitality depend upon the health and vitality of the soil. The concept goes beyond the term "organic."
Aside from the fresh vegetables grown and harvested weekly at the farm, a buying club has been created to offer other healthy whole foods from local sources - including honey, meat, cheese, eggs, salmon, and more.  http://www.josieporterfarm.com/?itemCategory=29750&siteid=203&priorId=0

Today was the farms open day festival with music farm tours, arts and crafts stands etc.....rather a damp wet start but eveyone injoyed themselves. I was put to work and felt useful - "Josie Porter Farm" - its a fab place with lots going on including permaculture and bio-dynamic farming - seems it was the birth place for bio-dynamics in the USA. - I was put to work and spent the day grilling local free range sausages and Salmon burgers with Heids Dad Geg - Think I gave some of the festival goers a bit of a shock taking orders in an English accent - threw them a bit!!!...but I did hear "Gee I love your accent" at leat twice I think - perhaps it was more???

It rained a little but is pleasantly cool. Tomorow Im hoping to go and se some 'bald eagles' about 5 miles away in the woods on a ridge in the Pocono Mountains. Its very geen , mountainous and misty here this mornings. Its the first time ive ben in the mountains on this trip and its a nice change......The scenery reminds me of when I was in PA 21ys ago teaching on a kids summer camp.......PA is a lovely place, nice scenecy and mountains and people.....

Im very greatful to Heidi and Garry for letting me stay and participate in their farm festival.

GA to PA and trafic jams

Fri 10 June
Early start. 7am bus from Athens to Atlanta. Drove post the 96 Olympics park and on to the Airport. Checked in fine and a cple of hrs kicking about the airport befor the flight to Philly. The worst bit about traveling is all the waiting around at airports. Spoke with a contact at the USDA in Baltimore and was hoping to met up to further discussions. But it sems wer are heading in opposite directiosn to meetings etc. It may work out to meet up on wed.
Arriving Phildepphia Picked up a hire car and drove NW into the Penslyvania heartland. What should have ben a 2hr journey turned out to be a 4hr journey!!!!!! bad traffic, accidents, roadworks and everyone escaping the cities in the friday rush......I was tired when I arrived at Josie Porter Farm, Stroudsburg as a guest of Gary and Heidi Secord.

Things were in full flow when I arrived as they were having their yearly farm festival the following day. Despite being so very busy they kindly welcomed me into their house to stay. Treated me to home cooked Alaskan Salmon for dinner - yummy - prob the best salmon ive ever tasted.

Down Time in Athens GA

Thursday 9th June
Some down time - feel like ive been on the road forever and its catching up a bit........had planned a day off and boy did I need it.....Didnt sleep well as lots on my mind.
Took a chance to have 9 holes of golf at the UGA golf course - what a fab place - fantastic manacured course. Teamed up with two undergrads for a round. They had a buggie. I walked........started 9am but already 90deg F with 90% humidity and zero breze - fels like someone is pouring hot water over you and turuning on an oven!!!!!!!
After 9 holes I was exhausted..............but great fun.
Spent the afternoon in the hotel for a bit sorting stuff and re-packing, eating, watching tv and then a walk into Athens to pay a tribute to REM and the B52's - a ber and bed

Agro Forestry Conference dilemas

Wed 8 June
What a dilema - so many things I wanted to do - so many people to talk to, international relationships to build, presentations to see etc - Hope they upload all the presentions onto the internet so I can see the ones I couldnt get to.
Interesting and thought provoking presentations from Cristian Dupraz from INRA Farnce - and I have an invitatioin to visit this autumn. Information on the poor state of the inventory of trees, where they are what they are etc and a debate on the emerging visibility of AGroforestry. SOme good data and contacts of the amout of carbon sequestration by diffrent tres of different ages and research work in Patagonia and Argetina on AF prectice.
Now I ned o work out how to weigh a growing apple tree at home...assuming the carbon equivalent is c.45% of the dry wood weight (kg) of a tree......um lets say 10kg per apple tree x 4500 planted = 45,000kg x 45% = 20,250kg carbon - thats 20t carbon sequeterd per year by outr apple trees at home ...bring on carbon credits per tonne I say!!!!!

Useful work being done on economics and economic modelling to look at breakevens and rate of return on different systems - I will corespond with those doing the work in due course.

The French - INRA - are doing some innovative work on 'agrovoltaic' systems - crops grown under upperstoreys of PV cells - allowing tractors etc underneath - productivity is comparable to open field systems but with the added bonus of elec generation!!!! - inovative, clever, mad but brilliant all at the same time.
Some work at the Uni Misouri by Terrance Stamps looking at ecological and economics of systems which showed that not much difference in ecology of 12 or 24m wide alleys, artehr the presence of the tres is the main benefit both ecologically and economically - similar work to that we are doing at Whitehall Farm and It would be good to compare data collected in the systems.

A very useful synopsis of Agroforestry systems is that they are 'loose systems; which are dynamic and change over time...........they are "Imperfectly Perfect"

Magical Mystery Agroforestry tours in Georgia

Tuesday 7th June
It sems that AGroforestry can be many things to many people. From riparian tre planting to create buffers to nut plantations grazed by cows or cut for hay, to countour plantings for soil conservation and alley cropping cereals and veg crops inbetwen tree rows........

Today we went on a magical mystery tour of Georgia on a bus........First visited Spring Valley  Eco-Farms - to look at alley cropping and integrated organic systems. Some interesting work on mulch cover cropping using Amorphea fruticosa (false Indigo) as a N fixing tree crop plus work on organic veg production, composting etc. Liked the 'social' wpork tehy are engaged in in developing media solutions to extension and tech transfer - will corespond with a MSC/PHD student who is developin smart social media tech transfer pathways for information

Second stop was Natures Harmony Farm - A new entrant who is a natural Entrepeneaur. From nothing 4 yrs ago  and as new entrants to farming they are now doing everthing imaginable. They started with a pig enetrprise in the woods rearing rare bred pigs, then started a dairy to produce milk and chese for sale - they cant sell unpasturised milk so have a CSA shared owership cow which allows milk distrubution FOC....outside the regs. The whey is fed to the pigs, the cattle are mixed grazed with sheep and donkeys, all of whom graze different things - including donkeys eathing thistles!!!!...must remember the Eyore effect!!!! The cattle/donkeys/shep are padock grazed NZ style and moved daily and followed immediatley with turkeys and chickens, who eat all the grobs and insects that bother the ruminants...clever!. they also have a rabbitt production system rearing rabitts for meat and pelts for fur - all done realy low key and organically. They markt via the web, farm sales and farmers markets. True intergratioin at its best with entrepenuaral excelence in the mix....

We had some navigational issues to contrent with finding the next site with prob an extr 20miles driving and taking wrong turns - I think I saw the sam tow from different directions at least 5 times - but hey a better adventure bacause of it!

Third stop was Grove Creek Farm - Crawford - the farmer and her husband were left a 300ac farm by here father who wanted to set it up as a commercial but educational centre. Nothing much has happened since the land was abandoned from cotton and maize in the 1970's and much has reverted to loblolly pine.....they are ow in the long procss of 'selective' thinning to create an AF system grazed by heritage cattle who ancestory can be traced back to spanish settlers in the 1700's. A huge amount of work in clearing and fencing and establishing feding and watering infrastructure - whilst holding down day jobs....But the USDA are right behind them and supporting with advice through extension and 'share cost 'grants of up to 90% as young farmers.

A useful machine was a bobcat fitted with a new mulcher grinder - you lift it up to 9/10ft hight gring through a tre and then just grind down till there is nothing left above ground......mighty!
A quick stop at the UGA campus edge to look at some bluefaced leicester sheep being used to undergraze trees and scrub to renovate an area and for scrub managent - nic to see a Collie working the sheep

Spent the evening with the MU team and went to see a bluegrass band at the 'Melting Pot' - fab music - fab company and had a great time. enjoyed the walk into and back from town chatting all the way - Mike Gold, Irene Unger and I chatted again about deep and meaninfull world isues and organic and ecological production - the ber and the Malt wiskey helped and Trans-altantic co-operation was further cemented......good friends made whom Im sure I will see more of.

Agroforestry Central

Monday 6th August
the 12th North american Agroforestry Conference, University of Gerogia, Athens
The day commenced with a plenary session with presentations from the Assistand Dean and then Dr Kathelen Merrigan - Deuty Secretary of State for Agriculture......No 2! - so the big guns were out. Dr Marrigan said all te right things regarding the benefits of Agroforestry and supporting its development in th USA - She seemed a genuine supporter of AF and what it can deliver - however I suspect that in real terms other pressure may temper her ability to create cahnge, policy and action. That said its good that high level polititians acknowledge the role of AF and have it included in core policy. I spoke with her during the morning and encouraged her to share her passion and commitments in Eurpoe and the UK - at least then we may get AF on teh agenda and recognised.

Jamshed Merchant - Assistand Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Canada spoke - an Ex UEA and Reading Uni UK graduate. he talked at lenght about the benefits if AF and how they fit to policy in Canada and used the expresion "local solutions applicable on a Global basis" which I thought was very apt re AF. The use of using trees in different ways and thinking of new approaches to sloving agricultural food production and climate chage issues seemed sensible and there is a growing appreciation that USA/Canada must work together and perhaps on a globals basis with other countries.

Dr Dennis Garity Director World Agroforestry  Centre / ICRAF Niarobi gave a facinating talk on How AF in the tropics has realy resulted in a renaciance in agricultural productivity - He is now championing 'evergren agriculture' combining trees and anuall/perenial crops.
He emphasised that in many 'souther countries' other than using agroforestry there are very few options which prvide more food, better land management, reduced Grenhouse Gass Emitions (GHG) for a growing polulation. High input based fertaliser agriculture just does not deliver in developing countries. He cited examples from Malawi, Niger, Ethopia where tree planting and intercropping to for multi-storey agricultural systems is now increasing rapidly as a stable means of food production.
An inspirational Day which re-confirmed what we are doing in the UK is in the right direction - now just to convince the policy makers.........

Airports and Buses

Sunday 5th June
5am start to catch a flight from Kansas to Atlanta. Good flight but then the problems with Shuttle buses. The Firm I had booked and paid for a ticket with for the 1.5hr transfer from Atlanta Airport to Athens had been taken over by another firm and not only would they not honour the booking but shuttle times were different so I had a 2hr wait for a bus!....not so bad but 95F heat and 92% humidity.........eventually got to Athens, Georgia and booked into the conference centre. Athens is a university town – well laid out and very nice. Walked around town a bit but in 95 deg with 90% humidity its gruelling!. The team from MU arrived after a 13hr drive (I think I prefer the plane) and Mike Gold, Irene Unger and I set out for a beer and found a bar serving English beer and whiskey – abiet the beer is served cold – just as well in this heat. Had some nice discussions about puting the world to rights with ecological land management. Tomorow the conference.

The wonders of technology & Move over Dirty Harry

Sunday 4th June
After breakfast we used skype to introduce the Briggs & Walter familys via video link. The kids chatted and exchanged questions – I think that Claire and Hattie and Ben & Daisy – being the same age would get on like a house on fire – Kate being older will no doubt have them all doing what she wants. I have made such good friends in the Walters and feel so lucky to have met them and stayed with them. Im hoping I can get then to vacation in the UK – perhaps a joint holiday in Scotland or something?

Dusty took me out of town sat morning to a shooting range – what an experience – first I had a go with a pump action shotgun, then a 44 magnum (Dirty Harry special) which would blow a hole straight through a car!...then an automatic pistiol and finaly a US military style assault rifle – all firing semi-auto – basically the bullets come out as quick as you can pull the trigger!!!! – Prob the first and last time I will get a chance to do anything like that.

Had lunch with the Walters and said a fond farewell before setting of on the 2.5hr drive back to Kansas City. Dropped the hire car and had a night in a budget hotel.

University, supersize nuts and outdoor sports

Friday 3rd June

Spent the morning giving a presentation at Missouri University alongside Doug Wallace from The USDA – a perspective of EU and UK agroforestry alongside USDA policy on AF – which is way more advanced than in the UK. The middle of the day was spent discussing policy and potential areas of collaboration – there seems to be good area where we can collaborate across the pond to progress AF policy, research and adoption.

Was facinated by a large acorn and spruce cone in the bdept forestry from the NW USA - would want to meet the supersize squrell that eats the acorns!!!

Finished Friday by looking around Sanbourn field – one of the longest soil study sites in the USDA. The very high temps made it impossible to stay out in the sun for long.

Dusty then took me to the Bass sports shop – walking in I was flabbergasted at the size of the place – think super wharehouse selling everything from speedboats to clothes – everything you would want for watersports, golf, fishing, camping, hunting etc all under one huge air-conditioned roof!!!!. We went to the gun section – krikey – never seen so many guns in one place. 12bores, sawn off (Saturday night specials), assult rifles and racks of pistols – Had to have a look and handle a Walther PPK – very James Bond!!!

Spent a very pleasant friday evening with Dusty and his family, Grillin hamburgers and drinking bear. Found a new way to cook chicken in the BBQ thrust over a beer can - the liquid keeps it moist and the flavour is great...the bird looks od though!!!!

The heat has been high today with temps reaching 94deg F….and the Secadas humming and making you feel like you have a bad case of tinnitus! Rounded of the evening drinking whiskey and listening to tunes

soil mecca

Thursday 2nd June 2011
Dusty and I traveled to the Northe East of Missouri today with Ranjith Udawatta.
We visited the Ross Jones Site, an 18yr old Agroforestry site with Maple trees and alley crops of oats. The trees are now very large on the 40f x 40ft (18mx18m) site and alley crop prodiuction is now sufferingh.hoever the site was established to  study soil effects and water competetion between the trees and the alley crop.

It struck me that there are a number of sites around the world (UK,USA, Canada, france etc) that are c.18-20 yrs old where not much work is being undertaken - but what a valuable resource - mature agroforestry - there must be an opportunity for some collaborative Pan-Altantic research???

Visited the Greenley experimental station and looked at a very long term watershead management experiment comparing  coontour buffers with either (a) no buffer (b) grass strip bufferes every 30m (c) gras buffers and agroforestry every 30m. All set up on a very large scale with automatic flumes catching all water etc. Not suprisingly water catchment, sediment deposition, Nutrient and pesticide capture were much better in the trees/grass strip treatment. I was very impressed with the scale and scope of the science being undertaken which puts real data on hoe benefitial AF can be.
Spent some time talking with the farm manager and agronomist - seems we face the same issues the world over.

Had lots of productive discussions on the travel to and frrom the sites. Back at Columbia I visited 'Sanbourn Field' - the site of the longest running soil science experiments from the 1800's and the site whare the 'Universal Soil Loss Equation' was developed - rather a seminal moment for a soil science person like me!
Early evening visited a farmers market with Dusty and then spent a very pleasant evening with his family, with bugers on the BBQ and cold beer to wash them down....the latter neded since most of the day it was 34 deg 94F with 80% humidity...you step outside the office/house/car and its like someone turned on a massive fan heater!

Spotted an interesting mailbox on a farm who had an aerial spraying plane and found a street named after me also

Buffalos, Pecans & elderberries

Wed 1 June 2011
Enjoyed a family breakfast with the Walters then set of to the North of Missouri to see Dan Shepherd of Shepherd Pecan Farms (http://www.shepherdfarms.com/. Dan is a real Entrepreneur and has a very impressive business. He farms a large area of over 2000ac with a variety of enterprises inmcluding commercial corn (which he grows with a well equipend neighbour on a 1/2 : 2/3 share farm basis) and Eastern Gamma grass seed production (Tripiscum Dactalis)which is a native prarie grass with a twin head and vary large seed. at one time Dan was growing 1200ac of this for seed and was the worlds largest producer - but now much less is being grows much less. A Buffalo meat rearing business has been operated for many years but is now being scaled back due to regulatory meat processing pressures (seem we face the same issues on either side of the pond!). A swetcorn busines is operated where the farm harvests and the public pic up from the farm shop.
The Pecan business is very impressive withj 200ac of plantation trees and a further 100ac of new trees planted. This is supported by a very slick processing facility on farm and a farm shop.

Dan is a very focused business man who only operates enterprises that he knows are profitable and is prepared to adapt to market conditions. He also enjoyes his toys - he has a high level of good new equipment and likes his new Shelby Cobra mustang convertable...a 5ltr supercharged car....he told me he hasnt had a ticket just yet!!!. Dan and his wife have traveled the world a lot and are keen scuba divers. I hope to se him in the UKL some time to be able to show him the siights.

Back to |Columbia and collected Mike Gold from MU then went to  Visit with Terry Durham of Eridu Farms to view his Elderberry operation (http://elderberrylife.com/index.html ).  Terry is a committed organic grower who has previously grown veg and operated a CSA. he is now focusing on Elderberry as a new superfood....ALong with Koe Wilson he is developing a grower co-op with 35 growers to produce Jam (Jelly), juice, cordial, lozenges and is even looking at getting elderberry syrup into schools as a health promoter to get more scholl attendance days.

Terry has an extensive trails programme and is evaluating different organic production methods using Sambla Canadensis (the bush type Elderberry) as aposed to the Samla Nigra tre type in Europe.
Terry has an anuallelberberry festival with stalls and live bands, its next froday so ive come a week to early! I wish him well with it and cross my fimngers for dry warm weather

Im facinated by the Sicadas, a cricket like creature that lives dormant in the soil and emerges over a 4 wk period every 13 years - and guess what, in my honour its a 13yr hqatch right now...and boy are they loud, when it warms up its like a permanent case of bad tinitus
Dusty and  his family have ben so hospitable. We all met at a local brew house/bar for dinner which was a real treat and I got to know them more over dinner and later back at the house. Seems we have so much in common and enjoy many of the same things, including humour. I showed the family the Yeo Valley advert from the uk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o which the kids though was fantastic esp the dancing tractor and owles. I also showed Dusty and Stephanie the Mitchell and webb view of farming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDTiFkXgEEwhich they though was hillarious...Im realy enjoying their company and Who knows may even be able to entice them to the UL to reciprocate.

Tuesday 31st May 2011
Met by Dusty Walter and Gene Garrett from the 'Centre of Agroforestry - University of Missouri' and taken to the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) at New Franklin north of Columbia. This is a 600ac site dedicated to Agroforestry Research. Looked at a huge range of important and valuable research all being carried out with strict scientoific regour by some emensley experienced and intelegent staff.
Looked at 'shade trails' evaluating how different plants grow and adapt to different shade levels under agroforestry systems. Then looked at a watershead research project monitoring how Agroforestry buffers can mitigate the effect of sediment, N loading and even antibiotic loading into water courses from silvopasture systems and grazing livestock.
The centre is leading the way in variety testing and as a germplasm repository for tree species, witgh pines, maples, oaks, chensut walnut etc etc. Some excelent work on agroforestry tree spacing and pairing of species in rows and looking at grazing pressure and productivity of livestock. Interestingly also a project on collecting and bailing pine needles from under pine trees for use a a mulch which has led to var selection fo trees with longer pine needles.

Some interesting work on a RPM technique for proporgation of trees shwing significant benefits on establishment, growth and yield of fruit as young and old trees.
We looked at a watershed and flood aleviation study with some huge and impressive flooding beds capable of testing sediment and water movement of different species planted. Gene Garret and Dusty then showed me a historic house built by pioneer setlers on the property which Gene has had much pride in completley renovating to a fantastic standard - he should be rightly proud of his efforts.

I felt emensley provaliged to be in the company of Gene and Dusty who have so much experience and knowledge of agroforestry and who were so willing to share their experiences.

Spent the afternoon with Dusty and Hank Stelzer looking at new biomass plantations of coprn/bean with tillage; corn/bean no till; corn/bean/wheat; willow; switchgrass; arable reversion conservation measures at another site. again a very impressive set up with great large field scale lycimeter resources capturing soil, sediment and water oftake for comparative system analysis.

Back to Columbia to spend the night with Dusty and his Family. Dusty, Stephanie, Katherine (11), Claire (8) and Ben (6) made me feel extreemely welcome. they are a lovely family and I felt at home immediatley.  I was treated to a loveley home cooked meal and got to know them over dinner and chatted to late. seems we have a lot in common and feel like old friends already. I am so very grateful to them for their hospitality.

Tomorow we go to see some farms