Savanna Institute

The Agroforestry Coalition is building a national, open-source directory of #agroforestry nurseries.

Please take a few minutes to complete the entry form by Dec. 31, 2025. The directory will launch in January 2026:
agroforestrycoalition.org/nurseries-di...

Anytime "Midwest farmers are going nuts," you can be sure the Savanna Institute is involved. We and a number of our partners are featured in this article by @elizabethhewitt.bsky.social for @reasonstobecheerful.world about Midwest #agroforestry!

Iowa Farmer Wendy Johnson Announced as Keynote Speaker for 2026 Perennial Farm Gathering - Savanna Institute Iowa farmer Wendy Johnson will serve as keynote speaker at the 2026 Perennial Farm Gathering. The Savanna Institute will host this event at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa from March 11th-13th...

Iowa farmer Wendy Johnson will be a keynote presenter at #PFG2026, which will be held at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa from March 11th-13th, 2026. “Agroforestry and perennializing are great for our next generation,” she says.

Learn more at www.savannainstitute.org/iowa-farmer-...

Perennial Farm Gathering 2026 - Savanna Institute Wednesday, March 11 - Friday, March 13, 2026Grand River Center • Dubuque, Iowa

Our next Perennial Farm Gathering #PFG2026 will be held March 11th-13th at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa!

Tickets and sponsorships for this event are now available at www.savannainstitute.org/pfg2026

Savanna Institute staff members Lily Hislop and Jenn Ripp are attending the 6th World Congress on Agroforestry #WCA2025 this week in Kigali, Rwanda! Lily and Jenn presented posters about their work and took part in sessions, field tours, and networking opportunities at the event, which ends today.

Farming from the air: Drones offer flexibility and problem solving Aerial crop planting and treatment takes off across the Midwest.

“I think we're still trying to fully understand — or better understand — what role drones play, especially in sustainable agriculture." -José Franco, Savanna Institute

Learn how we're using drones to estimate yields and biomass in this story by @kbianews.bsky.social

www.kbia.org/kbia-news/20...

Background image of a solar panel. Text says, "Currents for Currants, Agrivoltaics at UW-Madison." In the bottom right is a QR code to YouTube.

At the @uwmadison.bsky.social Kegonsa Research Campus, scientists from across UW and the @savannainstitute.bsky.social are growing currant berries between solar panels. This practice is known as #agrivoltaics and has many potential benefits.

Learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMGH...

Nation-wide Map of Agroforestry Demonstration Sites Our first ever nation-wide map of agroforestry demonstration sites just got even better. The Agroforestry Coalition Demonstration Site working group and Virginia Tech’s Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant P...

The first ever nation-wide map of agroforestry demonstration sites just got even better. Find an #agroforestry demonstration site near you at www.catalyzingagroforestry.org/arkxdemonstr...

Read more at agroforestrycoalition.org/map-demo-sit...

Financing Trees & Perennial Crops for Your Farm: An Agroforestry Primer - Savanna Institute Are you looking for farmland? An agricultural lease may be an option for you. If you are thinking about planting tree crops, you will need long-term access to land to reap the full benefits of your in...

Our new resource, "Financing Trees & Perennial Crops for Your Farm: An Agroforestry Primer," helps producers explore financing options for #agroforestry and perennial agriculture. Get your free PDF here:
savannainstitute.org/Download-Fin...

Regenerating the soil of America’s heartland National Geographic photographer Rena Effendi visits the U.S. Midwest to capture how one farmer is restoring her family farm from the ground up—and with support from PepsiCo, helping cultivate the fut...

We were excited to see this story from National Geographic about Wendy Johnson, one of the keynote speakers at our upcoming Perennial Farm Gathering! #PFG2026

www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/...

Story by @cassidyrandall.bsky.social
Photos by @renaeffendi.bsky.social

Canopy Nursery Spring 2026 Nursery Orders Are Open!
This year we have a wide selection! Asian Pears, Peaches, Heartnuts, Elderberries, Honeyberries, Gooseberries, Serviceberries, Jostaberries, Bush Cherries, Grafted and Seedling Persimmons, and Willow Cuttings. Use Code EARLYBIRD for free shipping.

What can we learn from livestock producers about marketing #agroforestry products?

Free webinar hosted by the #AgroforestryCoalition
Thursday, September 4th
9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 12pm ET

Register at agroforestrycoalition.org/event/grassf...

Specialist sees agroforestry gaining ground For some grain farmers, diversification can mean growing soybeans and raising cattle. For others, it involves planting crops and trees side by side.

“There are a million different ways of doing agroforestry,” Oviatt said. “You have to take the different components and see what works on your farm.”

Staff member MJ Oviatt talks about #agroforestry in last week's story from Illinois Farmer Today!

agupdate.com/illinoisfarm...

Good time to follow our friends at @canopyfm.bsky.social on their new Bluesky account!

Wisconsin Hazelnut Week, Aug. 19-22
Free | Registration required:
www.midwesthazelnuts.org/coming-event...

"Now is the time for growers to learn what it takes to grow hazelnuts, what the markets look like, and how to get started,” says Jason Fischbach, UW-Extension Emerging Crops Specialist.

We hope you'll join us at an event this summer!

We have some exciting events in the coming months across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. These are great opportunities to get to know our organization and to see #agroforestry in action. Find an event near you at: www.savannainstitute.org/events/

In #agroforestry we talk a lot about the role of trees on farms, but are we neglecting the potential of farming in forests?

We are pleased to be a sponsor of this year's North American Agroforestry Conference, hosted by the University of Missouri's Center for Agroforestry and the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA). You can learn more and register at centerforagroforestry.org/2025naac/

Sembrando Vida, A Flagship Agroforestry Program in Mexico - Savanna Institute In 2018, the Mexican government launched a national program called Sembrando Vida, or “sowing life”, with the goal of reducing poverty and reforesting rural areas with agroforestry. Since the program’...

Terrific discussion on @savannainstitute.bsky.social podcast of a huge #reforestation project across Mexico that's had successes & failures, been accused of corruption, but ultimately is helping many people transition to #agroforestry

Featuring @scientistsophia.bsky.social & others w/ new research:

“If there’s one big takeaway from the various farming experiences I’ve had and continue to seek out, it’s that nobody does it alone,” says @serenalarkin.bsky.social, a participant in our On-Farm Training Program.

Read more in our latest Perennial Report: www.savannainstitute.org/perennial-re...

Termination of the Expanding #Agroforestry Project is covered in a story this week by @civileats.com, featuring Executive Director Keefe Keeley and collaborators at Trees for Graziers and Appalachian Sustainable Development:

Read more about Derek’s story and our impact on growing agroforestry here: www.savannainstitute.org/perennial-re...

Perennial Report 2024 - Savanna Institute Each year, we publish an annual report — known at the Savanna Institute as the Perennial Report. In our latest report, we highlight how the Savanna Institute

This Earth Day, we're excited to share our latest Perennial Report with you! In it, we highlight some of our work together in 2024, including features about our On-Farm Training Program and a look back at the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering: www.savannainstitute.org/perennial-re...

A Taste of the Forbidden Fruit - Ambrook Research Banned by the federal government a century ago, black currants were cast to the fringes of U.S. agriculture. Agroforestry advocates and berry connoisseurs are urging a revival.

“I don’t think this plant is a lost cause,” said Lily Hislop @currantlylily.bsky.social, who runs the only institutionally backed #blackcurrant breeding program in the West at the Savanna Institute.

#Blackcurrants showing up in Ambrook Research!
ambrook.com/research/cro...
@jessehirsch.bsky.social

Nearly every day, decisions are being made that have profound consequences for how we grow, process, transport, and consume food in this country.

Keep up with the latest changes with the Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker.

The American #persimmon grows wild throughout the eastern US, and offers nutritious, abundant fruit that can be eaten by both humans and livestock.

Learn more at www.savannainstitute.org/persimmon

See if #persimmons are suitable for your land at CanopyCompass.com

#agroforestry #silvopasture

As US agroforestry grows, federal funding freeze leaves farmers in the lurch Agroforestry, the ancient agricultural system of integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock, has seen a revival in recent decades in the U.S. Around the country, agroforestry projects have ...

US farms practicing #climate friendly #agroforestry grew 6% in recent years, but the federal funding freeze has halted those gains for the moment

@sarahderouin.com reports for @mongabay.bsky.social on the national & practical effects, with a view from Appalachia where these funds have been key:

Why do #agroforestry? Additional income, higher yields, healthier livestock, more abundant wildlife, reduced labor, improved quality of life, and opportunities for leaving a legacy are just some of the reasons why these experienced farmers are incorporating trees and woody shrubs into their farms.

#Agroforestry and #agrivoltaics deal with many of the same management challenges. Are there opportunities to use them to reduce heat stress in vineyard production?

Research scientist Lily Hislop @currantlylily.bsky.social demonstrates how elderberry juice can be used as a pH indicator.

You can learn more about #elderberry, a native, nutrient-rich fruit, and other deep-rooted perennial crops at www.savannainstitute.org/crops/