Perennial AF

Silvopasture researchers Stefania Cartoni-Casamitjana and Diane Mayerfeld describe the lessons they’ve learned from their research on silvopasture establishment by woodland thinning in southern Wisconsin, and share practical guidance for farmers considering silvopasture by subtraction on their own land. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Host Jacob Grace discusses the book "Quit" by professional poker player Annie Duke with his coworker Erin Crooks Lynch. When is quitting a good thing? How do lessons from the book apply to perennial agriculture? Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Dick McGinnis, a black currant breeder based in British Columbia, began his career as a stockbroker before devoting many years to developing cold-hardy, blight-resistant black currant varieties. The Savanna Institute acquired Dick McGinnis’s breeding program in 2022. In this episode, Savanna Institute researcher Lily Hislop explains what’s next for the “McGinnis cultivars,” and we’ll hear from Dick McGinnis himself, who recorded a webinar with our staff last year. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

In 2024, Savanna Institute began a bioacoustic monitoring program to record the sounds of birds and other wildlife each morning and evening at one of our research farms. Ecosystem scientist Nate Lawrence explains the initial results from this project and how we hope to expand our acoustic monitoring in the future to identify birds, amphibians, insects, and bats in agroforestry fields. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Host Jacob Grace reads from the first three chapters of Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by J. Russell Smith, first published in 1929. This book, which is now in the public domain, has been extremely influential in the adoption of agroforestry in the United States, and in the origins of the Savanna Institute in particular. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Sallie Calhoun, founder of the #NoRegrets Initiative and owner of Paicines Ranch on California's central coast, talks with staff member Jenn Ripp about how she got started ranching, her experiences as a philanthropist, and the importance of shifting from an agriculture based on chemistry to an agriculture based on biology. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Farmer Josh Payne leads a tour of his farm in central Missouri and describes his management of beef cattle, sheep, and hogs in a rotational grazing silvopasture system with chestnuts and additional agroforestry crops.

Harry and Jackie Hoch describe their work establishing tropical agroforestry in Carmelita Gardens, Belize, and discuss what has happened with their farmland in Minnesota since the 2018 interview heard in the previous episode. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Hear an audio tour of Hoch Orchard and Gardens in southeastern Minnesota in this archival recording from 2018. Harry and Jackie Hoch describe their systems for organic apple and cider production, orchard management with multispecies grazing, integrated pest management, and more. More info at https://www.savannainstitute.org/minnesota/hoch-orchard/

Adam D’Angelo, Breeding Operations Manager for the Savanna Institute Tree Crop Improvement Program, leads a tour of a research farm at the Savanna Institute’s Spring Green Campus in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Learn about plant breeding efforts with hybrid hazelnuts, American persimmon, black currants, elderberry, and more. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Brett Chedzoy and Cherrie Nolden have decades of experience managing silvopasture on farms in New York, Argentina, and Wisconsin. In this recorded session from PFG 2024, Brett and Cherrie describe their experiences raising cattle, goats, and other species in silvopasture systems, share lessons they’ve learned, and answer questions from the audience. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Lupe Rios talks about grafting, Eliza Greenman talks about silvopasture and fruit exploring, and Paul Dietmann talks about farm loans and financing in these interviews from the 2019 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

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’s launch, it has paid out billions of dollars and impacted over a million acres, and is now expanding to other central American countries. In this episode, researchers Pablo Gonzalez Moctezuma and Sophia Winkler-Schor describe the details of this ambitious program, and discuss what we can learn from the outcomes of the program so far. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Perennial beverage makers discuss the processing, marketing, and development of syrups, sparkling waters, salves, cordials, shrubs, beers, wines, and other beverages made with perennial ingredients in this recorded workshop from the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Host Jacob Grace talks with his friend Alex about her family’s experiences as non-operating landowners trying to establish perennial management on their historic Wisconsin farm, and the hurdles and roadblocks they have encountered along the way. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

This January, Savanna Institute staff member MJ Oviatt visited the UK to study hedgelaying with members of the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association. In this episode, we hear MJ’s recorded conversations with hedgelayers Martin Turner, George Pidgeon, and Steven McCulloch. Show notes at savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF/

Chefs and perennial food advocates Beth Dooley, Francesca Hong, and Odessa Piper discuss cooking and baking with perennial ingredients, favorite recipes, and suggestions for being engaged and “curious eaters” in this recorded session from the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Erik Hagan, farm director of the Spring Green Campus, leads a farm tour of silvopasture systems in this recording from a field day in August 2024. Show notes at SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF

Tree crop researchers Eliza Greenman and Nate Lawrence discuss the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of windbreak and riparian buffer management for ecosystem services and profitability in this recording from the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Barbara Decré, assistant director of our Agroforestry Adoption program, leads a guided meditation to help you visualize a perennial farming project five, fifteen and thirty years from now. What is your "why", and how does it help shape your vision? Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Chef Sean Sherman delivers the keynote address at the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering in October 2024. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Agroforester Steve Gabriel leads the audience in a conversation about why agroforestry plantings fail and what we can do to help projects succeed in this recorded session at the 2024 Perennial Farm Gathering.

Link to Steve’s resources: https://www.farmingwithtrees.org/projects/whytreesdie

Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF 

Chuck Anderas and Margaret Krome from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute's policy team discuss the need for a new Farm Bill, the importance of ag policy in expanding perennial agriculture, and what types of engagement can have the greatest impact on policymakers.

A tour of 4H Memorial Demonstration Farm at Allerton Park in central Illinois with Demonstration Farms Director Kaitie Adams and Savanna Institute staff. This farm features windbreaks and alley cropping with timber species planted into a row crop field, and relies on a number of innovative partnerships with landowners and farmer collaborators. You can see a video tour of the farm at https://youtu.be/9nEAOzHYB6Q?si=rJNAFCUh52rkLfc5

This episode takes you on an audio tour of the Savanna Institute's North Farm, part of our Spring Green Campus in southern Wisconsin. Hear farm director Erik Hagan talk about chestnuts, hazelnuts, silvopasture with sheep, and more! Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

A recording of Dr. Eric Burkhart's forest farming workshop at the Savanna Institute's Spring Green Campus. Learn more about forest stewardship and non-timber forest products like ginseng, wild edibles, and more! Show notes at savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

The road trip continues! We hear from agroforesters and authors Steve Gabriel, Eric Toensmeier, and Akiva Silver on a road trip to the northeast. Show notes at savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Road trip! We hear from agroforesters Sven Pihl, Seva Water, and Joe Orefice on a road trip to the northeast. Show notes at savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF.

Monika Shea and Kevin Wolz, two of the researchers behind Canopy Compass, describe the history and the potential of this new web-based tree crop suitability mapping tool. You can access Canopy Compass at www.canopycompass.com

Savanna Institute researcher Eliza Greenman describes her search for the best-tasting American persimmon cultivars, which involves box turtles, pudding competitions, indigenous plant breeding, extinct megafauna, missing research scientists, and more. Recorded at the 2023 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Savanna Institute staff members Bill Davison and PJ Connolly describe their work to expand regional markets for four nutritionally-dense perennial berries: black currant, elderberry, aronia, and honeyberry. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

A compilation of short interviews from our recent videos, featuring Nightfall Farm, Riveredge Nature Center, Scott Brainard & Eliza Greenman, Grassland 2.0 and Canopy Farm Management. Videos by Man Alone Media and Windborne Media. Videos and show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

Adam D’Angelo, founder of Project Pawpaw, answers commonly asked questions about this elusive and beloved North American fruit.

Project Pawpaw: https://www.projectpawpaw.com

Show notes: https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

A lot of people hate black locust and honey locust trees, but some people think they hold great potential for agroforestry. Greg Judy, Austin Unruh, Steve Gabriel, Brett Chedzoy, Eliza Greenman, and others share their perspective in this episode.

Show notes: https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Spreadsheet wizard John Hendrickson helps host Jacob Grace get started with the Fruit and Nut Compass, a free spreadsheet tool for producers to track the financial viability of their enterprises. Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF Free compass tools at https://cias.wisc.edu/our-work/farming-systems/farm-viability/

This episode features portions of the PFG 2023 panel discussion "Everything You Wanted to Know About Forest Farming (But Didn't Know to Ask)", featuring Ingrid Daudert from Misty Dawn Farm in Wisconsin, Karam Sheban from the Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition, and Robin Suggs from Appalachian Sustainable Development. Show notes and links at www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf 

Savanna Institute research scientists Nate Lawrence and Monika Shea dig into the details of agroforestry for climate change mitigation (through reduced inputs and carbon sequestration) and climate adaptation (through better mapping and management, among other things). Show notes and links at www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF

Author and poet Ross Gay speaks with silvopasture farmer Liz Brownlee in a recorded keynote session from the 2023 Perennial Farm Gathering. Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/PerennialAF/

This episode features a recorded phone interview between Missouri silvopasture farmer and author Greg Judy and Iowa State University student Jesse Matt, recorded in 2018 as part of a Savanna Institute outreach project. Show notes: www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf 

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, ecologist and author of "Braiding Sweetgrass" and "Gathering Moss", answers questions from the audience of our 2023 Perennial Farm Gathering. Moderated by author and Leopold scholar Curt Meine. 

Wisconsin Extension forestry specialist Tony Johnson discusses how maple syrup production can open doors for other agroforestry enterprises, and how Wisconsin woodland owners can get started. Plus, Scott Brainard and Eliza Greenman describe the benefits of persimmons as an agroforestry crop. 

Show notes at www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

Goats, sheep, cattle, hogs, horses, and fowl all have different diets, behavior, and impacts on the land. Choosing the right type of livestock for you and your farm is key to success. Wisconsin farmer and researcher Cherrie Nolden discusses the strenghts, weaknesses, and needs of different types of livestock in this recording from the 2022 Perennial Farm Gathering. 

Show notes: www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

Host Jacob Grace and Eric Wolske of Canopy Farm Management join Will Fulwider and Michael Geissinger, hosts of the Field Notes podcast from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, to answer questions that Wisconsin crop farmers might have about agroforestry. 

Show notes at: https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

Field Notes podcast: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/field-notes-podcast/ 

Jacob Marty reflects on how his relationship with his father has shaped the dynamics on their sixth generation family farm in southern Wisconsin in this recording from the 2017 Perennial Farm Gathering. 

Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennial-af-generational-dynamics-with-jacob-marty/

Scott Brainard, a plant breeding specialist working for the Savanna Institute, gives an overview of the institute's goals and strategies for breeding more productive and resilient tree crop varieties. 

Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

In this recording from our 2021 Perennial Farm Gathering, farmer Dayna Burtness moderates an online panel conversation with cookbook author Beth Dooley, orchardist and historical horticulturist Eliza Greenman, and author and food justice advocate Anna Lappé. 

Hear more at https://www.youtube.com/@SavannaInstitute

A recording of our July 27th, 2023 pasture walk at the Spring Green Campus with farm director Erik Hagan and farmer Michael Dolan. Erik and Michael share lessons learned and compare "silvopasture by addition" and "silvopasture by subtraction".

Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Austin Unruh, owner of Trees for Graziers and author of "The Grazier’s Guide to Trees", tells the story of how he started his agroforestry business in southeastern Pennsylvania and shares the advice he wished he had gotten as a beginning agroforestry entrepreneur in this recording from our 2022 Perennial Farm Gathering. 

You can learn more about Austin and his work at https://treesforgraziers.com/

Kathy Dice and Tom Wahl of Red Fern Farm in southeastern Iowa have been practicing agroforestry for decades. In July, podcast host Jacob Grace visited Red Fern Farm to ask Tom and Kathy what they see as the three biggest agroforestry mistakes people can make, learn what their most profitable tree crops are, and explore their established, profitable, and highy diverse agroforestry system. 

Show notes and more at www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

This mini-episode features voices from our 2021 black currant tasting event: farmers Kevin Wolz and Erin Schneider and chefs Odessa Piper and Colton Schara. You can learn more about growing and marketing black currants at https://www.savannainstitute.org/blackcurrants/

Exerpts from Mark Krawczyk's presentation at the 2022 Perennial Farm Gathering, drawing from Mark's new book, "Coppice Agroforestry". Mark provides an overview of techniques and tree crops for coppicing, or "the ancient practice of resprout silviculture" - cutting off trees to make them resprout and regrow in useful ways. More at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/.

Paul Dietmann, Senior Lending Officer for Compeer Financial’s Emerging Markets program, talks with host Jacob Grace and with Steffen Mirsky from the UW-Madison Division of Extension's Emerging Crops program and co-host of The Cutting Edge Podcast. Paul has worked for many years helping farmers and landowners find ways to finance new crops or emerging practices like agroforestry. 

Fearless Farm Finances, a book by Paul Dietmann and colleagues

The Cutting Edge Podcast, hosted by UW-Madison Division of Extension's Emerging Crops Program

Excerpts from Dr. Samantha Bosco's presentation at the 2022 Perennial Farm Gathering, entitled "Thick as Thieves: A social ecology of nucivery in a more-than-human world". Dr. Bosco's presentation covers a wide range of topics, from the influence of foraging animals' personalities on forest composition to the non-binary nature of agroforestry and its connections to social justice and queerness in nature. You can hear the full presentation at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennial-farm-gathering/

To commemorate the Savanna Institute’s 10th anniversary this year, Kevin Wolz and Keefe Keeley recall the early days of the Savanna Institute, including Kevin’s role as a founding member of the first board of directors and Keefe’s role as the organization’s first employee (and first executive director). More at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Meghan Filbert discusses virtual fence technology in a recording from our most recent Perennial Farm Gathering, and staff member Bill Davison reads an essay he wrote about how the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron has influenced his thinking about farming and agroforestry. 

Show notes at savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Aaron Steele is an Iowa farmer and entrepreneur, owner of Goats On The Go®, Sheep on the Go®, and host of the Farm Dog podcast. In this episode, Aaron describes why he started his business and his podcast, and discusses what he sees for the future of grazing on solar farms. 

Show notes and links at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf

Farm Dog podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-dog/id1573646688 

An audio tour of agroforestry and perennial farming systems at New Forest Farm in southwestern Wisconsin with farmer Mark Shepard, author of "Restoration Agriculture". 

Savanna Institute Research Fellow Xinyuan Shi describes her time as an Agroforestry Apprentice and talks about her current research on silvopasture and multifunctional agroforestry buffers. We also share a teaser for the Agroforestry Podcast, hosted by the Center for Agroforestry. 

Show notes: https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

A recording of Dr. Ricardo Salvador's keynote presentation to the 2022 Perennial Farm Gathering, "Perennial Dreams and Realities", which draws on Dr. Salvador's decades of experience working with scientists, farmers, and policymakers. Dr. Salvador has spent much of his career working in Iowa, and now serves as the director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Marie Raboin is a beginning farmer in southern Wisconsin who has already learned a lot from her first few years of raising livestock and tree crops. In this episode, host Jacob Grace visits Marie to see how many of his farm dreams can withstand her scrutiny. 

This episode is a collaboration with The Climate Conversation podcast, which is produced by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). Hosts Dan Bresette and Emma Johnson interviewed Keefe Keeley, Savanna Institute's executive director, and Tucker Gretebeck, an organic dairy farmer, about how they got into agroforestry and what they're hoping to see in this year's Farm Bill. You can learn more and listen to the full episode at EESI's website, www.eesi.org.

Agroforestry can be tough to do on your own. This episode features interviews from our "Partnering for Agroforestry" series about successful partnerships that have made agroforestry possible. As farmer Dayna Burtness says, “We don’t all have to do it alone. That’s the way of the past!” You can see the full video series at https://www.savannainstitute.org/partnering/

Greg Galbraith, a retired Wisconsin organic dairy farmer turned podcaster, answers questions from listeners and tells some stories about his time as a farmer. Show notes available at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

As we enter the holiday season, many of us begin thinking about food and cooking - and what to do with perennial crops as they go from farm to kitchen. In this recorded webinar from January 2022, we hear a conversation between cookbook author Beth Dooley, farmer Linda Hezel, chef Rick Mullins, and agroforestry apprentice Taylor Neff. We hope this episode will inspire you to “go get some really good food and cook!”

In this episode, Marie Raboin of Brix Cider, Jacob Marty of Green Fire Farm, and Thelma Heidel-Baker of Bossie Cow Farm answer some of Google's top questions about farmers and farming. You'll never think about overalls the same way again!

Show notes at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialaf/

Keefe Keeley and Barbara Decré discuss agroforestry as a natural climate solution in a recorded webinar for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 

Learn more about Climate Fast Forward, Oct. 17th, 2022: https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/climate-fast-forward-2022

Savanna Institute staff member Bill Davison answers questions from listeners and shares some of his favorite podcasts, books, and perspectives for succeeding with agroforestry.

This episode features voices from our Partnering for Agroforestry series: All Seasons Farm, Organic Compound, and Silverwood Park. Learn more about these partnerships on our YouTube channel and at https://www.savannainstitute.org/partnering/

Eliza Greenman is a farmer, "fruit explorer", and Savanna Institute staff member based in Virginia. In this episode, she answers questions from listeners, plays a round of agroforestry would-you-rathers, and talks about her latest agroforestry work. 

Eric Wolske is an experienced agroforestry researcher with a fondness for "booze crops" and an interest in modernizing agroforestry equipment and machinery. In this episode, Eric answers questions submitted by listeners and talks about his new role with Canopy Farm Management in Illinois. 

The Savanna Institute's newly rebranded podcast and blog about perennial agroforestry (AF) features interviews, questions from listeners, inside jokes, and more. Subscribe to Perennial AF to hear real AF conversations with some of the Midwest's top agroforesters and perennial farmers!

More at https://www.savannainstitute.org/perennialAF

Jim Riddle has been an organic farmer, gardener, inspector, educator, policy analyst, author, and speaker for more than 35 years. Jim co-owns and operates Blue Fruit Farm near Winona, Minnesota, where he and his wife Joyce Ford grow blueberries, black currants, elderberries, aronia berries, honeyberries and more. Jim has a wealth of knowledge about organic berry production, and in this podcast episode, he shares his advice for growing and direct marketing fresh berries as well as processed fruit products.

Episode links:

Matt Wilson, our Wisconsin agroforestry technical service provider, answers questions we've received online and plays a round of agroforestry would-you-rathers. 

Savanna Institute's Illinois Community Agroforester, Kaitie Adams, answers questions we've received online and plays a round of agroforestry would-you-rathers. 

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about elderberries in this episode! Featuring elderberry experts Terry Durham of River Hills Harvest and Chris Patton of the Midwest Elderberry Cooperative, this recorded conversation takes you through the benefits of elderberries and how to grow, harvest, process, and market them in the Midwest. Click here to learn more about Terry's work with River Hills Harvest and Chris's work with the Midwest Elderberry Cooperative. 

This episode is supported by Grassland 2.0.

Greg Judy is a Missouri farmer, author, and role model for many aspiring agroforesters and livestock farmers. This episode features Greg's keynote presentation at our 2018 Perennial Farm Gathering, which includes a whirlwind tour of his farm operation, the story of how he became interested in agroforestry, and a glimpse into the mindset that led Greg to question many of the assumptions he once made about farming.

You can learn more about Greg Judy and his work at http://greenpasturesfarm.net/ 

Eliza Greenman is an orchardist and fruit explorer who is enthusiastic about incorporating livestock into orchards. This episode features a recording of her presentation at the Savanna Institute's 2019 Perennial Farm Gathering, in which she describes how she became obsessed with managing orchards and finding rare tree varieties, her plans to haunt an orchard someday, and what it's like to own the oldest pig in the world. 

You can learn more about Eliza's work at hogtree.com.