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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #395689
Research Project: Sustainable Small Farm and Organic Grass and Forage Production Systems for Livestock and Agroforestry

Location: Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center

Title: The agroforestry academy: Assessing long-term outcomes and impacts of a model training program

Author
item MENDELSON, SOPHIA - University Of Missouri
item GOLD, MICHAEL - University Of Missouri
item LOVELL, SARAH - University Of Missouri
item HENDRICKSON, MARI - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Agroforestry Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2021
Publication Date: 4/19/2021
Citation: Mendelson, S., Gold, M., Lovell, S., Hendrickson, M. 2021. The agroforestry academy: Assessing long-term outcomes and impacts of a model training program. Agroforestry Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00604-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00604-y

Interpretive Summary: Lay summary: Temperate agroforestry adoption rates remain low despite many benefits. The Agroforestry Academy, a week-long training program for natural resource professionals and farmers is designed to increase both agroforestry knowledge and adoption. A survey of past Academy attendees indicated that the majority of them had adopted agroforestry in some form.

Technical Abstract: Rates of adoption of temperate-region agroforestry remain low, despite multiple benefits. To develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between agroforestry learning and adoption, it is necessary to examine agroforestry educational programming in context. This study represents the first follow-up effort with past participants in the Agroforestry Academy, a week-long temperate agroforestry training program for natural resource professionals and farmers hosted by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry each year. Objectives were to assess participant learning and adoption outcomes, to understand which learning experiences contributed most meaningfully to adoption, and to recommend changes to Agroforestry Academy programming. While the majority of past participants have adopted agroforestry in some form, results showed that farmer and non-farmer learners approach agroforestry education with differing needs, goals, and implementation contexts. Facilitation of mixed knowledge networks emerged as a key area in which the Academy could increase support for both farmer and non-farmer agroforestry adoption and represents an area for further research.