Okanagan Agroforestry Field Day, Oct 18

Friday, October 18, 2013  1:00 to 4:00 pm
Hosted by Curly Frog Farm, Kelowna and Marshall Farms, Winfield

Join us for an informative afternoon discussing alley cropping, nut orchards, exotic fruit and hardwood production.  Free to attend.  RSVP Brenda at 250 491 3404.

Agenda

1:00 - 1:20 pm Curly Frog Farm, 395 Hereron Road, Kelowna

• Brenda Dureault, Curly Frog Farm: Welcome and introductions; motivations for using agroforestry in small-lot agriculture.
• George Powell: BC Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative (AIDI): Overview of agroforestry and the AIDI.
• Dave Trotter, BC Ministry of Agriculture: Agroforestry development work around BC and its potential applications in the Okanagan. 

Okanagan Alley Cropping Demonstration

1:20 - 2:30 pm Tour of the Curly Frog Farm Alley Cropping Demonstration

• Brenda Dureault, Curly Frog Farm: Lessons learned in establishing black walnut and pawpaw trees: sourcing material, planting, irrigation, weed and pest control.
• Sandra Mah, Regional District of Central Okanagan: Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park as a source for high quality Okanagan-adapted Carpathian (English) walnuts, Chinese chestnuts and hazelnuts (filberts).

2:30 - 3:00 pm Travel to Marshall Farms (see below for driving instructions)

3:00 - 4:00 pm Tour of Marshall Farms, 12349 Lake Hill Drive, Winfield

Marshall Black Walnut Stand Planted in 2000

•  Jeff Marshall, Marshall Farms: Welcome and introduction to Marshall Farms (a third generation family-owned Okanagan orchard).
• Michael Carlson, scientist emeritus, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: History of black walnut in the Okanagan, including Gellatly collection and Purdue University materials testing; variation in growth and form traits of black walnut families planted at Marshall Farms.
• Jeff Marshall, Marshall Farms: Overview of black walnut orchard management, including irrigation, fertilization, spacing and pruning.

Please Note!

This field day is free to attend, but you must provide your own transportation to Curly Frog Farm and Marshall Farms.  Please ensure you dress appropriately for the possibility of inclement weather and have sturdy, water-proof footwear.

Curly Frog Farm also raises poultry.  If live or work on a poultry farm or have recently visited, or will visit a poultry operation after the field day, please refer to the following and observe standard biosecurity protocols to prevent the potential transmission of disease between flocks: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/biosec/aviafrme.pdf

Driving Instructions Curly Frog Farm to Marshall Farms:

1. Drive west on Hereron Rd to Hwy 97N.  
2. Turn right (north) onto Hwy 97N and drive 14.6 km through Winfield to Oceola Road.  
3. Turn left on Oceola Road and proceed 1.1 km uphill.  
4. Turn right on Lake Hill Drive and then after 50 m turn right to enter Marshall Farms (the first driveway on the right-hand side).  
5. Proceed downhill approximately 200m to a parking area adjacent to the walnut plantation.

Okanagan Farm Demonstrating Alley Cropping with Black Walnut and Pawpaw

Diversification, building connections and demonstrating the feasibility of agroforestry methods are a few of the motivations behind a Kelowna family farm's alley cropping project.  With funding from the British Columbia Agroforestry Industry Development Initiative, Curly Frog Farms will explore a more economical, sustainable way of conducting agriculture through agroforestry.

Curly Frog will transform approximately 1.5 acres from pasture on a high water table to an alley cropping system utilizing black walnut and pawpaw tree rows.  Black walnut produces a high quality, high value wood, much in demand, as well as a source of supplemental income from the nuts as food or seed.  Only 1.4% of the wood processed in BC is hardwood, thus an opportunity exists to diversify the wood market with increased regional production.  Pawpaw produces a unique and unusual fruit which looks like a mango and tastes like a mix of guava and banana, and comes with many potential health benefits.  Currently demand exceeds supply in Canada and if production results from this demonstration are favourable, the Okanagan could become a new regional production centre for this fruit.

Black walnut produces a high quality, high value wood, much in demand

By design, the alley cropping set-up at Curly Frog will create beneficial synergies.  For example, alder trees will be planted within 1.5-m of the other crop trees to supply nitrogen to the soil, to act as a nurse crop to help the black walnut grow straight, and when the alley tree crops begin to mature, the alder will be cut for firewood.  Pawpaw will be planted in between the black walnut trees.  Pawpaw can be found in the wild growing under black walnut and should therefore be able to survive juglone sensitivity (black walnut can produce allelopathic effects on neighbouring plants) and the dappled shade of the walnut overstory.  In order to graft the pawpaw trees to produce known quality and character, Kentucky State University has graciously consented to contribute bud wood from their horticultural research station. 

Synergies are also hoped to develop through the choice of herbaceous crops in the alleys.  As a natural pest control strategy, beneficial insect plants (e.g. yarrow, dill) will be planted between the tree rows to help with pest control and promote biodiversity during the establishment of the trees.  Other potential benefits of this farming system may come through improved economics.  Alley cropping allows you to grow high value crops on less land while sharing the same farm infrastructure (e.g irrigation).

It is hoped this project will serve as a pilot to connect the forest industry, the agricultural industry and environmental concerns.   Once established, the farm will be open for tours that will focus on production methods, resources and costs.

Curly Frog Farms is a family-run farm whose overall purpose is to provide an environment in which spiritual, physical, mental, emotional and financial needs can be met.  Their goal is to integrate people, habitat and agriculture in order to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the environment.  The farm is located on 26 acres in Kelowna; 7 acres are wetland, pond and brook with an existing 2 acres of black walnut and Christmas trees planted beside it.   Another 2 acres of chestnut, oak and yellow horn are in the works slated to be completed by this fall.

For more information on this project or Curly Frog Farms, please visit: www.curlyfrogcreations.com/Farm.html