Changing landscape

WHAT: Education on Agroforestry grant, funded by Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and Northeast Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC); administered through Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District

WHERE: SUNY Adirondack’s farmlands

THE PROJECT: Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, SUNY Adirondack’s Agricultural Business program and TheFarm@ ADK research impact of agroforestry, then put it in action on the campus farm and in classrooms.

WHY: Forest hedgerows and waterway buffers planted in and around agricultural fields conserve water, reduce erosion and improve ecological diversity.

HOW: Working closely with Nick Rowell, natural resource specialist for Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, and an expert in soil and erosion, and Jared Woodcock, co-founder of Agroforestry Management and an expert in the field, SUNY Adirondack plans to plant nut-bearing trees and shrubs, including hazelnut and chestnut, around its agricultural fields.

A Dirty Job

Nick Rowell, natural resource specialist for Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, teaches as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Adirondack.

He works closely with SUNY Adirondack’s Agricultural Business professors, offering student workshops in such subjects as no-till practices and nutrient management.

“Soil is the base of any farm,” Rowell said. “These practices help the farm, economically and productively, and keep the whole ecosystem around the farm healthier.”