2016 Conference: 29 and 30 November
Memorial Union, University of Missouri, Columbia
Going Green with Conservation-Based Farming:
Market-Based Approaches to Promote
Soil Health and Water Quality
The 2016 Green Lands Blue Waters conference brings a market-based focus to
complement innovative, science-based approaches to conservation of soil and water
quality. Landowners react positively when their “bottom-line” is enhanced. Proven,
market-based options, including cover crops and perennial-based practices (i.e.,
agroforestry, perennial grains, biomass, forages, and winter annuals) support the
deployment of “continuous living cover,” and speak directly to the bottom line. Farmerto-farmer strategies are required to scale up conservation for large scale impacts on soil
and water quality.
Tuesday, November 29 (all events hosted in Stotler Lounge unless otherwise
noted)
8:00
Registration and light breakfast
9:00 – 9:15
Welcome:
Rob Kallenbach, Assistant Dean for Extension; College of Agricultural,
Food and Natural Resources Sciences, University of Missouri
9:15 – 10:00
Opening Keynote: Why We Should Invest in Soil Health and
Conservation in the U.S.
Bill Buckner, President and CEO, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
10:00 – 10:30
Networking break
10:30 – 12:00
Market-Based Tools for Production and Conservation
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Moderator: Dean Current, Research Associate & Director, Center for
Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM),
University of Minnesota
Calculating the Financial Costs & Benefits of Conservation
Cropping
Rebecca Wasserman-Olin, Economics Researcher, Chippewa 10%
Project/ Land Stewardship Project
Fruit and Nut Compass Decision Support Tool
John Hendrickson, UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural
Systems
NRCS Dedicated EQIP Funding Pool for Agroforestry and
Specialty Woody Crops
Lauren Cartwright, Missouri NRCS Agricultural Economist
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch (Stotler Lounge)
1:00 – 3:00
Continuous Living Cover Breakout Sessions - Move to
Memorial Union South Building
Join a two hour working session, each focused on a Continuous Living
Cover cropping strategy, where you will learn about current research and
programs; share your experiences; and discuss opportunities and future
initiatives. This year, sessions include topics that cross-over to other
Continuous Living Cover strategies: e.g. silvopasture will be discussed in
the agroforestry and perennial forage sessions; and forage is a topic in
the perennial grains and biomass sessions.
Agroforestry (Room S204- The Gus T. Ridgel Room): This breakout session will focus on
the use of perennial pasture and silvopasture to create additional market-based
approaches to promote biodiverse landscapes, animal and soil health, and improved
water quality using large and small ruminants and poultry. Workshop participants will
be invited to ask questions and widely discuss the future of managed intensive grazing
for large and small livestock and poultry- incorporating silvopasture to enhance animal
health, production and market opportunities.
 Incorporating silvopasture into mob-grazed livestock,
marketing and leasing options. Greg Judy, Green Pastures Farm
 Producing and marketing meat goats using invasive species as a
rotationally grazed forage source. Mark Kennedy, former Missouri
NRCS State Grazing Lands Specialist
 Professionalizing Agroforestry in the U.S.: What Will it Take?
Dr. Shibu Jose, HE Garrett Endowed Professor of Agroforestry, and
Director, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
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Perennial Biomass (Room S303): Native grassland biomass and the wildlife conservation
community: partners in market-based approaches to resource conservation. This
breakout session focuses on native herbaceous perennial biomass (NHPB) as feedstock
for bioenergy with an emphasis on water quality and wildlife conservation benefits. We
will explore NHPB production systems and spotlight examples of commercial NHPB
projects designed for improving water quality, achieving multiple wildlife conservation
goals, and enriching farm financial and ecological functioning. Progress in biomass
market development will be demonstrated. Participants will be invited to ask questions
and widely discuss existing and untapped synergies between agricultural production of
NHPB and opportunities for substantive improvement in resource conservation at
multiple scales. An anticipated outcome of this session is commitment to longer-term
dialogue on partnerships in continuous living cover.
 On-farm production of native grasses for forage, bioenergy,
and sediment and nutrient loss reduction. Steve John, Agricultural
Watershed Institute.
 Commercial-scale bioenergy in northern MO using native
perennial polycultures. Connor Woods, Roeslein Alternative Energy.
 Sustainable biomass production as dedicated bioenergy
feedstock for a rural public hospital. Tom Schwartz, FDC
Enterprises
 Support for biomass production. Chris Eder, National Wild Turkey
Federation; and Gwen White, Science Coordinator Eastern Tallgrass
Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
Cover Crops (Room S207- The Todd Room): Hear from cover crop experts on working
with farmers, comparing cover crop species, and cost share programs available in
Missouri. Session attendees will be invited to discuss challenges and opportunities in
increasing cover crop adoption in the Midwest.
 Farmer success with cover crops and areas for further
improvement. Sarah Carlson, Practical Farmers of Iowa
 Comparison of over 30 cover crop species at multiple planting
dates in northeast Missouri. Jerry Kaiser, NRCS Plant Materials
Center (serving Missouri, Iowa and Illinois)
 Cost share programs on cover crops in Missouri. Lauren
Cartwright, Missouri NRCS; and Jim Plassmeyer, Missouri Department of
Natural Resources
Perennial Forage and Pastures (Room S203- The Arvah E. Strickland Room): Grazing
for Vegetation Management: Grazing to manage vegetation for various goals is an area
with lots of growth potential, because of the perceived public value of management
without chemicals and because of the relatively low capital entry cost for a grazing
enterprise that doesn’t include land ownership. Grazing that produces both a livestock
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product for market as well as desirable vegetation and habitat helps farmers and
communities to place perennial acres firmly in the asset column. Demand for grazing
services has potential to grow the number, size and stability of herds or flocks in the
region and to provide entry points for new graziers. This in turn could increase the value
of perennial forage acres and reduce the likelihood of their conversion to row crops.
 Patch-burn grazing to improve wildlife habitat and control
invasive plants. Max Alleger, Missouri Department of Conservation;
and Dusty Schaaf, Missouri Farmer-Collaborator
 Silvopasture- A tool to improve woodland grazing, adapt to
climate change, diversify farm income and more! Diomy Zamora,
Extension Professor, University of Minnesota; Tyler Carlson, Minnesota
Farmer-Collaborator; Diane Mayerfeld, Center for Integrated Agricultural
Systems, UW-Madison; Jim Chamberlin, Happy Dancing Turtle; Dusty
Walter, University of Missouri
Perennial Grains (Room S206 The Gillette/Ware Room): This breakout session will
focus on the perennial grain, Kernza®, which is the trademarked name of the perennial
grain from the intermediate wheatgrass plant, trademarked by The Land Institute.
Research on the grain is quickly evolving, and market interest has been sparked.
National brands with new Kernza® products have driven a spike in media attention, and
local markets in the Midwest are encouraging interest from farmers, millers and local
food businesses. We’ll discuss needs, challenges and opportunities in research and
commercialization to keep the momentum around this new grain building. Workshop
participants will be invited to ask questions and widely discuss the future of perennial
grains.
 Kernza® and The Land Institute’s broader perennial vision;
moving Kernza® forward through research and
commercialization. Lee DeHaan, The Land Institute
 Research updates: Kernza® and ecosystem services, and
Kernza® as a dual-purpose crop for grain and forage systems.
Charles Frahm, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University
of Minnesota
 New farmer perspectives on building acreage and markets in
Illinois. Woody Woodruff, Kernza® grower and Conservation Associate,
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
 Developing strong supply chains for perennial grains: creating
resources, networks and systems to grow farmer supply and
market demand. Aaron Reser, Green Lands Blue Waters
3:00 – 3:30
Networking break - Return to Stotler Lounge
3:30 – 4:10
Reports from the CLC Sessions - Stotler Lounge
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Moderator: Rich Straight, Forest Service Lead Agroforester, National
Agroforestry Center
4:10 – 5:30
Markets for CLC Crops - Stotler Lounge
Moderator: Rebecca Wasserman-Olin, Economics Researcher, Chippewa
10% Project/ Land Stewardship Project
Elderberry- Options for production, income generation and
market opportunities.
Andy Thomas, Research Assistant Professor, Plant Science MU Southwest
Research Center
Camelina and Pennycress- Keep it green: cleaning up with cash
cover crops.
Frank Forcella, Research Agronomist, USDA ARS
Kernza®- Supporting early market enthusiasm with strong
relationships and systems to increase supply and develop key
supply chain partners.
Aaron Reser, Watershed Initiative Coordinator, Green Lands Blue Waters
5:30 – 6:15
Reception (Stotler Lounge, cash bar)
6:15 – 7:00
Dinner (Stotler Lounge, dinner included with registration)
Join your peers for dinner and lively table discussions spurred by the
day’s conference presentations.
Wednesday, November 30 - Stotler Lounge
7:30 – 8:00
Light breakfast / networking
8:00 – 8:30
Green Lands Blue Waters Updates
Richard Warner, Director, Green Lands Blue Waters
8:30 – 10:30
A Strategic Watershed Tour:
Participants will rotate through two rooms (Stotler A &B), each session
will be held twice in a row, half of attendees will start in A, half in B. Each
session focuses on using a watershed approach to scaling-up the impacts
of Continuous Living Cover farming from field-scale change to landscapelevel change through collaborations across regional watersheds.
Session held twice in a row: 8:30-9:25 and 9:30-10:30
Increasing Continuous Living Cover at a Watershed Level: Grazing Case StudiesA watershed-level approach to grazing can be a unique and successful way to
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bring farmers together around a shared goal of improving water quality in their
region. Learn from case studies in Missouri and Wisconsin.
 Lowery Creek Watershed, WI. Richard Cates, Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems, UW Madison
 Upper Little Sac Watershed, MO. Diana Sheridan, Missouri NRCS
District Conservationist; and Mike Kromrey, Executive Director
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.
Session held twice in a row: 8:30-9:25 and 9:30-10:30
A Watershed Approach to Bring Diverse Stakeholders and Funders TogetherHear from regional experts in leveraging a watershed approach to collaboration
for increasing continuous living cover at a watershed and regional scale.
 Our Missouri Waters, MDNR. Mary Culler, Our Missouri Waters
Northeast Region Watershed Coordinator
 St. Croix River Association, MN & WI. Monica Zachay, SCRA Water
Resources Steward
10:30 – 11:00
Networking break
11:00 – 11:20
Stacking Conservation Practices in Order to Maximize
Ecosystem and Economic Benefits
Rob Myers, Regional Director- Extension Programs, North Central
Region- SARE
11:20 – 12:00
Closing Keynote: Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Water
Quality in Iowa and the Mississippi River Basin
Sean McMahon, Executive Director, Iowa Agricultural Water Alliance
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch (Stotler Lounge)
Boxed lunches available for attendees to enjoy onsite, or take on the road.
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1:15-3:15
Optional Post-Conference Biomass Field Trip. Please register separately.
Herbaceous perennial biomass: species trials, polyculture
trials and ecosystem services.
Bradford Research Center, Columbia, MO
For directions, presenters and other details, please see the biomass field
trip pdf.
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Plan ahead for next year’s conference!
Plan to attend the fall 2017 Green Lands Blue Waters Conference in Madison, Wisconsin,
hosted by the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin.
Event details will be available in Spring 2017.
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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS CONFERENCE SPONSORS
SARE Missouri
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