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Two-Day Woody Agriculture Short Course 2007

Last updated February 25, 2007

Two-Day Short Course:
Woody Agriculture: Theory and Hazelnut Practices


Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, Lanesboro, MN
March 31–April 1, 2007

This is the second year this course has been offered, so details of the content are still subject to update. Syllabus below may change slightly.

While much of the course material this year will be the same as last, there will be some changes. There will be segments on chestnut biology and culture, a very short segment on the hybrid hickories, and a moderate segment on marketing. Several of the participants from last year are intending to attend this year also.

The class is intended to be an annual event and to become the beginning of the certification process that will be necessary for the franchised nurseries/growers now being discussed.

This year's Saturday dinner coincides with a "Dinner on the Bluff" event; an enjoyable gourmet dinner and lecture, and plenty of folks from outside our own group. That's partly responsible for the slightly higher cost this year, but well worth it.

We highly recommend getting there on Friday night—the extra $15 charge is very inexpensive. The two days we have available are none too long; we're going to be cramming at least a semester's worth of information into this course. Our first meal is breakfast on Saturday, and our first class will start on Saturday at 9 AM. At the moment, it's not clear whether we will be having classes after the evening meal on Saturday or not; if we really need the time, we'll try. Last class should end at 4 PM Sunday. During the weekend, we will arrange for a Monday tour of Badgersett for those who are interested (weather permitting).

Accommodations

The accommodations at Eagle Bluff were primarily designed as school "dormitories", with each room having 2 bunk beds. Photos can be found here. You can find more general information about the facility at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center home page.

Driving/Traveling

Since most of their clientele arrive in school buses, Eagle Bluff does not have a regular commercial bus service.Please email us if you need help getting there. We are also limited, but we'll do our best to help out here. Several folks are flying in to the Minneapolis airport; we'll try to put you in touch with each other, at the least.

You can refer to Eagle Bluff's directions for maps and instructions for how to get there. Alternatively, detailed directions can be found at these two places: MapQuest or Google Maps.

Basically, Eagle Bluff is on the road (County 8) between Lanesboro and Fountain. Signs directing to Eagle Bluff are good and fairly hard to miss. If you've never been there before, however, it would be good to allow a little extra time to find it.

Pre-Class Reading

If this were a formal university class, these would be "required reading". Please do make an effort to read what you can, as it will speed the classes considerably.

On the Badgersett Website:

Highly Recommended:

  • Smith, J. Russell. 1987.Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. Washington, DC: Island Press. This should be available in most university libraries.
  • Rosenzweig, Michael, 2003. Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth's Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise. New York: Oxford University Press. Go to the Win-Win Ecology website.

Rough Course Outline

Day 1: Classes will focus on Woody Agriculture theory and will include:

  • Woody Agriculture System Energetics
  • Hybrid Swarm Genetics—breeding and selection
  • Hazelnut Biology—plant morphology, physiology, genetics, species ecology
  • Pest Management—mammals, birds, insects, fungi
  • Harvest—hand and machine
  • Post Harvest—processing, storage

Day 2: Classes will focus on specific practices with Badgersett Hybrid Bush Hazels, including various paths tried, failures and successes. The intention is to describe the state of the art with suggestions for specific paths to be tried. Included will be:

  • Field Planning
  • Establishment
  • Field Maintenance/Management—years 1-10, 10-20
  • Field Renovation—coppice and other
  • Cloning, high and low tech—involving examination of actual plants in class
  • Harvest—details of hand harvesting
  • Post Harvest handling—This will include all class participation in cracking, analyzing, and taste-testing hazelnuts stored in several different fashions.

It is not recommended to attend only one day.

Weather permitting, those who can stay for the Monday following the course will be invited to tour the plantings at Badgersett Farm for informal observation and discussions.

Instructor

Philip A. Rutter, MS

Founder, Badgersett Research Corporation
Founding President, The American Chestnut Foundation
Past President, Northern Nut Growers Association

Mr. Rutter created the concept and coined the phrase "Woody Agriculture", and he is the originator of the "poly-hybrid swarm" breeding technique.

Registration

Cost: $250 before March 15; $285 after March 15

Includes 1 night lodging and 5 meals, starting with breakfast on Saturday. Additional nights' lodging available for $15/night.

To order by e-mail:
Copy this text order form into an e-mail to orders@badgersett.com (PayPal Verified), fill it out and send it. Once we have begun processing your registration, you will get an e-mail invoice from PayPal with instructions on how to pay.

Please note: Some businesses block PayPal e-mail. To avoid such problems, you may wish to use a personal e-mail address. Payment processing both at Badgersett and at PayPal can take a variable amount of time, but in most cases you should receive an invoice from our PayPal account within 2-7 days.

To order by mail:
Send fees and participant information (address/phone/email) to:

Badgersett Farm
Woody Agriculture Short Course
18606 Deer Road
Canton, MN 55922