A very successful Windbreak Renovation & Innovation Conference was held July 24–26, 2012 at the International Peace Garden (www.peacegarden.com). This unique 2, 400 acre facility is devoted to World Peace and situated on the border between Manitoba and North Dakota. The Peace Garden was an ideal location to host the International Windbreak Conference.

 The Windbreak Renovation Conference was a focused learning and sharing opportunity initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agroforestry Center, located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Agriculture and Agri – Food Canada’s (AAFC ) Agroforestry Development Centre, located in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. This event was led by the two National Agroforestry Centres with support from other federal, state, provincial and conservation partners in the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada.

Windbreak/shelterbelt renovation and innovations in design and use of windbreaks on the agricultural landscape are common issues shared by both countries . Therefore the theme of this conference was timely and it was well attended by 82 participants from both sides of the border.

The participants and presenters came from across the Great Plains including nine States and three Prairie Provinces. Presentations were also made available to another 35 remote, online participants using Microsoft Office Live Meeting. The presentations were recorded with services provided by the USFS Digita l Visions Enterprise Team and will be posted soon at www.nac.unl.edu/renovation.htm

Land managers and conservation organizations on the US Great Plains and the Canadian Prairies strive to manage the agr icultural landscape in a way that is productive and profitable while conserving the natural resources on which agriculture depends. Windbreaks have been a part of this landscape for over a century, so knowledge about the management of existing windbreaks a nd the development and design of new ones is critical. Therefore, people were invited to the conference to share their own experiences and to learn from others. Judging from the positive feedback on the evaluation forms, participants found the event beneficial and interesting.

The Conference was one of several deliverables outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Agroforestry , which was signed between AAFC and the USDA in Washington, DC on April 17, 2012.The MOU demonstrates a strong and growing relationship between Canada and the U.S. This benefits producers and consumers in both countries and solidifies the beneficial working relationship that already exists between the two National Agroforestry Centres.

The conference organizing committee consisted of representatives from both countries (Image 3). Funds for the conference were provided by the USDA and AAFC as well as Alberta Agriculture and the Plains and Prairie Forestry Association (PPFA).

Key Outcomes and Actions from the Conference

• Cooperation in agroforestry by both countries as outlined in the MOU
• Strengthen the working relationship that exists between the two National Agroforestry Centres
• Creation of international partnerships for collaboration on agroforestry research & development initiatives
• Provision of a forum for participants to network & share information on common international agroforestry issues
• Key presentations from the workshop will be made available as learning events through the Canadian Institute of Forestry E – lecture Series http://cif – ifc.org/site/electure
• Similar renovation workshops are scheduled to happen in Alberta
• Notable media coverage occurred in Canadian Agricultural papers such as the Manitoba Cooperator & Western Producer

Conference information is available at www.unl.edu/nac/renovation.htm or you can contact Richard Straight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or John Kort at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..