In the works for over a year, the new and updated AFTA website debuts in January, 2004. The web design and transition to a new domain (aftaweb.org) was made possible in part by a grant from the Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Foundation to support our Agroforestry Outreach Initiative.

Through the new website, AFTA aims to bring agroforestry information to a much wider audience than in the past. The Web is the most cost-effective way for a small nonprofit organization like AFTA to broadcast our "message" to those interested in agroforestry both in North America and around the world. We're expanding both the depth and reach of information provided to both the public and our members.

In short, our aim is to create and maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date resource of information o­n temperate agroforestry in North America.

The new website will also benefit members. There are now more options for members to communicate with o­ne another o­nline via the AFTA website. We have also improved services to members and will increase our contacts with them.

Website Tour

Here is a brief tour of some of the new features you'll find when you visit AFTA's new o­nline home at www.aftaweb.org.

Home page: The usual starting point for visitors, our home page will be updated regularly with links (in the center column) to newsworthy events related to agroforestry. Navigation around the site is easily accomplished via links from the home page, and all other inside pages, to six major sections, described below.

Enterprises & Services: From the viewpoint of the landowner who is investigating how agroforestry may fit with their farming or forestry operations, this section serves as an introduction to the various economic enterprises and environmental services which utilize agroforestry practices. Basic information o­n the five major practices is presented here, along with relevant articles from past newsletters and links to outside sources.

Resources: This section forms the core of the agroforestry information resource o­n AFTAweb. It will be continually expanded, and updated at least monthly with new information. Here visitors will find current and searchable back issues of the Temperate Agroforester newsletter, a searchable database of agroforestry activities in the US and Canada, a searchable index of papers presented at North American Agroforestry Conference, and much more.

What's New: As the name implies, here you'll find current news concerning agroforestry. This includes updates that were previously published o­nly in the quarterly newsletter, i.e., Internet Resources, New in Print, Meetings Calendar, plus news of People and Institutions, Current Research Literature, and Job Announcements.

Bookshop: It will now be more convenient to order books, journals, logowear, etc. from AFTA thanks to a new o­nline processing system for credit card payments. Those not wishing to pay by credit card can easily do so by check. Please note that AFTA members should first log-in (see below) in order to shop at the significant discount prices to which they're entitled.

Join/Donate: We seek public support for AFTA by encouraging people to become a member or to donate a tax-deductible contribution. The o­nline payment system makes it easy to do so.

Members: This area of the website is for the exclusive use of current AFTA members. To access this sections, members must log-in with the username and password provided them. In addition to information about AFTA's administration, elections, etc., members can also utilize the o­nline directory to search for other members by (for example) state and agroforestry interests. We provide this directory to encourage networking among AFTA members.

Email Newsletter and Forums

Agroforestry Newsline: Making its debut along with the new website, Agroforestry Newsline is our new free newsletter to be sent by email to subscribers every month. Anyone is welcome to subscribe, and you can easily un-subscribe anytime you wish. The Newsline will keep you informed of the latest developments relevant to temperate agroforestry.

Listserv: AFTA also sponsors a moderated discussion group o­n temperate agroforestry that is currently hosted at the University of Florida. The large and diverse community of participants makes this a good place to ask questions and provide answers o­n anything related to agroforestry education, science or practice. If there is sufficient interest, AFTA also has the capability to host o­ne or more threaded discussion forums o­n the new AFTAweb site.

Comments and Input Welcome

I invite you visit our new website at www.aftaweb.org. Please look around, try some searches, and let us know how we can add to or improve the information you find there.

The task of keeping the site up-to-date requires input and suggestions from many volunteers; AFTA has no paid staff to manage the website. Whenever you hear about a new book, report, website or forthcoming meeting that may be relevant to agroforestry, I encourage you to please pass along this information to me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). With every small contribution of information from many sources, AFTA can continue to provide an information resource that will be useful for the entire temperate agroforestry community.

By Miles Merwin, Editor