Our Mission
Agroforestry Northwest works to advance the regional understanding and adoption of agroforestry practices in Washington State through research, demonstration, and technical assistance by generating and leveraging a regional network of technical professionals, academic professionals, practitioners, and farmers.
Our vision is an agroforestry transformation in the Pacific Northwest resulting in multifunctional land uses fostering ecological resilience, climate resilience, economic prosperity, and thriving communities.
What We Do
Research and Demonstration
Members of Agroforestry Northwest include researchers who's focus is to identify and resolve gaps in knowledge regarding agroforestry adoption and implementation in the Pacific Northwest. These research efforts are also leveraged to show professionals and farmers what agroforestry looks like on the ground.
Professional Training and Networking
Agroforestry Northwest serves as a space for professionals, researchers, practitioners, and landowners to share ideas and create new partnerships. We channel regional knowledge, interests, and experience in agroforestry to learn from each other and create training opportunities for professionals wanting to cut their teeth in agroforestry.
Education & Outreach
Sharing practical knowledge with farmers is key to advancing agroforestry in the region. Agroforestry Northwest members are expert teachers and outreach specialists that create opportunities to transfer information, respond to knowledge gaps, and help transform farms on the ground.
Board Members
Carrie Brausieck - Executive Director
Carrie helps lead the workgroup to advance agroforestry throughout the Puget Sound and beyond. She is passionate about agroforestry as a solution to competing land use, climate adaptation & mitigation, and farmland resilience. Carrie’s focus includes working with agroecological systems and agroforestry focuses to include multifunctional riparian forest buffers, food forests, and alley cropping.
Patrick Shults - Board President
Patrick is the Extension Forester for southwest Washington with Washington State University. In this position, he develops outreach, education, research, and demonstration opportunities that support forest and farm owners. This includes agroforestry practices like forest farming, silvopasture, and riparian buffers.
Abel Kloster
Abel Kloster is the owner of Resilience Permaculture Design, a whole systems farm and forestry company based in the Pacific Northwest. He is the restoration forestry program manager for the Center for Rural Livelihoods. Abel received his Masters in Agroforestry from the University of Missouri.
Dr. Badege Bishaw
Dr. Bishaw is a Courtesy Faculty in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. He has four decades of Agroforestry teaching, research and outreach experiences both in the United Sates and globally. He has been involved in agroforestry capacity building, conducted research on riparian buffer, engaged in outreach in food security, environmental degradation, and climate change. Currently, Dr. Bishaw is retired from OSU after 30 years of service.