Research and Development of Specialty Crops for Agroforestry Systems in the Midwest: The Long Haul for Small Farm Sustainability

Agricultural and rural communities of the USA face numerous economic and environmental challenges. These stresses threaten the livelihoods and well-being of many who work the land and/or live in rural areas, as well as the long-term sustainability of small family farms. Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and promotion of locally produced specialty crops can provide new opportunities for small farms to be both profitable and environmentally sustainable. Integrating native specialty fruit and nut crops and other non-timber forest products (e.g., chestnut, eastern black walnut, hazelnut, elderberry, mushrooms, and medicinal herbs) into perennial polycultures (i.e., agroforestry systems, AFS) presents an opportunity for environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable agricultural systems, creating new opportunities for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and families in rural communities. An integrated, long-term approach involving cultivar selection and breeding, field production techniques, market and consumer studies, sound financial decision support tools, and grower training is needed to bring specialty crops into the sustainable agriculture mainstream. This chapter presents a summary of recent research and development attempts on perennial specialty crops from around the Midwest region of the USA, with an emphasis on efforts with native species and the work of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri (UMCA). Examples of work with edible tree nuts (e.g., eastern black walnut and hazelnuts), fruits, and berries (e.g., pawpaw and elderberry) are included along with other specialty crops and non-timber forest products, including their potential for integration into AFS. Specialty crop development is a complex, multidimensional undertaking, but increased access to these resources and their product markets can promote the widespread adoption of AFS and the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of farming systems throughout the Midwest and beyond.