Show Notes
Dick McGinnis, a black currant breeder based in British Columbia, began his career as a stockbroker before devoting many years to developing cold-hardy, blight-resistant black currant varieties. The Savanna Institute acquired Dick McGinnis’s breeding program in 2022. In this episode, Savanna Institute researcher Lily Hislop explains what’s next for the “McGinnis cultivars,” and we’ll hear from Dick McGinnis himself, who recorded a webinar with our staff last year. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF
More from Perennial AF
Eliza Greenman tells the story of how Osage orange trees played a major role in the settlement of farmland in the central US and how two men, Andrew Jackson Downing and Jonathan Baldwin Turner, ended up devoting much of their careers to the question of how to build a good hedge. Eliza also gives her recommendations - and cautions - for establishing hedges on US farms in 2026. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF
You might think of windbreaks as a pretty basic form of agroforestry. You plant a row of trees -- probably evergreens -- and they grow up and block the wind. How hard can it be? They're the most common type of agroforestry in the Midwest by acreage, but they're also in decline across the country, and many existing windbreaks are old, unmanaged, and no longer effective.
Savanna Institute's black currant researcher, Lily Hislop, traveled to Europe for a month this summer to learn about black currant breeding and harvesting from farmers and colleagues in France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, and Scotland. In this episode, she shares some highlights (and some black currant flavored candy) from her trip.
How do you manage agroforestry alley cropping and silvopasture systems organically in the upper Midwest? Erik Hagan and Dave Hopey have spent years converting Savanna Institute’s demonstration farm north of Spring Green, Wisconsin from conventional corn and alfalfa fields into organically certifiable fields of berry and nut crops growing in and alongside livestock pasture, vegetables, and native prairie restoration. In this farm tour recorded on June 4, 2026, Erik and Dave walk through the conversion and management of these agroforestry operations, including establishment, crop selection, irrigation, weed and pest management, and more. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF
Keefe Keeley, executive director of the Savanna Institute, sits down with host Jacob Grace to talk about Savanna Institute's selection as a finalist for the 2026 Food Planet Prize and share additional news and updates from the organization. Show notes at www.SavannaInstitute.org/PerennialAF