Author: forest-farming

There are many native plant species on eastern US forestlands that are wild harvested for the domestic and international plant trade. In this talk, Eric Burkhart, Program Director with Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center (Penn State University), will share insights from his studies and involvement with this complex and little understood trade, and highlight the opportunities and challenges facing forest farmers interested in production of forest botanicals for market. Quality-control, profitability, and sustainability within this industry will be discussed along with …

Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent, Adam Downing, explains what to look for when harvesting wood for charcoal or firewood. Hardwood is more dense and makes a better quality charcoal while pine is lighter and burns hotter, making it less desirable for cooking chicken, for instance. Leaving the dead trees on the forest floor is best because it provides habitat for forest dwellers. Live trees should be cut, which will open the canopy and allow the remaining trees to receive …

When producing charcoal in a kiln, it’s important to protect your hands with insulated leather gloves. Leather gloves without insulation will not provide enough protection against the heat of the kiln. It’s also important to wear closed-toed shoes., preferrabley leather work boots.

Kilns for charcoal production come in a variety of styles. A common feature of all kilns is the ability to control oxygen. The control of oxygen within the kiln is critical during the charcoal making process as is …

Specialty forest mushrooms include such delicacies as shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane and wine cap which can be cultivated on wood substrates, as non-timber forest products for forest farming. Unfortunately, other choice wild edible mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, or boletus are not included because they cannot be deliberately cultivated. Shiitake is by far the most developed of the specialty forest mushrooms from the standpoint of both cultivation and marketing. There are four stages that the prospective grower must consider for forest …

Non-timber forest products include plants, lichens and mushrooms used for specialized art and craft practices: basketmaking, fiber dyeing, and more. Artisans who gather and use these species have specialized knowledge of their micro-habitats and require certain qualities in the material they use. This session will focus on northeastern species including black ash, paper birch, red spruce, red osier dogwood, surprise webcap mushroom, and rock tripe lichen, but its concepts can be easily extended to other geographic regions and are informed …

Tired of raking those hardwood leaves in your yard? Maybe you should consider raking pine straw from your forest instead! Pine straw is a non-timber forest product that is produced when southern pine trees such as longleaf, slash, or loblolly pines drop their needles in the fall. The resulting pine straw can be raked by hand or harvested using a mechanical raking machine and turned into bales. Landowners can manage their forest to harvest and then sell the straw on …

Al Robertson and Mike Burns love exploring and experimenting with everything they can find in their forests. Your forest may contain the key ingredients for delicious all-natural beverages. Learn how to tap into some non-traditional forest products to create hot, cold and even adult refreshments. Al Robertson covers the basic steps of creating apple cider, from selecting the right varieties to fermentation and bottling. Mike Burns explains how to use forest ingredients to advance the flavor of beer. 

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Edible forest products are becoming more popular in the culinary world. Foraging for wild foods is the latest craze among foodies. But this may be putting excessive pressures on natural plant populations, and the long-term conservation of the plants requires sustainable production. Forest landowners may have opportunities to produce edible forest products under the shade of their woodlots. Though this presentation focuses on forest farming wild onions (aka, ramps or leeks) it includes discussions of other edible forest products, as …

Woodland medicinal, edible and decorative plants can be managed in prepared beds beneath the forest canopy. We take a look at some of the woods-grown plants at Enchanter’s Garden and see how a changing forest may dictate where new beds should be planted and old ones should be abandoned. Once invasive plants or insects enter the picture, various tree species may die off, leaving an open canopy and allowing for too much sunlight to reach the forest floor. A prepared …

Wild fiddleheads have long been a part of the springtime diet for folks over the range of the ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris. Ostrich fern fiddleheads are tasty and beautiful in the landscape. But it’s important to properly identify ostrich fern fiddleheads and to not over-harvest in the wild. Other considerations in the consumption of fiddleheads is proper cooking. If you don’t have wild ostrich ferns growing on your property, perhaps you can establish your own planting for future harvest. Ostrich …