Tag: forest farming

Long leaf pine needles are the most prized when it comes to weaving pine needle baskets. The long leaf pine tree is typically found in the Southeast from the east coast of North Carolina to the Florida’s Gulf coast.  The long leaf pine needles last longer in the weaving process than shorter needles do and are therefore used more often in basketry. Nancy Basket is a Cherokee descendant and is renowned for her pine needle baskets and kudzu installations. In …

Associate Professor with Auburn University, Becky Barlow, introduces the loblolly pine which is valued for timber because it is a fast-growing pine species that gains height and width before other trees within the stand can compete. Loblolly is most easily recognized by its needle structure. The needles are in groups of three and run along the length of the branches. Its bark is thinner and flakes off easily, in part due to its failure to adapt to fire. Loblolly pine …

Robert Eidus, owner and operator of Eagle Feather Organic Farm, explains the ecology of ginseng, goldenseal, trillium, and ramps. In order to successfully grow these forest medicinals, edibles, and decorative plants, it’s imperative to understand their relationship to their environment and in some cases, to each other. While their rate and success of propagation in the wild are different, they enjoy similar forest ecosystems. Loamy soil that drains well, often related to slope, in addition to the shade of deciduous …

Wasabi is generally thought of as a pungent green paste that accompanies sushi. That green paste is more often than not, made up of grated horseradish or mustard. In this video, we take a look at the plant whose grated root makes up the real wasabi. It was traditionally eaten with sushi to combat food poisoning that can result from eating raw fish. Today, it’s considered as the natural condiment for sushi. Joe Hollis, founder of Mountain Gardens, explains what …

Forest landowners often want to make some profit from their land, if only to pay the property taxes. Other than cutting timber, which can only be done so often, how can you generate income from your woods? In North America, our forests are often populated with a wide variety of valuable native plants and fungi that can be sustainably wild-harvested and sold. Many others can be introduced and cultivated to provide a steady stream of products to harvest for many …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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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