Forestry & Agroforestry

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Video Series Shows How Farmers Can Profit From Forests

By Kacey Deamer / November 5, 2018

New York farmers are completing business plans for their woodlots, with the assistance of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County and a grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute. Woodlot owners can use forest enterprises and products to supplement their income, and thanks to this grant CCE Chenango has been able to reach more…

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Chainsaw Safety, Part 5: Tree Felling

By Kelsie Raucher / October 5, 2018

Rich Taber, CCE Chenango In the previous four installments of this series on chainsaw operation we have looked at some of the myriad rules for safe and efficient chainsaw operation. We have looked at the protective gear that is needed by an operator, the safety considerations with the use of the chainsaw itself, and some…

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trees being planted off tractor

Nuts for Nuts: Seeding a Nut Industry in the Northeast

By Mark Mark Phillips / July 2, 2018

In the Spring of 2017, 35 people gathered at Back the Lane Farm in Stephentown, New York, for a workshop with Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture, to witness the design and implementation of a permaculture inspired chestnut and hazelnut orchard. As the founder of New Forest Farm in Viola, Wisconsin — a commercial scale, perennial agricultural ecosystem that mimics the native…

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sheep grazing

Six Key Principles for a Successful Silvopasture

By Steve Gabriel / July 2, 2018

Within the practice of agroforestry, or mixing trees with agricultural production, the concept of silvopasture has some of the broadest appeal. Many farms already work with livestock, and making good use of forested land for multiple yields is highly beneficial to the farmer.  Whether you choose to graze sheep in a Christmas tree farm, move cows…

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Managing Small Woodlot Parcels

By Peter Smallidge / July 2, 2018

In New York and most of the Eastern states, the greatest proportion of woodland owners have relatively small parcels.  A “small” parcel size is not defined, but often considered to be less than 10 acres, or less than 50 acres.   The USDA National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) offers a feature to make tables and charts about owner attributes and…

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Managing Small Woodlot Parcels

By Peter Smallidge / June 28, 2018

In New York and most of the Eastern states, the greatest proportion of woodland owners have relatively small parcels.  A “small” parcel size is not defined, but often considered to be less than 10 acres, or less than 50 acres.   The USDA National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) offers a feature to make tables and charts about owner attributes and…

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chicken coop

Nuts for Nuts: Seeding a Nut Industry in the Northeast

By Mark Mark Phillips / June 28, 2018

In the Spring of 2017, 35 people gathered at Back the Lane Farm in Stephentown, New York, for a workshop with Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture, to witness the design and implementation of a permaculture inspired chestnut and hazelnut orchard. As the founder of New Forest Farm in Viola, Wisconsin — a commercial scale, perennial agricultural ecosystem that mimics the native…

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man loading logs on truck

Vermont’s Forest Products Industry: In Transition and Hopeful for the Future

By Talia Isaacson / April 6, 2018

Vermont prides itself as the Green Mountain State, with nearly 80-percent of its land mass covered in forest. Healthy and productive forests are inherent to Vermont’s culture and heritage. Yet, the industry responsible for bringing us countless valuable forest products: high quality furniture, specialty wood crafts, lumber and firewood, as well as services such as…

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Stinging nettles

Stinging Nettles: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

By Talia Isaacson / April 6, 2018

Every farm needs a patch of delicious, nutritious, pain-reliving and mood-enhancing nettles. One of my favorite plants is either highly versatile, or very confused. On the one hand, professional herbivores like rabbits and deer refuse to even touch it, but many people, myself included, will gladly eat it every day it is available. While contacting…

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Chainsaw Safety, Part III: Unsafe Practices

By Talia Isaacson / April 6, 2018

Chainsaw Safety, Part One Chainsaw Safety, Part Two This is the third installment in a series on chainsaw safety and operation, as part of our CCE Chenango grant project done in collaboration with the New York Farm Viability Institute, “Increased Farm Profitability and Diversity through Value-Added Forest Products Initiative”.  We have been encouraging farmers and woodland owners to develop…

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