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The Benefit of Markets for Managing Low-Grade Trees
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Low-grade trees may be aesthetically attractive and have other than economic benefits. Considerable attention is given to high-value trees, particularly how to grow them and their value when harvested. The harvest of just the high-value trees from a woodland is known as high-grade harvesting, selective cutting, or simply “high-grading.” This unsustainable practice has also been discussed because it diminishes the ecological and financial value of a woodlot. In…
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Study Measures Maple Syrup Production in a Changing Climate
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A changing climate is expected to change the seasonality of crops, largely affecting farmers’ production patterns and yearly cycles. This impact on crops also includes maple syrup production, according to a new study from Dartmouth College. Maple syrup production is especially dependent on temperature, and even in the best conditions has a very short seasonal…
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Turning Maple Syrup Forests Into Bird-Friendly Habitat
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Birds and maple syrup share the same critical ingredient: healthy northeastern forests. High in the branches of a maple tree sit the tattered remains of a muddy, grassy bird nest. I train my binoculars on the small lump, but it was built the previous year and is very much empty. Closer to eye level, it’s…
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How About Those Woodlots; Can We Make Any Money From Them?
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Increased farm viability and diversification through value added forest products. By Rich Taber Many farmers and rural property owners have woodlands as part of their land ownership portfolio, and we oftentimes receive inquiries as to how this land might be developed in order to generate some sources of income. Most landowners own their woodlands for a…
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Ecological Collaboratory Learns from Wellspring Forest Farm and School
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Agroforestry extension specialist, Steve Gabriel, works for the Cornell Small Farms Program in addition to owning and operating Wellspring Forest Farm and School with his wife, Elizabeth. Their farm and school run on ecologically conscious agroforestry principles, where each final product they sell is dependent on another aspect of their farm. Their principles of farming…
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Video Series Shows How Farmers Can Profit From Forests
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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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Nuts for Nuts: Seeding a Nut Industry in the Northeast
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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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Six Key Principles for a Successful Silvopasture
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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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Nuts for Nuts: Seeding a Nut Industry in the Northeast
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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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Pawpaw – A "Tropical" Fruit for Temperate Climates
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The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) has great potential for commercial development. It has always been a delicious and nutritious native American fruit, but history, cultural prejudices, and difficulty in storing and shipping have relegated it to the obscure backwoods of American cuisine. However, several factors seem to be coming together to bring the pawpaw to the…
agroforestry
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