What We've Been Up To

Spring has come again, and with it there has been a lot of activity. For a forest farmer, the transition from winter to spring is an exciting time as our focus changes from tree sugaring to forest herbs. April is ramp season, and forest farmers are busy not only with harvesting, but also with thinning their patches and dividing bulbs to increase their populations and keep them healthy and growing. This time of year, forest farmers also check on their patches of other perennial forest herbs to see how much growth they have put on since the previous year. 

Spring is also a great time to come out of hibernation and gather together outdoors to learn! Over the last two months we have hosted two forest farming workshops in collaboration with the University of Missouri and several Missouri-based forest farmers. 

Maple Syrup Workshop

In mid February, we hosted a maple sugaring workshop in collaboration with the University of Missouri and a small scale syrup producer based in Wooldridge, MO. This event brought 25 people together to learn about maple syrup equipment, tapping, processing, and forest management for maple syrup and diversified forest farming operations. Several neighbors even brought their maple sap to feed the landowner's new evaporator set up. 

Although maple sugaring is not prominent in Missouri, there is a demand for local syrup and sugaring is very compatible with forest farming as a whole. Many native botanical herbs (ex. ginseng, goldenseal, ramps, etc.) grow well in sugar maple dominated forests, and sugar maples are often used as an indicator of suitable conditions for these plants due to their similar requirements for rich, mesic soil conditions.  

Forest Farming Workshop

In mid April, we hosted a forest farming workshop in collaboration with the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry at the Land of the Osages Research Farm in Gravois Mills, MO. This event included several speaker sessions, including an overview of forest farming and a history of the Osage Nation and their land stewardship practices in the area.

We also heard a presentation from the owner of Forest and Meadow, an herb shop and clinic located in St. Louis, as well as a local forest farmer who grows and sells his herbs to them. It was great to see an example of a direct relationship between a forest farmer and a local herb shop, and hear about the ways this arrangement has helped both of them. 

Lastly, participants headed out into the forest to learn about site selection and hear about the forest farming research being conducted the Land of the Osages Research Farm.

Planting Stock Access Program

We are excited to announce the second round of our planting stock access program! Last year, we provided $1000 worth of plants to 7 beginning forest farmers in Missouri. This year, we hope to repeat this program with up to 10 forest farmers. 

If you are new to forest farming and based in Missouri, apply and receive up to $1000 of financial aid to purchase planing stock. To learn more about the program and apply today, visit the grant page on the MWFFC website. 

Upcoming Events

Join us on zoom over the lunch hour on Friday, May 15th for our monthly forest farming office hours, where we will talk about forest farming, answer questions, and connect with farmers in the region and beyond. This is a great opportunity to learn and expand your network.

 

Register for our May office hours using the link below. The registration link is also posted on our website. See you there!

Click the link below to register via zoom. If you have specific questions you would like to discuss, send them in advance to [[email protected]]. 

MWFFC University Partners