Harvesting the Back Forty:
Agroforestry in the Mid-Atlantic and Beyond

This track will be held at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, with transportation provided to and from the Penn Stater. Support for this track comes from the Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry & The US Forest
Service.

A reprise of last year’s highly acclaimed forestry program, this two-day track builds the skill set necessary for successful forest farming. Combining indoor and outdoor activities, this track introduces and explains new ways to earn profit from forested land while encouraging the health of the forest. Learn to identify and manage the income potential in your woodlot and integrate forest production into other farming operations.

Registration limited to 30.

Wednesday, February 3^rd

9:00–9:15 am          Welcome and Introductions

9:15–11:30 am         The Forest Canopy: Sustainable Forest Farming from the Top Down
Eric Zenner, Penn State School of Forest Resources

Eric will introduce core concepts and ecological processes that govern forests, how to set achievable goals for your farm forest, and how to tailor your work to meet your objectives.

10:15 –10:30 am      Break

11:30– 12:30 pm      Forestry Realism 101: Navigating the Existing
                             Market Place

Joe Harding, Penn State School of Forest Resources

Joe will offer a primer for working with consulting foresters and other forest practitioners.  He will guide you through the basic components of a forest management plan and what you need to know when you negotiate a timber sale.

12:30 – 1:30 pm       Lunch

1:30 – 3:30pm         Chainsaw Safety and Directional Felling
                             Demonstration

Lee Stover, Penn State School of Forest Resources

Aldo Leopold wrote "A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke [of the axe] he is writing his signature on the face of the land." Today most landowners use chainsaws. Lee will discuss and demonstrate how to safely fell trees, including common challenges and watch-out situations.

3:30–3:45 pm          Break

3:45 – 4:30 pm         Integrated Forest Management in Penn’s Woods

                             Troy Firth and Guy Dunkle – Firth Maple Products

In 1971, Firth Maple Products started with 1,000 taps. Today they maintain 20,000 taps on 800 acres, and manage over 10,000 acres of forestland, incorporating sound timber management using horse logging, and of course producing maple syrup.  Troy and Guy will discuss this family-owned, integrated operation, using lessons learned from years of first-hand experience.

4:45 pm                  Board bus for return to Penn Stater

Thursday, February 4^th

9:00 – 9:10 am         Announcements and Recap of Wednesday’s
                             Discussions

9:10 – 10:00 am       Silvopasturing – Mixing Trees with Pasture

Charlie Feldhake – Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center

Charlie will introduce some benefits and challenges of integrating trees and forage, including balancing sun and shade for optimal gain, species to plant, minimizing erosion and run-off, and the micro-climate effects of forest on pasture productivity.

10:00 – 10:15 am     Break

10:15 –11:45 pm      How to Grow, Manage, Harvest, and Market Nut Crops

Michael Gold, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry

Mike brings a wealth of practical knowledge on producing eastern black walnuts and chestnuts. Mike will offer an overview of chestnut and eastern black walnut production, successful marketing approaches and value-added opportunities.

11:45 – 1:00 pm       Lunch

Portable sawmill demonstration – Chip Mefford,
         Itty Bitty Timber Co.

1:00 – 2:15 pm        Exploring the Forest Understory: An Introduction
                             to “Step-Overs”

Eric Burkhart, Shaver’s Creek Environmental
         Center

Ever wonder about those things on your forest floor you step over? Eric will introduce important ecological, medicinal, edible, and “invasive” plants often overlooked by landowners interested in holistic forest resources management. This list includes ramps, American ginseng, morel and chanterelle mushrooms, and garlic mustard.

2:15– 2:30 pm                   Break

2:30 – 4:00 pm        Gardening like the Forest: Deep Ecosystem Design for Gardeners and Agroforesters

                             Dave Jacke, Dynamics Ecological Design

                             Using temperate deciduous forests as a model, Dave will explore the vision, theory and practice of ecosystem agriculture. The practical design and management principles Dave uses draw from forest ecology and are as relevant to smaller-scale forest gardens as they are to agroforestry.

4:00 – 4:40 pm        Summary Thoughts and "Round Up" discussion

Jim Finley, Penn State School of Forest Resources

4:40 – 5:00 pm         Evaluations and depart for Penn Stater