Forest Farming - MultiLayered Production Systems
Forest Farming is a set of
agroforestry practices
that use managed multi-layered forest stands to simultaneously produce
both tree and non-timber products. Common practices include hardwood
trees to produce lumber, sap, nuts, or fruit, while lower layers
produce medicinal botanicals, berries, floral greenery, or mushrooms.
Depending on the intensity of cultivation, systems vary from wild
simulated, where understory crops grow much as they would exist in
nature, to farming intensive where conventional agronomic techniques
are used. Forest farming offers the potential to maximize income from
forest stands through increased management input. This makes it an
attractive option for small non-industrial foresters and woodlot
owners. Since many of the non-timber products are sold into small,
quality conscious markets, marketing skills and effective product
quality control are important contributors to successful forest farming.