About forest farming

here are some info. on forest farming for your reading.

Introduction:
Forest farming practices can be used by private enterprise to grow desirable non-timber forest products on private lands, to supplement family income, and to allow biodiversity to reestablish within forests.

Definition:
Special forest products (SFPs) or non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are high-value specialty product items derived from green plants, fungi, invertebrates, and other organisms that inhabit forested areas.

These products fall into four general categories

1. food (e.g., mushrooms and nuts)
2. botanicals (e.g., herbs and medicinals - tongkat ali, ginseng, kacip fatimah)
3. decoratives (e.g., floral greenery and dyes)
4. handicrafts (e.g., baskets and wood products -rattan)

Concepts & Principles:

In forest farming practices, high-value specialty crops are intentionally cultivated under the protection of a forest overstory that has been modified and managed to provide the appropriate microclimate conditions.

Typically, these systems are established on private land by thinning an existing forest or woodlot to leave the best crop trees for continued wood production and to create the appropriate conditions for the understory crop to be grown.

Then, the understory crop is established and intensively managed to provide short-term income.

Planning & Design:

A forest farming practice is usually a small area of land (5 acres or less) whose vertical, horizontal, and below-ground dimensions are managed intensely to produce multiple crops simultaneously.

Systems usually focus on a single SFP plus timber, but can include several products.

Examples of systems include:

1. ginseng + maple syrup + bee products + timber
2. shiitake mushrooms + timber
3. ferns + beargrass + mushrooms + timber
4. ginseng + walnuts + black walnut veneer logs

The amount of light in the stands is altered by thinning, pruning, or adding trees.
Existing stands of trees can be intercropped with annual, perennial, or woody plants. Compatibility among understory and overstory plants and cultural methods is essential.

Benefits:

1. Economic
   Some products especially medicinals and botanicals can have tremendous economic value, while others provide a lower but steady supplemental income.
   
2. Conservation and System-Level
   Forest farming activities modify the forest ecosystem but do not significantly interfere with its crucial contributions of water capture and filtering, soil erosion control, microclimate moderation, and wildlife habitat.
   Producers should avoid harmful species and follow EPA approved guidelines for herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.
   
3. Social
   Forest farming provides opportunities to generate short-term income from existing woodlots,with minimum capital investment. Especially on small family farms, this can contribute significantly to rural economic development and diversification.

source: forest farming - An Agroforestry Practice .