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Forestry
Agroforestry & Special Forest Products
What is Agroforestry?
Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create an
integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems. One definition of agroforestry is "a sustainable management system
that involves the growth of woody perennials in either a crop or animal
association to optimize the benefits from the ecological and economic
interactions created" (Garrett, 1990). Simply put, agroforestry combines
two different production systems, one being trees or woody plants, and the other
being an annual crop or animals.
In forestry systems, high-value specialty crops including ginseng, shiitake
mushrooms, and decorative ferns, are cultivated under the protection of a forest
canopy that has been modified to provide the correct shade level. These products
can be sold for medicinal, culinary, and ornamental uses. In addition to income
from the sale of the specialty crop, income is also generated from harvesting
the trees. For more information about forest systems in agroforestry, go to the
USDA's National Agroforestry Center USDA's National Agroforestry
Center's web Page
In Arkansas, producers have been successful in shiitake mushroom production,
pine straw harvesting, and some ginseng production. For more information see the
AR Agriculture Web Site.
Specialty Forest Products
Specialty forest products are non-timber products either produced or
gathered from a forest. Examples include wild herbs, ferns, mushrooms, and wild
edibles. Collection of these and other products can contribute to the overall
economic welfare of a landowner or individual. Several sources of information
exist and can be found at the Special
Forest Products Web Site.
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