Agroforestry, Forest Farming, and Native Forest Crops: An Introduction

Forest farming refers to a type of agroforestry practice, consisting of the stocking and stewardship of existing forestlands with edible and medicinal plants and fungi. In the United States, there are many forest 'crops' that can be grown or stewarded for personal use, sale, and/or conservation. In this session, Dr. Eric Burkhart, from Penn State University, will provide an overview of different approaches to forest farming by examining native forest ‘crops' such as ginseng, ramps, mushrooms, and maple syrup.

Instructor Biography

Dr. Eric Burkhart is a botanist, ethnobotanist, and agroforester at Penn State University, where he is Teaching Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. He holds degrees in Ethnobotany (B.A, Idaho State University), Horticulture (M.S., Penn State University), and Forest Resources (Ph.D., Penn State University). For the past two decades, he has worked on topics pertaining to forest-based (in situ) stewardship and agroforestry crop development of Appalachian non-timber forest products (NTFPs). In recent years, he has also been working in central America (Belize, Costa Rica) and the Caribbean (US Virgin Islands) on agroforestry and ethnobotany projects.