MWFFC February Newsletter

Published: Tue, 02/18/25

Greetings

Happy February! It's maple sugaring season, and the MWFFC has been getting plugged into the scene by visiting with producers and researchers in Missouri. Maple syrup production here is low, with only about 1000 gallons produced per year. However, Missouri producers receive a premium price point in local markets and maple syrup can sell for $100/gallon or more!

This large (for Missouri) syrup producer has 500 maples tapped on an integrated tubing system.

Maple syrup isn't the only type of tree syrup produced in the state. Ren Klug, master's student at the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, is investigating the potential of other tree species, such as black walnut and sycamore. Although sugar content is lower in these tree species, their syrups can sell for even higher prices than maple syrup. However, lower sugar content means more boiling and higher production costs. Using technology such as reverse osmosis (RO) units and vacuum pumps can help producers boost production and decrease these boiling costs. Stay tuned for potential workshop opportunities in fall 2025 to learn the ins-and-outs of syrup production, tapping systems, economics, and more!

Upcoming Events

Join us on zoom over the lunch hour on Friday, March 7th for forest farming office hours in collaboration with the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition, where we will talk about forest farming, answer questions, and connect with farmers in the region and beyond. This is a great opportunity to learn and expand your network.

Register for our March 7th office hours using the link below. The registration links is also posted on our website. See you there!

Click the link below to register via zoom. If you have specific questions you would like to discuss, send them in advance to [houstone@lincolnu.edu].

Applications for the MWFFC Planting Stock Access Program are open!

Overview: The Planting Stock Access Program is designed to increase the availability of non-timber forest product planting stock in the Midwestern US. Planting stock can be expensive, but once plants are established, they can become a self-sustaining population which can meet the planting stock requirements of the farmer, and in turn lead to sales or donations of planting stock to other members of the community, increasing overall access.

Eligibility: The first round of applications will solely be awarded to forest farming projects based in Missouri. However, our goal is to eventually expand this program to other states in the Midwest. Preference will be given to applicants who are new to forest farming and that agree to work with a technical service provider in the planning stages of their project. The MWFFC can serve as a technical service provider and will provide technical assistance as a free service. Awardees who prefer to work with another service provider, such as a consulting forester, may do so.

Program Highlights:

The MWFFC will award grants to 5 participating farmers to order up to $1000 worth of planting stock through the MWFFC. Awardees will fill out an order form which will be fulfilled by the MWFFC and planting stock will be distributed to farmers.

The MWFFC will provide guidelines to awardees on best practices and suitable species.

The MWFFC will provide individualized site assessments to determine ideal planting locations and appropriate site preparation, if needed.

These funds will be ‘no strings attached’ in the sense that there will be no requirement to sell or give away planting stock. However, the MWFFC will provide venues for planting stock sales in the coming years.

Grant awardees will be expected to share their progress through a platform of their choosing. This could include speaking at a workshop or other event hosted by the MWFFC, uploading a farm profile to the Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARKx) Exchange Network, creating a report for the MWFFC to share in a monthly newsletter, or sharing in some other way. The MWFFC understands potential privacy concerns associated with growing high value crops such as American ginseng and will not ask recipients to disclose the exact location of their farm on publicly available platforms.

Timeline:

January 2025 – Grant application opened and is posted on the MWFFC website or can be emailed upon request by houstone@lincolnu.edu

April 18th 2025 – Grant applications close

May 2025 – Awardees will be chosen. An information session will be held detailing steps to order plants, accepted plant species, and expectations for best practices.

June 2025 – MWFFC will visit with awardees to perform a site assessment to recommend species and planting locations, unless the awardee wants to work with another qualified service provider. Farmers will place orders after the site visit.

June 2025 – September 2025 – Farmers will prepare their sites for planting.

August - September 2025 - Farmers will receive their orders of planting stock.

September - October 2025 – Planting stock will be planted, unless the awardees choose a species which is best planted in spring. In this case, planting will occur in early spring 2026.

2026 – The MWFFC is willing to assess the progress of plantings and give recommendations if the awardee desires. A venue for sales of seedlings grown through this program, and for sales of any other existing planting stock by forest farmers will be provided in late spring or summer 2026.

The grant application is open until April 18th. Questions? Contact Ezra Houston at houstone@lincolnu.edu.

Apply Here

Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program

The Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program is an initiative funded by Edwards Mother Earth Foundation (EMEF) that is managed by Virginia Tech University in partnership with Rural Action, Appalachian Sustainable Development, North Carolina State University and SilvoCulture.

The grant provides direct financial support for agroforestry, including forest farming! Forest farmers can receive up to $1,000 for 1/4 acre and up to $500/acre for site preparation depending on project scale and scope. Awardees are reimbursed for project expenses upon completion of the project.

The deadline for applications is March 3rd, 2025. If you are interested in applying, check out the link below and direct questions to Patrick Bowers at Virginia Tech [bpatri8@vt.edu].

The MWFFC can also provide you with design assistance and work through the application process with you. Contact Ezra Houston [houstone@lincolnu.edu] if you would like help with your application.

Apply Here

Forest Farming Tidbits

MWFFC University Partners

820 Chestnut St
Jefferson City MO 65101
US

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