Although much has been written on the subject of forest farming in the context of Appalachia, few resources exist on this practice in other regions of the U.S.
This book is interspersed with references and applications that are relevant to Missouri and the Ozark region while also providing an overview of the practice that aspiring forest farmers anywhere in the temperate U.S. will find useful.
The guide, developed by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, serves as a detailed manual for forest farming. This agroforestry practice cultivates high‑value specialty crops within modified forest canopies. It builds upon and replaces earlier editions, covering five core practices (windbreaks, riparian buffers, alley cropping, forest farming, and silvopasture), incorporating design principles, marketing strategies, and wildlife considerations.
Step‑by‑Step Implementation
Organized into clear, sequential sections, the guide leads technical service providers and woodland owners through a structured planning process. It begins with site assessment and enterprise analysis, continues with the development of a whole-woods management plan, and concludes with post-implementation evaluations. Practical tools include worksheets, flowcharts, budgeting templates, and a forestry calculator to support realistic farm‑level decision‑making.
Empowering Landowners & Advisors
By offering rich, real-world case studies, planning aids, and outreach resources, the guide enhances the capacity of both practitioners and advisors to adopt forest-based farming systems. Its goal is to foster sustainable, diversified enterprises that balance environmental stewardship with economic opportunity, making forest lands work harder for both communities and ecosystems.
Additionally, the appendix contains an extensive compendium of links to existing forest farming resources for further education.
URL: https://www.mwffc.org/resources/forest-farming-handbook
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.