Wellspring Forest Farm & School Blog:...

News from the
Woods
a monthly digest of resources, events,
and people in forestry & agroforestry
Winter 2018

 www.WellspringForestFarm.com



Greetings:

Welcoming to
Maple Season! Each year, we renew our commitment to stewarding the forest-based
ecosystems and farming practices that we see as so critical to a healthy
planet. The sap from the trees (and the forthcoming syrup) reminds us of the
gifts of the forest that we call home. 

We have lots of
exciting things to announce in this issue, including our 2018 list of classes
and workshops, the release of our second book in June, and a new free article
for download about the wonders of the Black Locust tree.

Among all the
class offerings, we are excited to offer our first ONLINE COURSE accessible
anywhere in the world. The class is called “Foundations of Forest Stewardship” and
runs from April 2 through May 7 with weekly live webinars. Read on for more
information. 

We also continue
to develop our understanding of the cultural narrative and the elements of
social justice that are an essential part of this work. To this end, we’ve
adopted new policies to support participation in our programs. Please see
http:/policy.wellspringforestfarm.com for more.
As the trees
start to thaw and the sap begins to flow, we begin another cycle and wish for
each of you a healthy and abundant growing season.

For the trees,
Steve & Elizabeth

ON THE FARM

2018 CLASSES AND EVENTS

2018 New York MAPLE WEEKEND, March 17 & 18, 10am
– 4pm at the farm

Foundations of Forest Stewardship (Online Course),
April 2 – May 7

This course explores the
ecology of woodlands and exposes participants to the wide range of
opportunities to engage in both responsible management and productive use
including mushroom cultivation, tapping trees for saps, and raising livestock
amongst the trees.

Gifts From the Forest, May 11 – May 13 at the OMEGA
Center in Rhinebeck, NY

We learn to observe the
forest and find natural patterns to replicate in our own farms, gardens, or
yards. Walk the woods to explore trees, plants, and mushrooms and learn proper
planting techniques, how to inoculate logs that can easily grow shitake
mushrooms at home, and how to make medicinal tinctures. Access to above online course FREE with registration.

Profitable Agroforestry for Homesteads & Farms,
June 4 – 6 Sterling College, VT

This course will offer you
skills to sustainably care for your woodlot and focus on log-grown mushrooms,
tree saps and syrups, and silvopasture (grazing animals in the forest) as three
of the best options for both the homestead and farm scale. Access to above online course FREE with registration.

Growing a Woodland Farm & Homestead, June 22 –
24 in Ithaca, NY

Explore growing edible
mushrooms, perennial vegetables, berries, and nuts in temperate woodlands on
both a homestead and farm scale. This course is facilitated by Steve Gabriel of
Wellspring Forest Farm, along with Sean Dembrosky of Edible Acres Nursery. Access to above online course FREE with
registration.

Fungi Foraging and Cultivation, September 22 – 24 in
Mecklenburg, NY

Explore the wondrous world
of fungi and learn how to grow and forage mushrooms with Farming the Woods
co-author Steve Gabriel and Olga Tzogas Smugtown Mushrooms. Access to above online course FREE with
registration.

Silvopasture in Practice, October 6 – 8 in
Mecklenburg, NY

During this course we will work closely with active
silvopasture farms including Wellspring Forest Farm (sheep) and Angus Glen Farm
(cows) and teach both the planning and practice of silvopasture. We will focus
primarily on systems for ruminants but touch on options and considerations for
pigs and poultry. Access to above online course FREE with registration.

IN THE WOODS

SILVOPASTURE BOOK TO
BE RELEASED IN JUNE, 2017

Our newest book,
titled “Silvopasture: A Guide to
Managing Pasture Animals, Forage Crops, and Trees in a Temperate Farm Ecosystem”
is scheduled for release this coming June.

There
is good evidence that Silvopasture systems are among the best in addressing a
rapidly changing climate. The recent New York Times Best Seller book DRAWDOWN rated
Silvopasture #9 among ALL solutions to climate change.

We have launched
a KICKSTARTER campaign to help provide stipends to writers, researchers, and
farmers who contributed to the book. The funds also help us continue the work
and develop much needed tools and resources for those interested in
implementing Silvopasture on landscapes.
SUPPORT the
campaign and get great perks like signed copies of the book, access to our
workshops, and more! 

NEW FREE ARTICLE POSTED AT
OUR WEBSITE

We have a new
article for download at the farm website. We write about one of the best
multi-use trees in agroforestry: Black Locust. Learn about its history, use,
and methods for best care and propagation. 

You can download
the article at http://media.wellspringforestfarm.com

There are many other free articles there for you to
enjoy, so check out the whole collection! One relevant to the coming season is
“Tapping Maple for Sap”.

—————————————

Quote of the Month:

—————————————



We must keep these waters for wild rice,

these trees for maple syrup,

our lakes for fish,

and our land and aquifers for all of our relatives – whether
they have fins, roots, wings, or paws.

“News from the Woods” is brought to
you by:

Wellspring Forest Farm & School
leaving forests in our footsteps

Steve & Elizabeth Gabriel
Mecklenburg, NY
www.WellspringForestFarm.com
farmers@wellspringforestfarmcom


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