Alternative Crops From Mast-Producing Trees
For many farmers and landowners, Return On Investment (ROI) is a major concern when converting crop or pasture land to trees. Although government incentive programs can encourage conservation measures such as hedgerows and riparian buffer zones, these measures must ultimately contribute to the financial health and productivity of the farm in order to be sustainable.
This is one reason mast-producing trees are so valuable a part of conservation and restoration efforts. As truly multipurpose plants, they offer benefits not only to wildlife and the environment but also to humans. Mast-producing trees offer many business opportunities for farmers and other landowners interested in diversifying their income with alternative crops.
The following is a sampling of some of the many crops produced by various mast-producing trees and shrubs that are suitable for commercial sale:
- Almonds
- Apples
- Aronia
- Blueberries and huckleberries
- Brambles
- Cherries
- Chestnuts
- Christmas trees
- Cranberries
- Currants
- Elderberries
- Firewood
- Gooseberries
- Hazelnuts
- Hickory nuts
- Kiwis
- Lingonberries
- Mulberries
- Nursery stock
- Pawpaws
- Pears
- Pecans
- Persimmons
- Plums
- Sawlogs
- Walnuts
In addition to crops produced directly by mast-producing trees and shrubs, there are a number of crops and livestock that can be raised in association with trees and shrubs. For example:
- Boar
- Deer and elk
- Honeybees
- Mast-finished pork
- Free range poultry
- Mushrooms
Value-added products and services related to mast-producing trees and shrubs include:
- Apple cider
- Baked goods
- Canned fruits
- Dried fruits
- Game park or private hunting preserve
- Handmade wood furniture or toys
- Honey and beeswax products
- Hunting guide
- Jams and jellies
- Maple syrup
- Nature preserve
- Sawmill
- Trail rides
- U-pick
- Wine
Learn More
[...] This post was Twitted by masttreenetwork [...]
[...] a fruit or nut tree farm or business, or support fruit and nut based businesses in your local [...]
[...] Fern (Blechnum spicant), and Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum). These are just a few of the alternative crops suitable to grow in agroforestry [...]
[...] farming is the production of timber and non-timber forest products in a naturalistic forest setting. It is different from wildcrafting and other opportunistic methods [...]