University of Missouri Extension will host a workshop at Wurdack Research Center this March in Cook Station in Dent County, where landowners and producers will learn about managing their forest resources.
Many landowners and producers in Missouri have parcels of forested land on their property. The University of Missouri and its local Extension offices often receive questions on how to manage and improve timber stands, as well as how to take better advantage of unutilized or underutilized forest resources.
This workshop will touch on two main topics: Timber stand management (including information on tree identification, crop tree selection and how to kill an unwanted tree) and forest farming (including information on the basics of Forest Farming and inoculating, growing, harvesting and marketing shiitake, oyster and wine-cap stropharia mushrooms).
Both the morning and afternoon sessions will include indoor presentations as well as hands on, outdoor activities, weather permitting. Attendees will get a chance to walk the woods at Wurdack Research Center to visualize the timber stand management techniques learned in the classroom. In the afternoon session, participants will inoculate their own mushroom log to take home, as well as help start a mushroom laying yard at Wurdack.
Hank Stelzer, MU associate professor of forestry extension, will discuss how to manage and improve timber stands. Gregory Ormsby Mori, education and outreach coordinator for MU’s Center for Agroforestry, will discuss forest farming and mushroom cultivation.
The workshop is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 10 at Wurdack Research Center (164 Bales Road in Cook Station). Timber stand improvement will be covered in the morning and forest farming and mushroom cultivation in the afternoon.
The cost for the workshop is $15 per person or $25 for couples sharing materials. Attendees will go home with an inoculated log. Lunch will be provided.
Pre-registration is not absolutely required, but is requested. For more information and to register, call the Extension Center in Steelville at 573-775-2135 or email hethcotel@missouri.edu.