Lunch & Learn | If a Specialty Crop Grows in the Forest, Will Anyone Harvest It?

Bigleaf maple syrup is a promising new specialty crop in Washington State that adds non-timber value to forests and opportunities for forest owners to diversify production. Patrick will discuss his past and planned work developing maple sugaring and other forest farming practices in Washington State.

Patrick Shults is an Extension Forester with Washington State University operating in Southwest Washington where he’s developed an Extension program for engaging farm and forest owners in agroforestry and forest stewardship. He also represents the Northwest Fire Science Consortium in Washington, which works to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science. Patrick has an MS in Forestry from Michigan State University.