Forest Farming Across New York State

Shiitake mushroom. Sakurai Midori, CC BY-SA 2.1 JP <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.1/jp/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons

Maple syrup production equipment inside a sugar shack in New Hampshire. MarkBuckawicki, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Pittillo, Dan J., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Woodland Mushroom Cultivation 

Shiitake mushrooms are among the oldest of all agricultural crops with cultivation dating back to several thousand years in parts of China, Korea, and Japan. Cultivation in North America was popularized in the 1980s. It was and has remained the most economically viable outdoor method for mushroom cultivation. Based on a 2022 survey of landowners across New York State, woodland mushroom cultivation, specifically shiitake, is the most common practice in forest farming systems.  

Income Potential 

Research from the Cornell Small Farms Program - Specialty Mushrooms Outdoor Production - found that over 3 seasons, a 1,000-log operation would cost $4,740 to establish and would yield 1,040 pounds of mushrooms annually when properly managed. Note that one shiitake log (aka a ‘bolt’) is generally 3-4 feet long and 3-8 inches in diameter. This level of production could generate $12,480 of income each year. This rate can be perpetually sustained from Year 4 onward and would qualify a producer for agricultural exemption (i.e., a tax benefit) in New York State. 

Maple Sugaring  

Maple sugaring in New York State dates to the 17^th century where sugaring was an important part of life among the Munsee and Mahican tribes. Following European settlement, maple production became an integral part of society and almost every farm had their own operation.  

Today, forests with clusters of sugar maple trees, known as a sugar bush, can be carefully managed to produce healthy trees while ensuring high yields of sap for use. Maple sugaring is a practice with multiple benefits. Growing and tapping maple trees has the economic benefit benefits from sap and the ecological benefits that are provided by trees. 

A young woman boring a tap hole into the trunk of a maple tree using a brace and bit. Jomegat, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bucket of maple sap. Pierre Ouimet, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Saphouse/evaporator demonstration at Siuslaw Model Forest in Acra, NY.

American Ginseng 

American Ginseng is an herbaceous plant native to the woodlands of the Appalachian Mountain range. It is typically found in the wild in rich soils on Northeast facing slopes. In New York State, it can be found growing with a community of plants in the understory with sugar maples as a preferred tree in the canopy.  

Ginseng has been harvested for centuries for its medicinal properties, but its high value and slow growth led to widespread over-harvesting, which put the wild population at risk. To ensure this plant remained healthy and wild across our landscapes, New York State adopted conservation-minded regulations in 1987 that allowed wild ginseng to be grown, stewarded, and harvested while protecting a portion of the plant’s wild population. 

While we do not manage for production here at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Columbia and Greene counties, American Ginseng is a cash crop with the root having a market value of around $500 per pound of dry root material. 

American wild ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius). These roots are from the Northern Appalachian region. They are very old roots, ranging from 40-60 growth scars. John Carl Jacobs, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Demonstrations at CCE - Siuslaw Model Forest (SMF) 

At the Agroforestry Resource Center, we value our 142-acre model forest for its ability to demonstrate actions other woodland owners could adopt. Although forest farming is the most common agroforestry practice across New York State, farmers have identified a lack of education and training as their main barriers to adoption. With help from the Edwards Mother Earth Foundation, we are able to develop and execute small-scale demonstrations within our SMF, including a shiitake laying yard and understory crop planting such as American Ginseng, to be used by educators to meet the growing need for technical support.

Shiitake laying yard.

American ginseng planting.

Furthermore, to complement our living classrooms, we have developed an in-person mushroom workshop series to provide additional assistance, including financial planning, market entry, and added-value products.