We hope you enjoy this month’s articles about a number of Non-Timber Forest Products. Everyone defines NTFPs a little differently – some narrowly, some broadly – and each of our writers brings you her own perspective. We aren’t able to cover every product the forest produces, but please follow our links and network with your peers to teach and learn more.

If you have several black walnut trees on your property you might consider collecting the nuts in the fall.

Birch bark is used throughout the northern forests for crafts and materials. Learn more about its use and how to harvest birch bark in this great article from Julie Miedtke!

This guest post by Ellen O'Donnell was first published in Forest Stewardship Quarterly. Her delightful prose broadly covers everything from fungi ecology and phenotypes to chemistry and helpful indicators.

At the annual Idaho Forest Owners Association Field Day event in 2011, I had the pleasure of hearing Washington State University Extension Forester James Freed speak about non-timber products. In the Pacific Northwest and beyond his enthusiasm is legendary and contagious... Freed says that Americans will “pay whatever it takes to keep Fido happy.” He means that there is a market for Fido’s restful snooze, specifically, western red cedar shavings used in doggy beds. Pet supplies are a fast-growing market even in slow economic times, as we buy for our pets but not for ourselves.

The non-timber forest products you have on your property and their potential value varies greatly across the country. What doesn’t, is that most NTFP marketing opportunities are very specific and can be hard to get into. The Oregon Woodland Coop (OWC) model is working to help landowners team up for NTFPs.