Forest farming in Georgia, United States: Three potential crops

Forest farming is the cultivation of shade-tolerant crops under forest canopy. This agroforestry practice involves propagation, maintenance, harvesting, marketing, and overall economics of non-timber forest products, each of which falls into at least one category - medicinal herbs, foods, and/or ornamental plants. Interest in forest farming has been increasing, yet general information about this practice, including its advantages and disadvantages, are not readily available for the state of Georgia, United States. With declining indigenous plant species due to wild harvesting, landowners have the potential for economic and ecological expansion in this market. The goal of this review article is to evaluate the prospective economic outcomes of farming non-timber forest products. Basic background information, propagation methods and harvesting techniques are explained, and market values for recent years are provided for three non-timber forest products: black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) (medicinal herb), shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) (food crop), and azalea (Rhododendron spp.) (ornamental plant). A list of other potential non-timber forest products in Georgia is also provided along with their uses and native status. The values of a few non-timber forest products of high demand, and consequently their potential profits, fluctuate widely from year to year leading to a wide range of reported profitability, depending on the source. Stability of the market depends on the steady availability of the product, which can be achieved once affected non-timber forest products are commonly cultivated instead of wild harvested.