a head of cabbage growing

The term “special forest products” describes products generated from plants or fungi that can be harvested from your backyard woods.

Unlike wood products, special forest products have diverse uses and come from a large variety of sources: foods from mushrooms, nuts, fruits, and sap; medicinals from herbs and other plant parts; decoratives from stems, branches, flowers, boughs, and buds; and handicrafts from bark, burls, conks, and stems. In some areas, special forest products are more valuable than wood products.

In This Bulletin

Here’s what’s inside:

  • Foods – harvesting berries, wild fruits, mushrooms, nuts, and maple syrup
  • Medicinals – the most valuable segment of the special forest products market
  • Decoratives – using forest products for decorating
  • Handicrafts – limitless opportunities for crafting and artisan work
  • Marketing Special Forest Products – tips for marketing what you harvest