There is a long list of forest grown botanicals (too long for this feature) and are used for food flavoring, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. They are generally collected for culinary use or for medical and pharmaceutical use.
The continuing popularity of natural remedies and nutritional supplements and the growing interest in these substances for pharmaceuticals has expanded the market for botanicals. The European market for goldenseal and cascara sagrada bark is ten times the US market; the ginseng market is fueled by Asia. Consequently many botanicals are exported.
To get started in botanicals you must have the following:
- have something to sell and in large enough quantities.
- provide samples of your product.
- a buyer or market.
- understand that this is a slow process and takes much effort..
More on Agroforestry...
The USDA National Agroforestry Center is a site that can give you some good information on several types of cropping systems you can use in conjunction with your trees:
National Agroforestry Center - forest farming : Many products can be managed in your forest with some assistance. The USDA says that "In forest farming, high-value specialty crops are cultivated under the protection of a forest canopy that has been modified to provide the correct shade level. Crops like ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, and decorative ferns are sold for medicinal, culinary, or ornamental uses. Forest farming provides income while high-quality trees are being grown for wood products."
National Agroforestry Center - silvopasture : This concept is what I used to call range management. "Silvopasture combines trees with forage and livestock production. The trees are managed for high-value sawlogs and at the same time provide shade and shelter for livestock and forage, reducing stress and sometimes increasing forage production. In plantations of conifers or hardwoods for timber or Christmas trees, managed grazing provides an added products and income. Some nut and fruit orchards may also be grazed."
Alley Cropping: An agricultural crop is grown simultaneously with a long-term tree crop to provide annual income while the tree crop matures. Fine hardwoods like walnut, oak, ash, and pecan are favored species in alley cropping systems and can potentially provide high-value lumber or veneer logs. Nut crops can be another intermediate product.
