Mountain View County is hosting an information session this Saturday, Sept. 17 entitled ìWeeds, Woodlots, and Wild Mushrooms.î It will be held at the Water Valley Community Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.The free event promises to answer questions some local producers may have in regard to getting the most out of their wooded acres, the county's sustainable agriculture specialist said.ìWe saw this workshop as a good opportunity to address topics that have not been covered by recent MVC workshops,î said Amber Hines.The morning will consist of a small trade show including portable sawmills, wood stoves, chainsaws, a bio-fuel burner, and a presentation on wood bio-energy.In the afternoon the event will move to a demonstration site where there will be multiple presentations, including one demonstrating safe backpack sprayer use for herbicides.A variety of speakers will be covering topics such as forest grazing management, tree diseases and insects, and wild mushrooms and their markets.ìPeople own and use woodlots for many and varied reasons,î said Hines.Some of these reasons are economic, like harvesting timber or firewood, or collecting non-timber forest products such as wild fruit or mushrooms, she said.Other reasons for owning a woodlot include the benefits to the environment ñ not only for human recreational enjoyment of forested land, but also for wildlife species that make it their home, said Hines.The registration deadline for the free session is this Thursday, Sept. 15.For more information or to register, call Amber Hines at 403-335-3311 or e-mail her at [email protected]
