Now that you have boiled your sap down into syrup, it is time to put it in containers for storage. If you bottle your syrup correctly, it will be shelf stable indefinitely. However, if you do it incorrectly, you can get mold growth in your bottles or crystals forming. Here are some tips to help […]
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How to tap trees for optimal sap production
Now that February has arrived, many of us are itching to get outside and tap some maples for sap. One of the critical parts of this process is getting the tap hole right. It is easy to do it incorrectly and this will impact the quantity and quality of your sap. To make sure you […]
Wind damage to trees
When powerful storms move through the state, we get a lot of questions about damage to trees and what folks can do about it. I put together some information on how trees are affected by high winds and snow/ice loads, how they respond, and what you can do to try and get your trees back […]
Why do I need a forester for my timber sale?
It is a question a lot of landowners have, and one I hope to help answer here. For those who feel like they can run a timber sale on their property by themselves, I have some questions for you: What are the mills paying for oak? Maple? Aspen? Pine? Other species? What are your trees […]
Check your chainsaw checklist before heading out to the woods
I don’t know how many times I have headed out into our woods to do some chainsaw work and had forgotten something. It is usually something critical like water, or my hatchet, or I brought the wrong fuel mix. After maybe the fourth or fifth time of this happening (and yes, I am a slow […]
Deer and Woodland Stewardship
By Jamie Nack, Extension Senior Wildlife Outreach Specialist Chances are deer play a significant role in how you evaluate the success of your woodland stewardship. Whether that’s because deer and deer hunting are the primary reason you own your woodland property or because deer have the ability to significantly impact forest regeneration and species composition of your woodlands….or perhaps it’s both! When it comes to managing deer, the key to […]
Forest Farming – Agroforestry for Any Property
The last agroforestry practice for this series is forest farming, i.e. growing crops in the woods. Forest farming makes use of a multilayered woodland to produce specialty crops that cannot survive in simplified environments like a typical garden or farm field. No matter what your woods currently looks like, forest farming offers a lot of […]
Riparian Buffers – Agroforestry for Any Property
Wisconsin private landowners care for over 10 million acres of woodlands that are critical to protecting watersheds across the state. Do you know what watershed your land is in? If not, SEE HERE. A watershed is an area of land that drains rainfall to a common outlet. In Wisconsin, the common outlet we all share […]
Windbreaks – Agroforestry for Any Property
I regularly talk with foresters, farmers and woodland owners who have not thought twice about agroforestry. I get it. Some people have never heard of it, and others think I’m talking about putting cows in the woods. However, agroforestry consists of five very different primary practices (outlined here) that are applicable to to a variety […]