Low-Impact Forestry Series
The courses and workshops in the Low-Impact Forestry Training Series bring participants into the forested areas of the farm to gain a fresh perspective on what assets the woodlands contain.
Fall 2025 Practical Farm Woodland Management registration open now!
“I went to logging unplugged hoping to come away with a few ideas on how to maintain an axe, or how to operate a saw, and I did, but I also brought home a completely new perspective on my relationship to work in the forest.”
Practical Farm Woodland Management
September 27-28, 2025
Cost: $100
This immersive, hands-on workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to effectively think through a variety of ideas to manage your farm woodlands, not just for timber, but as thriving ecological systems. We will go beyond basic forestry, delving into the fascinating world of forest ecology to provide you with a deeper understanding of how woodlands function and how your management decisions impact their future. PFWM is ideal for small to mid-sized woodland owners, farmers, and anyone interested in sustainable land management and the ecological health of forest ecosystems. No prior forestry experience is required, though a basic understanding of land management principles will be helpful.
Topics covered includes: understanding your woodland ecosystem, assessing woodland health, sustainable timber and non-timber forest products, navigating the complexities of a timber sale, integrating woodlands into farm operations, developing a woodland management plan, and more.
Format: Highly interactive workshop combining classroom discussions with significant time spent outdoors in a diverse woodland setting. A pre-workshop Zoom session will be required ahead of the 2-day onsite portion. Expect hands-on activities, practical demonstrations, and opportunities for group discussion and problem-solving. Please come prepared for walking on uneven terrain and in various weather conditions.
*Limit 8 participants
Woodland Tools and Their Applications
Returning for Fall 2025
Cost: $100
This two-day workshop is ideal for anyone with no or very little experience using woodland tools. It offers training for the selection, care, maintenance, and use of traditional forestry tools and equipment. *Limit 4 participants.
Day 1: Hand tools for woodland work, highlighting forest axes, crosscut saws, billhooks, and human-powered log-moving systems. Beginning at the workbench, we will learn: axe design and edge geometry, how to choose the right axe for specific uses and sharpening systems to create a strong, working, and long-lasting cutting edge. Then, we head to the woods to learn chopping, tree felling, and de-limbing techniques.
Day 2: Power chainsaws as a woodland tool. After a thorough safety training, we will use the chainsaw in the log yard to buck to length stems that are on the ground; then, we head to the woods to do the same work developing a felling plan and harvesting smaller diameter trees as part of a woodland stand improvement program. In the log yard, we will use an Alaskan chainsaw mill to convert a log into usable lumber and also perform the same operation using a small bandsaw mill to make boards.
Note: This course is best suited to individuals with little or no experience using woodland tools We will not fell large trees with a chainsaw during the course. Basic familiarity with woodland environments and a strong commitment to safety are recommended.
Chainsaw Skills Training: Introduction to Chainsaw Safety and Directional Felling
Returning Fall 2025
Cost: $100
This intensive two-day training is appropriate for any woodland owner or farm worker operating a power chainsaw. The course introduces basic chainsaw maintenance, saw chain sharpening, personal protective equipment, professional tree felling techniques, limbing, and bucking trees to length. *Limit 4 participants per workshop.
Format: Each day, this training begins and ends in the shop and practice area where key discussion topics are covered; the practical portion of the course takes place in the woods.
Chainsaw Skills Training: Advanced Tree Felling
Returning Fall 2025
Cost: $100
This intensive two-day training is appropriate for farm woodland owners and farm workers interested in advancing their power chainsaw use to include felling difficult trees, bucking stems to maximize value, extraction of logs with a farm tractor and forestry winch, and removal of storm damaged-and-downed trees. *Limit 4 participants.
Prerequisite: completion of the Introductory workshop or permission of the instructor.
Format: Each day, this training begins and ends in the shop and practice area where key discussion topics are covered; the practical portion of the course takes place in the woods.
![[photo by Ben Aguilar] Three people on the left work with a person on the right to make sure a log is placed correctly on a portable sawmill.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/634f02e629cad13894354f54/90978793-1b3d-4e6a-8dfe-b9628b739e5a/Logs+to+Lumber+10-26-24-2.jpg)
Logs to Lumber
Returning Fall 2025
Cost: $50
This one-day workshop is designed for individuals interested in learning how to utilize a farm tractor forestry winch to haul timber from the woods and to operate a portable sawmill to turn logs into lumber. Participants will delve into topics such as: utilizing a farm tractor winch for log handling and transportation, log selection and preparation, log scaling, operating a simple bandsaw mill effectively, understanding sawing techniques for different lumber products, ensuring safety protocols during the milling process, and maximizing the use of lumber produced. By the end of this workshop, participants will have the skills and knowledge to confidently transform logs into lumber using a portable sawmill and farm tractor winch, adding value to their farm operations and projects. *Limit 4 participants.
Woodland Management for Wildlife Habitat
Returning in Fall 2025
Cost: $25
This half-day workshop is for individuals looking to enhance wildlife habitat on their woodlands through effective management techniques. Participants will delve into topics such as understanding wildlife species and their habitat requirements, assessing current woodland conditions, implementing sustainable forestry practices to promote biodiversity, creating wildlife corridors and shelter belts, managing invasive species for habitat improvement, and incorporating wildlife-friendly practices into woodland stewardship. By the end of this workshop, participants will gain the knowledge and practical skills needed to optimize their woodlands for wildlife habitat improvement while fostering a healthy and diverse ecosystem. *Limit 8 participants.