Coppicing is a horticultural practice with global roots that date back to prehistory. Most deciduous trees don’t die when you cut them - they resprout and grow vigorously from the cut stump. Coppicing and other forms of ‘resprout silviculture' (pollarding, hedgelaying, and shredding) use this property to generate short rotation crops of straight shoots that are useful for all sorts of needs including fuelwood, fenceposts, building poles, craft and weaving material, livestock fodder, decorative stems for the floral industry, biomass, and much more. Join us on our working small farm and learn the ins and outs of coppicing and pollarding in the field.
During this daylong intensive, you’ll -
- Examine dozens of on-site examples of coppicing and pollarding and learn best practices for cutting and stem management
- Learn about the wood properties and sprouting abilities of well over 20 different species and have a chance to get introduced to more than 60 useful species of woody plants
- Help harvest and process materials from several coppice stools and pollarded trees using hand tools
- Leave with stem cuttings from a few of the fastest-growing and reliable coppicing species so you can grow your own
- Discuss the potential for applying these techniques on your land, given your unique constraints and resources
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition $75-100. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early
During this daylong intensive, you’ll -
- Examine dozens of on-site examples of coppicing and pollarding and learn best practices for cutting and stem management
- Learn about the wood properties and sprouting abilities of well over 20 different species and have a chance to get introduced to more than 60 useful species of woody plants
- Help harvest and process materials from several coppice stools and pollarded trees using hand tools
- Leave with stem cuttings from a few of the fastest-growing and reliable coppicing species so you can grow your own
- Discuss the potential for applying these techniques on your land, given your unique constraints and resources
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition $75-100. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early