alternative income enterprises—resource list · southern rural development center. to obtain a...

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Flowers• bedding• cut• dried• edible• potted• wild (cultivated)

Forest Products• cedar shavings• Christmas tree production• custom sawmilling• evergreen cones and needles• firewood• holly boughs• kiln drying• kindling• willow branches• wood pellets

Game• buffalo• duck• grouse• guinea fowl• pheasant• quail• rabbit• squab

Homebased Business• bed-and-breakfast• butchering service• craft store• antique shop

Homemade Products• barrels• baskets• beeswax products• charcoal• compost (packaged or bulk)• furniture

• hides and hide products• spun products• woven products• wreaths, roping, and garlands

Livestock• alpaca• donkey• llama• sheep• specialty horses

Ornamental Fish• aquarium• pond

Plants• fruit trees• landscape trees and shrubs• ornamental grasses• specimen plants

Outdoor Recreation• campground• fee fishing• game preserve• guided farm tours• guided hunts• hay rides• paint-ball range• sporting clay target range

Specialty Lumber• walnut• paulownia

Reviewed bySteven BogashExtension enterprise consultantWestern Maryland Research and Education CenterRobert L. TjadenExtension natural resources specialistWye Research and Education Center

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Jonathan S. Kaysregional Extension natural resources specialist

Western Maryland Research and Education Center

Alternative IncomeOpportunities—Utilizing

Natural ResourcesIf you are a Maryland landowner who wants

to generate income from your woodland orfarmland while maintaining the long-term con-servation of the property, you may be interestedin starting an alternative income enterprise thatutilizes your natural resources. These enterprisescan involve forest products, aquaculture, mush-rooms, and charging fees for recreational orother use of your land. Alternative income enter-prises differ from traditional farm and forestenterprises in that they usually center on value-added or specialty products or services. Manyalternative enterprises begin as hobbies andevolve into businesses after the owner gainsknowledge about marketing, production, andprofitability. Nearby metropolitan areas offer vastmarkets for these enterprises.

There are many reasons why landowners pur-sue alternative income enterprises. Whateveryour motivation, the first step in selecting a prof-itable and enjoyable enterprise is to access thefollowing information:

• personal, family, and business goals;• an inventory of your resources;• information about local and regional mar-

kets; and• an analysis of the production feasibility,

profitability, and potential cash-flow of theenterprise.

A workbook entitled “Farming Alternatives: AGuide to Evaluating the Feasibility of NewFarm-Based Enterprises” (NRAES 32) is availablefrom your local Cooperative Extension Serviceoffice for $6 to guide you through this first step.A video on natural resources income opportuni-ties, also available for loan or sale ($18) fromyour local Extension office, features interviewswith entrepreneurs involved in various enter-prises and highlights the challenges andrewards. Your local Extension Service office canprovide additional information on new publica-tions and opportunities.

In addition to general information sources,this fact sheet provides a list of resources on thefollowing alternative enterprises:

• Aquaculture and fee fishing. Raising fishfor market and operating a fee fishing pondare income-producing opportunities.

• Bed-and-breakfast. Providing overnightaccommodations in an informal, homeyatmosphere can be an enjoyable income-producing enterprise.

• Christmas tree production. Trees grownfor wholesale, choose-and-cut, and wreathproduction provide seasonal income.

• Forest products. In addition to Christmastree production, forest products that gener-ate income include fuelwood (which is usu-ally compatible with forest and wildlifemanagement operations), timber, customsawmilling, and wood kiln processing.

• Gamebird propagation. Gamebirds canbe raised for hunting or food markets.

• Mushroom production. Shiitake andother mushroom species can be sold tolocal grocery stores, restaurants, and farm-ers markets.

Alternative Income Enterprises—Resource List

This fact sheet is part of a series on woodland management. If youwould like information on additional topics in the series, contact yourcounty Extension office.

Nonfood Goods and Services

• Recreational access. A recreational accessfee is an amount of money charged by thelandowner for consumptive and noncon-sumptive uses of the land. Consumptiveuses include hunting and fishing. Noncon-sumptive uses include bird watching, cross-country skiing, hayrides, hiking, sportingclays, and water study.

The sources are divided into three categories:organizations; workshops and seminars; andpublished information.

Although this fact sheet centers on informa-tion available for selected alternative incomeopportunities, there are many other possibilities.Information on additional opportunities is avail-able from your local Extension office, and a listof other possible alternative enterprises is includ-ed at the end of this fact sheet.

OrganizationsAquaculture and Fee Fishing

Maryland Aquaculture Association. Thisassociation, formed in 1989, is a good source ofaquaculture information. The association spon-sors field days and other opportunities for newgrowers to learn about aquaculture. For informa-tion, contact the Maryland Aquaculture Associa-tion at P.O. Box 246, Thurmont, MD 21788.

Maryland Office of Aquaculture. This officeprovides information on regulations, permits,and special programs. For information, contactthe office at 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway,Annapolis, MD 21401, (301) 841-5724.

Natural Resources Conservation Service.This service provides assistance with pond prob-lems and offers free soil surveys. See the bluepages of the phone book for the phone numberof your county office.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Aquaculture specialists with theSea Grant Extension Programs provide educa-tional programs, research, publications, anddemonstration areas at several sites across theState. For more information, contact theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Wye Research and Education Center,P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658, (410)827-8056; or contact the Sea Grant ExtensionPrograms, 2218 Symons Hall, College Park, MD20742, (301) 405-1280; or contact University ofMaryland Cooperative Extension Service, West-ern Maryland Research and Education Center,

18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756,(301) 432-2767.

Bed-and-BreakfastMaryland Bed-and-Breakfast Association.

This trade association provides information andassistance for bed-and-breakfast businesses inMaryland. For information, contact the associa-tion at P.O. Box 23324, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Christmas Tree ProductionMaryland Christmas Tree Association. This

association holds winter and summer workshopsevery year. For more information about theannual meetings, write to the Maryland ChristmasTree Association, 826 Spring Dale Road, NewWindsor, MD 21776 or call (301) 875-0272.

National Christmas Tree Association. Forinformation about this national association, con-tact the National Christmas Tree Association, 611East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 or call(414) 276-6410.

Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Associa-tion. This association holds several workshopseach year. For more information, contact theVirginia Christmas Tree Growers Association,HCR60, Box 41-T, Deerfield, VA 22432.

Forest ProductsAmerican Forestry Association. Member-

ship ($30 per year) in this association includes asubscription to American Forests magazine andThe “Urban Forest Forum” newsletter. For moreinformation, write to the American ForestryAssociation, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC20013.

American Paulownia Association, Inc. Thisassociation’s purpose is to advance the produc-tion and marketing of paulownia for profit in theUnited States. Membership ($20) includes a sub-scription to the association’s newsletter. Formore information, write to the American Paulow-nia Association, Inc., Route 3, Box 1600, Sweet-water, TN 37874.

American Pulpwood Association. Themembers of this national trade association areprimarily loggers and industrial foresters. Theassociation promotes the safe and efficient har-vest and transportation of forest products fromthe woods to the mill. A newsletter and otherinformation is available by subscription. Forinformation, contact the American PulpwoodAssociation, Inc. at 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW,

Aquaculture• bait• catfish• crayfish• eel• striped bass• tilapia• trout

Field Crops• amaranth• black turtle beans• buckwheat• cranberry beans• grapes• hops• malting barley• popcorn• sorghum• sunflowers• wild rice

Fruit and Nuts• blackberry• blueberry• currant• dewberry• elderberry• grapes• kiwifruit• papaw• raspberry• strawberry• tayberry• walnuts

Herbs and Spices• garlic• ginseng

Livestock• bees• duck• emu• free-range or organic poultry• goat• goose• ostrich• rabbit• rhea• sheep• turkey

Mushrooms• morel• oyster• shiitake

Prepared Goods• baked goods• butter• cheese• cider and other fruit juices• filleted fish• fruit leathers• ground grains• maple syrup• pickles• preserves, jellies, and jams• smoked and marinated fish• wine• yogurt

Vegetables• asparagus• baby vegetables• hydroponic vegetables• organic vegetables• salad blends• sprouts• sweet potatoes

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Possible Alternative Income Opportunities

Food Products

Media, 7407 Hilltop Drive, Frederick, MD 21702or call (310) 473-8797.

• “High-Value Marketing: Strategies forSustainable Agriculture” (time: 29:37), $29.95

Rural Information Center. This center, ajoint project of the Extension Service-USDA andthe National Agricultural Library, combines tech-nical, subject-matter expertise with informationspecialists. The center provides information andreferral services, as well as information searchesand publications on enterprise topics, to helpmaintain the vitality of America’s rural areas. Formore information, contact the Rural InformationCenter at the National Agricultural Library, Room304, Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 or call 1-800-633-7701.

Southern Rural Development Center. Toobtain a copy of “Inventory of NontraditionalAgricultural Commodity Activities in the South-ern Region,” send $5 to the Southern RuralDevelopment Center, Box 5446, Mississippi State,MS 39762, or call (601) 325-3207.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. “Farming Alternatives: A Guide toEvaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-BasedEnterprises,” NRAES-32, is an excellent work-book to help you through this process of select-ing an alternative income enterprise and is avail-able for $6 from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service. Contact yourcounty Extension office to obtain a copy.(County Extension office phone numbers are list-ed in the blue pages of the phone book.)

The following publications are also availablefrom county Extension offices and regionalresearch and education centers. (County Exten-sion office phone numbers are listed in the bluepages of the phone book.)

• “Competent Financial Planning: RecordOrganization,” EB 301, $2

• “Starting a Homebased Business,” FS 372Extension also offers a video that provides

sound marketing and business principles onwhich to base a plan for starting an income en-terprise. Interviews with entrepreneurs providefirst-hand experience that could help increase

your chances of success. Enterprises studiedinclude fee fishing, sporting clays, shiitake mush-rooms, firewood, wood crafts, bed-and-breakfast,and custom sawmilling. The video is available bywriting to the Distance Education and OutreachCommunications Unit, Communications andInformation Technology Office, 0119 SymonsHall, College Park, MD 20742 or by calling (301)405-4581. Make checks payable to the Universityof Maryland.

• “Natural Resource Income Opportunities”(time: 23 minutes), $18

University Press of New England. Thisbook, written by M. Beattie, C. Thompson, andL. Levine, published in 1983 and revised in 1993,is available from the University Press of NewEngland in Hanover, New Hampshire.

• Working With Your Woodland: A Land-owner’s Guide, $18

USDA Office of Small-Scale Agriculture. Aquarterly newsletter, “Small-Scale AgricultureToday,” published by the USDA Office for Small-Scale Agriculture, is an excellent source of infor-mation on a variety of income enterprises andupcoming events. Fact sheets on specific enter-prises are available. Topics include exotic live-stock, specialty vegetables, woodlots, specialtyflowers, herbs, mushrooms, desert vines, foliageplants, strawberries, brambles, aquaculture, wild-flowers, and sheep. To be placed on the mailinglist or to receive copies of fact sheets, contactUSDA/CSREES, Office of Small-Scale Agriculture,AG Box 2244, Washington, DC 20250-2244.Copies of the fact sheets also are available fromthe University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center, 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756.

U.S. Government Printing Office. “TheDirectory for Small-Scale Agriculture” is availablefrom the U.S. Government Printing Office. Senda request for stock number 001-000-04539-3 anda check for $5.50 to the Superintendent ofDocuments, U.S. Government Printing Office,North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20402.

Suite 1020, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 347-2900.

American Tree Farmers. This organization isoriented toward landowners who actively man-age their properties for forest products andwildlife. The State program is administered bycounty foresters from the Maryland Departmentof Natural Resources, as well as private forestryconsultants and industrial foresters. Informationis available from the American Tree FarmSystem, American Forest Council, 1250 Connecti-cut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 or bycalling the Maryland Forest Service at (410) 974-3776.

Appalachian Export Center for Hard-woods. This center provides information, assis-tance, and educational workshops on exportinghardwoods. A free newsletter is available.Contact the center by writing to AppalachianExport Center for Hardwoods, P.O. Box 6061,Morgantown, WV 26506-6061 or by calling (304)293-7577.

Appalachian Hardwood Center. This centerprovides information, assistance, and educationalworkshops dealing with a range of forest prod-ucts, such as custom sawmilling, kiln-drying, andwood utilization. Contact the center by writing tothe College of Agriculture and Forestry, Divisionof Forestry, Appalachian Hardwood Center, 205-FPercival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506-6125 or bycalling (304) 293-7550.

Center for Forest Products Marketing. Thiscenter is a cooperative venture of industry, gov-ernment, and academia. It provides market-ori-ented training and information for the forestproducts industry through short courses, publica-tions, and newsletters. Contact the center bywriting to the Center for Forest Products Market-ing, 1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0503 or by calling (703) 231-5876.

Forest Farmers Association. This grassrootsorganization of large and small timberland own-ers represents southern timberland owners atlocal, regional, and national levels. Membership($40 per year) includes a subscription to ForestFarmer magazine, which is published six times ayear. For more information, contact the ForestFarmer at P.O. Box 95385, Atlanta, GA 30347,(404) 325-2954.

Maryland Chapter of the Walnut Council.This state-level association is part of the nationalWalnut Council and offers educational meetingsand field tours for anyone interested in the pro-

duction and marketing of walnut trees for woodand nuts. For more information, write to PhillipPannill at 17343 Bakersville Road, Boonsboro,MD 21713, or call (301) 739-7743.

Maryland Department of Natural Re-sources. The Maryland Department of NaturalResources–Forest Service has county forestersand stewardship biologists who will visit yourproperty and provide management assistance inthe form of a forest stewardship plan and namesof professionals to help implement the plan. Thedepartment also provides information on cost-share programs to help implement the plan. Thedepartment also sells seedlings. For more infor-mation, write to the Maryland Department ofNatural Resources, Forest Service, Tawes StateOffice Building, E-1, Annapolis, MD 21401 or call(410) 974-3776.

Maryland Forests Association. This associa-tion’s annual meeting is held in late fall.Individual membership ($20 per year) includes asubscription to the “Crosscut” newsletter.Membership is recommended for anyone withan interest in forestry in Maryland. Contact theassociation by writing to Maryland Forests Asso-ciation, P.O. Box 599, Grantsville, MD 21536 orcall (301) 895-5369.

National Woodland Owners Association.Membership ($15 per year) in this associationincludes a subscription to the monthly “Wood-land Report” and National Woodlands magazine.For membership information, write to theNational Woodland Owners Association at 374Maple Avenue, E. Suite 210, Vienna, VA 22180 orcall (800) 476-8733.

North American Maple Syrup Council. Forinformation about this national association forproducers, write to the North American MapleSyrup Council at 387 Country Road, Woodstock,CN 06281 or call (203) 974-1235.

Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Association.This association’s Somerset branch is the closeststate association available to Western Marylandproducers. For information, write to Jane Wableat Wables Camp, P.O. Box 171, Fort Hille, PA15540.

Gamebird PropagationNorth American Gamebird Association,

Inc. This trade association produces many publi-cations and videos, sponsors short courses andan annual convention, and sells liability insur-ance for hunting preserves. For information,

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write to the North American Gamebird Associa-tion, Inc. at P.O. Box 2105, Cayce-West Colum-bia, SC 29171.

Pennsylvania Game Breeders Association.To contact this association, write to PennsylvaniaGame Breeders Association, 288 LevengoodRoad, Douglasville, PA 19518.

Virginia Game Breeders and Hunting Pre-serve Association. To contact this association,write to the Virginia Game Breeders and HuntingPreserve Association, c/o J. M. Casero, P.O. Box304, SR 691, Greenwood, VA 22943

Mushroom ProductionAppalachian Mushroom Growers. This is

an informal association for small-scale mush-room growers in Maryland, Virginia, and WestVirginia. The association provides informationabout proven spawn sources, marketing, andproduction techniques. For more information,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope toMaryellen Lombardi, Route 1, Box 30 BYY,Hayward, VA 22722 or call (703) 923-4774.

Forest Resource Center. Started in 1984, thiscenter is an information clearinghouse for shi-itake growers. An initial subscription to “ShiitakeNews,” including back issues, is $25. The annualrenewal fee is $15. For more information, con-tact the Forest Resource Center, Route 2, Box156A, Lanesboro, MN 55949.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Information about educationalprograms and publications are available from theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center at 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767; or fromthe University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter at P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Recreational AccessClemson University Cooperative Exten-

sion Service. The Extension Service in coopera-tion with other partners has sponsored fee-hunt-ing symposiums on a periodic basis. Proceedingsfrom past symposiums are printed and availablewhile supplies last. For information on past pro-ceedings or future programs, write to GregYarrow, Extension Wildlife Specialist, ClemsonUniversity, Box 320362, Lehotsky Hall, Clemson,SC 29634-0362 or call (803) 656-7270.

General InformationCornell University Farming Alternative

Program. This program, an excellent source ofinformation for producers of nontraditional prod-ucts and services, offers numerous publicationson such farming alternatives as aquaculture, hor-ticultural crops, exotic livestock, mushrooms,poultry, and cut flowers. The program also offersa newsletter for a nominal fee. For a list ofresources, write to the Farming AlternativeProgram, Department of Rural Sociology, WarrenHall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 or call(607) 255-9832.

Maryland Small Business DevelopmentCenter. This center provides services to newand existing businesses. Regional offices offertraining and continuing education at minimalcost, free counseling, information services, andspecial programs. Each regional office, the coun-ties it serves, and the phone numbers are as fol-lows:

• Western Region (Garrett, Allegany, andWashington Counties), 1-800-457-7232.

• Central Region (Baltimore City, and AnneArundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford,and Howard Counties), 1-800-834-7232.

• Southern Region (Calvert, Charles, and St.Mary’s Counties), 1-800-762-7232.

• Eastern Region (Eastern Shore counties),1-800-999-7232.

Workshops and SeminarsAquaculture and Fee Fishing

Aquaculture in the Mid-Atlantic. This annu-al conference offers information on aquacultureproduction, financing, marketing, and processingand is a cooperative effort between the Mary-land, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsyl-vania, and West Virginia Cooperative ExtensionServices. The conference location varies eachyear. For more information, write to DonaldWebster, University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658 orcall (410) 827-8056.

Forest ProductsCentral Maryland Forest Stewardship

Seminar. This seminar for forest landowners isheld annually each fall in either Harford orBaltimore County. Information is available from

Recreational AccessDelaware Cooperative Extension Service.

The following publication is available from theDelaware Cooperative Extension Service,University of Delaware, Townsend Hall, Newark,DE 19717-1303.

• “Managing Your Farm for Lease Hunting: AGuide to Developing a Hunting Lease,”Bulletin 147

Ohio Cooperative Extension Service. Thefollowing publication is available from thePublications Office, Ohio Cooperative ExtensionService, 258 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road,Columbus, OH 43210-1044:

• “Developing a Hunting Lease Enterprise inOhio,” Bulletin 798, $2.85

Proceedings From the Conference onIncome Opportunities for the Private Land-owner Through Management of NaturalResources and Recreational Access. Much ofthe information presented in these proceedingsis about recreational access. See the listing forthese proceedings in the General Informationsection for more information.

Rural Information Center. To receivecopies of the following publication, contact theRural Information Center at the NationalAgricultural Library, Room 304, Beltsville, MD20705-2351 or call 1-800-633-7701:

• “Fee Hunting on Private Land: An Anno-tated Reference Listing for Extension, Re-searchers, and Practitioners,” RICPS No. 15

University of Maryland Cooperative Ex-tension Service. The following publications areavailable from county Extension offices andregional research and education centers. (CountyExtension office phone numbers are listed in theblue pages of the phone book.)

• “Woodland Management Series—LandownerLiability and Recreational Access,” FS 617

Wildlife Harvest Publications. Many of thepublications available from this company pertainto recreational access. See the Gamebird Propa-gation section under Published Information onpage 8 of this fact sheet for more information.

General InformationNorth Dakota Cooperative Extension Ser-

vice. The following publication is available fromthe North Dakota Cooperative Extension Service,North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105:

• “Homebased Business—Is It For Me?” $2

Ohio State University. The following publi-cation summarizes 100 ideas from a variety ofsources on the topic of nontraditional enterpris-es. To order a copy, send your check payable toOhio State University to the Department ofAgricultural Economics and Rural Sociology,Ohio State University, 2120 Fyffe Road,Columbus, OH

• “Innovative Rural Enterprises,” $3Proceedings From the Conference on

Income Opportunities for the Private Land-owner Through Management of NaturalResources and Recreational Access. Theseproceedings from an April 1989 conferenceinclude more than 40 articles by entrepreneursand others on natural resources-based enterpris-es. Topics include marketing, economics, busi-ness management, liability, and lease criteriaassociated with hunting, fishing, outdoor recre-ation, and forestry. The cost is $15. Make checkspayable to WVU Foundation, Inc., and sendthem with your request to William Grafton,WVU, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV26506-6125.

Note: Presentations from these proceedingshave been edited into 24 separate publicationsthat address natural resource management andspecific income opportunities. A limited numberof single copies are available at no cost. The fol-lowing is a partial listing of the available publica-tions:

• “Aquaculture and Fishing,” 751• “Bed and Breakfast,” 767• “Campgrounds,” 768• “Demand for Outdoor Recreation,” 757• “Hunting Preserves,” 753• “Insurance Aspects of Recreational Access,”

745• “Marketing Practices,” 756• “Pricing and Profit,” 766• “Recreational Clubs,” 755• “Risk Recreation,” 765• “Statutory Trespass/Liability Law in the

Eastern United States,” 746• “Supply for Recreation,” 758• “Waterfowl Opportunities,” 752Rooy Media. A video, produced by Rodale

Institute of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, shows infor-mal conversations and forums with farmers, pro-ducers, and marketing experts who share theirexperiences. To order a copy, write to Rooy

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• “Woodland Management Series—How ItGrows,” $2

Western Maryland Research and Educa-tion Center. The following quarterly newslettercontains information on forest stewardship andeducation opportunities. To be placed on themailing list, write to Branching Out, University ofMaryland Cooperative Extension Service, West-ern Maryland Research and Education Center,18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756or call (301) 432-2767.

• “Branching Out”

Gamebird PropagationMichigan State University. To order this

new publication, send a request and check(made payable to Michigan State University) toMichigan State University Bulletin Office, 10BAgriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.

• “Managing Gamebirds,” E-692, $2Wildlife Harvest Publications. This publish-

er’s monthly magazine is an excellent resourcefor suppliers to the gamebird industry and fea-tures articles on hunting preserves and raisinggamebirds. For information or to subscribe, writeto Wildlife Harvest Publications, P.O. Box 96,Goose Lake, IA 52750 or call (319) 242-3046.

• Wildlife Harvest, $25• “Gamebird Propagation—the Wildlife

Harvest System,” $29.95• “Hunting Preserves for Sport and Profit,”

$24.95

Ginseng ProductionUniversity of Kentucky Cooperative Ex-

tension Service. The following publication isavailable from the Department of Forestry,University of Kentucky, 205 T.P. Cooper Build-ing, Lexington, KY 40546-0073.

• “Cultivating Ginseng in Kentucky,” ID-60Walnut Meadows Ginseng Company. This

grower offers publications and seed, by theounce or pound, for sale. For specific informa-tion, write to Walnut Meadows, Route 3, Box186, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 or call (304) 379-3596.

• “Instructions for Growing Ginseng for Profiton Your Own Woodlot”

• “American Ginseng: Green Gold,” $15U.S. Government Printing Office. To pur-

chase the following publications, contact the U.S.Government Printing Office, Superintendent ofDocuments, Washington, DC 20402:

• “Growing Ginseng,” 0-266-023, USDA FarmBulletin 2201

Mushroom ProductionAlabama A&M University. Copies of the

proceedings of the National Shiitake Mushroomsymposium, an anthology of papers presented atthe November 1993 symposium, are availablefrom the Publications Office, CooperativeExtension Program, Alabama A&M University,P.O. Box 967, Normal, AL.

• Proceedings of the National ShiitakeMushroom Symposium, $10

Field and Forest Products, Inc. The follow-ing publication is available from Field and ForestProducts, Inc., N3296 Kozuzek Road, Peshtigo,WI 54157, (717) 582-4997:

• “Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in aContinental Climate,” $8

Fungi Perfecti. The following two publica-tions provide complete information on nearly alltypes of cultivated mushrooms, from raisingspawn to fruiting. Write to Fungi Perfecti at P.O.Box 7634, Olympia, WA 98507 or call (206) 426-9292.

• “Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mush-rooms,” $39.95

• “Mushroom Cultivator,” $29.95Ohio Cooperative Extension Service. The

following publication is available from the OhioCooperative Extension Service, PublicationsOffice, 258 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road,Columbus, OH 43210-1044:

• “Marketing Ohio Shiitake Mushrooms,”Extension Bulletin 803, $3.50

University of Maryland Cooperative Ex-tension Service. The following publications areavailable by contacting the University of Mary-land Cooperative Extension Service, WesternMaryland Research and Education Center, 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756:

• “Developing a Business Plan To Produceand Market Mushrooms”

• “Shiitake Mushroom Recipes for Home orBusiness Use”

• “Mushrooms Production Guide,” IS 10Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station.

The following publication is available from theVirginia Agricultural Experiment Station, VirginiaTech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0402:

• “Marketing and Distribution of ShiitakeMushrooms: A Virginia Retail Case Study,”Bulletin 90-4, $4

the Harford County Extension office at P.O. Box663, Forest Hill, MD 21050 or (410) 638-3255.

Delmarva Forestry Seminar. This annualseminar for forest landowners is held inSeptember or October, alternating betweenMaryland and Delaware. Information is availablefrom the University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter at P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Fall Forest Festival (Eastern Shore) andthe Western Maryland Loggers and ForestryField Day (Garrett County). These two fieldday programs are sponsored by the MarylandForests Association. The field days provide anopportunity for entrepreneurs interested in fire-wood processing, custom sawmilling, and timberharvesting to see the available equipment dem-onstrated and to talk with manufacturer repre-sentatives. For more information and field daydates, write to the Maryland Forests Associationat P.O. Box 699, Grantsville, MD 21536 or call(301) 895-5369.

Income Opportunities Utilizing NaturalResources. Various meetings are held in loca-tions throughout the State and in neighboringstates. Information on programs and publicationsis available from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service, Western Mary-land Research and Education Center at 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301)432-2735; or from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service, Wye Researchand Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queens-town, MD 21658, (410) 827-8056.

Mid-Atlantic Forest Stewardship Seminar.This annual seminar for forest landowners isheld the first Saturday in November in Frederick.Information is available from the FrederickCounty Extension Office at 330 Montevue Lane,Frederick, MD 21702 or (301) 694-1594.

Southern Maryland Forestry Seminar. Thisannual seminar for forest landowners, sponsoredby Southern Maryland Resource Conservationand Development, is held in Southern Maryland,usually in March. For more information, call(301) 934-9290 or (301) 345-4347.

Mushroom ProductionPenn State College of Agriculture Specialty

Mushroom Workshop and Seminar. Everyyear around June, Penn State offers a workshopand seminar at the J.O. Keller Conference Center

that highlights new research and information onproduction and marketing of specialty mush-rooms. For information or to be placed on themailing list, write to the Mushroom Workshop,Pennsylvania State University, 306 AG Adminis-tration Building, University Park, PA 16802 or call(814) 865-8301.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Information about educationalprograms and publications is available from theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center, 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767; and fromthe University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Published InformationIn the following list of resources, publications

are available free of charge unless otherwisenoted. The materials contained in this section arelisted by the organization that offers them to thepublic.

Aquaculture and Fee FishingAquaculture magazine. This magazine, an

excellent source of up-to-date information on arapidly changing enterprise, and the accompany-ing guide, an excellent source of commercialsuppliers, are available from Aquaculture maga-zine, P.O. Box 2329, Asheville, NC 28802.

• Aquaculture ($15, includes 12 issues)• “Buyer’s Guide” ($12)Doug Peterson. This author for IN-Fisherman

magazine has written many articles on organiz-ing fishing tournaments. He has produced a 5-tape video series that provides how-to informa-tion on planning successful fishing tournaments.To order the series, send your check to DougPeterson, 836 Third Avenue, #209, Excelsion, MN55331 or call (612) 444-6130.

• “Organizing a Fishing Tournament,” $159.95Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineer-

ing Service. The following publication is avail-able from NRAES, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Coopera-tive Extension, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701 or call(607) 255-7654.

• “Engineering Aspects of Intensive Aqua-culture,” NRAES-49, $30

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Southern Rural Development Center. Thefollowing publication is available from theSouthern Rural Development Center, Box 5446,Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS39762:

• “Fee Fishing as an Economic Alternative forSmall Farms”

University of Maryland Cooperative Ex-tension Service. The following publications areavailable from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service, Western Mary-land Research and Education Center, 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301)432-2767; or from the Wye Research andEducation Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown,MD 21658, (410) 827-8056:

• “Cage Culture in Maryland”• “The Culture of Striped Bass and Its Hybrids

in Cages”• “Figuring Production Costs in Finfish Aqua-

culture”• “Fish Culture in Maryland: Weighing the

Pros and Cons”Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

The following publications are available fromFisheries Publications, Virginia CooperativeExtension Service, Department of Fisheries andWildlife, Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacks-burg, VA 24061:

• “Freshwater Fish Farming in Virginia:Selecting the Right Fish To Raise,” 420-010

• “Should You Attempt Fish Farming?”420-897

• “Solutions to Common Farm Pond Prob-lems,” 420-019

• “Stocking Sportfish in Virginia Ponds:Methods and Commercial Supply Sources,”420-009

Wye Research and Education Center. Twofree newsletters on aquaculture and marinedevelopments in Maryland are available from theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Wye Research and Education Center,P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658, (410)827-8056.

• “Marine Notes”• “Maryland Aquafarmer”

Bed and BreakfastUniversity of Illinois. The following publica-

tion is available from the University of Illinois,Agriculture Publications Office, 54 Mumford Hall,

1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801,(217) 333-2007:

• “Developing a Bed and Breakfast,” NCREA273, $5

Christmas Tree ProductionOhio Cooperative Extension Service. The

following publication is available from the OhioCooperative Extension Service, 258 KottmanHall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044:

• “Ohio Christmas Tree Growers Handbookand Update,” about $13

Paragon Books. The following referencebook, published in 1991, is available fromParagon Books. The price includes shipping.Send orders to Paragon Books, P.O. Box 471,Richmond, VT 05477.

• Using Fertilizers in the Culture of ChristmasTrees, $14.95

U.S. Government Printing Office. The fol-lowing four-color publication is available fromthe Superintendent of Documents at the U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, DC20402:

• “Christmas Tree Pest Manual,” 001-0001-00589-4, $14.

University of Connecticut. Make checks forthe following publication payable to Universityof Connecticut. Send requests and checks toAgriculture Publications, 1376 Storrs Road, U-35,University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-4035.

• Southern New England Christmas TreeGrowers Manual, $5.85

University of Maryland at College Park,College of Agriculture, Department of Horti-culture. The following publications are availableat county Extension offices and regional researchand education centers. (County Extension officephone numbers are listed in the blue pages ofthe phone book.)

• “Controlling Weeds in Coniferous Seed andTransplant Beds and in Christmas TreePlantations,” HE 139-89

• “Hawk Perches in a Christmas TreePlantation,” HE 149-88

Western Maryland Research and Educa-tion Center. To obtain a free copy of the fol-lowing computer program that uses an MS-DOSoperating system with Lotus Spreadsheet soft-ware, write to Dale Johnson, regional Extensionfarm management specialist, University of Mary-land Cooperative Extension Service, Western

Maryland Research and Education Center, 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756 or call(301) 432-7173.

• “Economic Analysis of ‘Choose-and-Cut’Christmas Tree Production in Maryland,”AREIS 101

Forest ProductsCornell Cooperative Extension Service.

Make checks for the following publicationspayable to Cornell University. Send requests andchecks to Distribution Center C, 7 Research Park,Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.

• “Enhancement of Wildlife Habitat on PrivateLands,” 147IB 181, $4

• “Production of Maple Syrup and OtherMaple Products,” 147IB 95, $1.50

• “Sugarbush Management,” 147IB 110, $1.50• “Timber Management for Small

Woodlands,” 147IB 180, $5• “Wildlife and Timber From Private Lands: A

Landowner’s Guide to Planning,” 147IB193, $5

Maple Syrup Digest. The following quarterlydigest is published four times annually and pro-vides many sources of new and used equipmentplus information from field editors in 12 U.S.locations and 2 Canadian provinces. For moreinformation or to subscribe, write to Roy Hutch-inson, Editor, at P.O. Box 240, Canterbury, NH03224 or call (603) 783-4468.

• “Maple Syrup Digest,” $5Midwest Research Institute. The following

publication contains information on opportuni-ties for rural entrepreneurs. The types of oppor-tunities discussed include aromatics, berries,charcoal, chips, cooking wood, decorative wood,forest botanicals, floral products, honey, mush-rooms, nuts, recreation, specialty wood products,syrup, and weaving and dyeing materials. Eachchapter describes market and competition con-siderations, distribution and packaging, equip-ment needs, and marketing. To order a copy,write to the Midwest Research Institute, 425Volker Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64110 or call(816) 753-7600.

• “Income Opportunities in Special ForestProducts,” $5

University of Kentucky, Department ofForestry. Send requests for the following publi-cations to Don Graves, Department of Forestry,University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0073:

• “Paulownia—A Guide to Establishment andCultivation,” FOR-39

• “Paulownia—A Potential Alternative Cropfor Kentucky,” FOR-11

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. The following publications areavailable from county Extension offices andregional research and education centers. (CountyExtension office phone numbers are listed in theblue pages of the phone book.) In addition, listsof paulownia log buyers and seedling suppliersand registered professional forestry consultantsin Maryland are also available.

• “How To Grow Paulownia,” EB 319, $1• “Woodland Management Series—Develop-

ing a Forest Management Plan,” FS 625• “Woodland Management Series—Marketing

Forest Products: The Sales Contract,” FS 628• “Woodland Management Series—Where To

Get Help,” FS 624• “Woodland Management Series—Glossary

of Terms,” FS 620USDA Forest Service. For a copy of the fol-

lowing USDA Forest Service publication on mar-keting value-added forest products, write toUSDA Forest Service, S&PF, 180 Canfield Street,Morgantown, WV 26505. For a copy of theUSDA publication on walnuts, which includes 31pages of hands-on advice for growers, sendrequests to Superintendent of Documents, U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, DC20402. (Make checks payable to the Superinten-dent of Documents.)

• “A Marketing Guide for Manufacturers andEntrepreneurs of Secondary-ProcessedWood Products in the Northeastern UnitedStates”

• “Walnut Notes,” 001-001-00034-3, $9West Virginia University Extension Ser-

vice. Make checks for the following publicationspayable to West Virginia University. A videoseries is available that accompanies the Wood-land Management Series printed materials. Sendrequests and checks to West Virginia UniversityExtension Service, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown,WV 26506-6125.

• “Woodland Management Series—BuildingRoads,” $1.50

• “Woodland Management Series—HarvestingIt and Renewing It,” $2

• “Woodland Management Series—Helping ItGrow,” $2

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• “Woodland Management Series—How ItGrows,” $2

Western Maryland Research and Educa-tion Center. The following quarterly newslettercontains information on forest stewardship andeducation opportunities. To be placed on themailing list, write to Branching Out, University ofMaryland Cooperative Extension Service, West-ern Maryland Research and Education Center,18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756or call (301) 432-2767.

• “Branching Out”

Gamebird PropagationMichigan State University. To order this

new publication, send a request and check(made payable to Michigan State University) toMichigan State University Bulletin Office, 10BAgriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.

• “Managing Gamebirds,” E-692, $2Wildlife Harvest Publications. This publish-

er’s monthly magazine is an excellent resourcefor suppliers to the gamebird industry and fea-tures articles on hunting preserves and raisinggamebirds. For information or to subscribe, writeto Wildlife Harvest Publications, P.O. Box 96,Goose Lake, IA 52750 or call (319) 242-3046.

• Wildlife Harvest, $25• “Gamebird Propagation—the Wildlife

Harvest System,” $29.95• “Hunting Preserves for Sport and Profit,”

$24.95

Ginseng ProductionUniversity of Kentucky Cooperative Ex-

tension Service. The following publication isavailable from the Department of Forestry,University of Kentucky, 205 T.P. Cooper Build-ing, Lexington, KY 40546-0073.

• “Cultivating Ginseng in Kentucky,” ID-60Walnut Meadows Ginseng Company. This

grower offers publications and seed, by theounce or pound, for sale. For specific informa-tion, write to Walnut Meadows, Route 3, Box186, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 or call (304) 379-3596.

• “Instructions for Growing Ginseng for Profiton Your Own Woodlot”

• “American Ginseng: Green Gold,” $15U.S. Government Printing Office. To pur-

chase the following publications, contact the U.S.Government Printing Office, Superintendent ofDocuments, Washington, DC 20402:

• “Growing Ginseng,” 0-266-023, USDA FarmBulletin 2201

Mushroom ProductionAlabama A&M University. Copies of the

proceedings of the National Shiitake Mushroomsymposium, an anthology of papers presented atthe November 1993 symposium, are availablefrom the Publications Office, CooperativeExtension Program, Alabama A&M University,P.O. Box 967, Normal, AL.

• Proceedings of the National ShiitakeMushroom Symposium, $10

Field and Forest Products, Inc. The follow-ing publication is available from Field and ForestProducts, Inc., N3296 Kozuzek Road, Peshtigo,WI 54157, (717) 582-4997:

• “Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in aContinental Climate,” $8

Fungi Perfecti. The following two publica-tions provide complete information on nearly alltypes of cultivated mushrooms, from raisingspawn to fruiting. Write to Fungi Perfecti at P.O.Box 7634, Olympia, WA 98507 or call (206) 426-9292.

• “Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mush-rooms,” $39.95

• “Mushroom Cultivator,” $29.95Ohio Cooperative Extension Service. The

following publication is available from the OhioCooperative Extension Service, PublicationsOffice, 258 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road,Columbus, OH 43210-1044:

• “Marketing Ohio Shiitake Mushrooms,”Extension Bulletin 803, $3.50

University of Maryland Cooperative Ex-tension Service. The following publications areavailable by contacting the University of Mary-land Cooperative Extension Service, WesternMaryland Research and Education Center, 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756:

• “Developing a Business Plan To Produceand Market Mushrooms”

• “Shiitake Mushroom Recipes for Home orBusiness Use”

• “Mushrooms Production Guide,” IS 10Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station.

The following publication is available from theVirginia Agricultural Experiment Station, VirginiaTech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0402:

• “Marketing and Distribution of ShiitakeMushrooms: A Virginia Retail Case Study,”Bulletin 90-4, $4

the Harford County Extension office at P.O. Box663, Forest Hill, MD 21050 or (410) 638-3255.

Delmarva Forestry Seminar. This annualseminar for forest landowners is held inSeptember or October, alternating betweenMaryland and Delaware. Information is availablefrom the University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter at P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Fall Forest Festival (Eastern Shore) andthe Western Maryland Loggers and ForestryField Day (Garrett County). These two fieldday programs are sponsored by the MarylandForests Association. The field days provide anopportunity for entrepreneurs interested in fire-wood processing, custom sawmilling, and timberharvesting to see the available equipment dem-onstrated and to talk with manufacturer repre-sentatives. For more information and field daydates, write to the Maryland Forests Associationat P.O. Box 699, Grantsville, MD 21536 or call(301) 895-5369.

Income Opportunities Utilizing NaturalResources. Various meetings are held in loca-tions throughout the State and in neighboringstates. Information on programs and publicationsis available from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service, Western Mary-land Research and Education Center at 18330Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756, (301)432-2735; or from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service, Wye Researchand Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queens-town, MD 21658, (410) 827-8056.

Mid-Atlantic Forest Stewardship Seminar.This annual seminar for forest landowners isheld the first Saturday in November in Frederick.Information is available from the FrederickCounty Extension Office at 330 Montevue Lane,Frederick, MD 21702 or (301) 694-1594.

Southern Maryland Forestry Seminar. Thisannual seminar for forest landowners, sponsoredby Southern Maryland Resource Conservationand Development, is held in Southern Maryland,usually in March. For more information, call(301) 934-9290 or (301) 345-4347.

Mushroom ProductionPenn State College of Agriculture Specialty

Mushroom Workshop and Seminar. Everyyear around June, Penn State offers a workshopand seminar at the J.O. Keller Conference Center

that highlights new research and information onproduction and marketing of specialty mush-rooms. For information or to be placed on themailing list, write to the Mushroom Workshop,Pennsylvania State University, 306 AG Adminis-tration Building, University Park, PA 16802 or call(814) 865-8301.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Information about educationalprograms and publications is available from theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center, 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767; and fromthe University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Published InformationIn the following list of resources, publications

are available free of charge unless otherwisenoted. The materials contained in this section arelisted by the organization that offers them to thepublic.

Aquaculture and Fee FishingAquaculture magazine. This magazine, an

excellent source of up-to-date information on arapidly changing enterprise, and the accompany-ing guide, an excellent source of commercialsuppliers, are available from Aquaculture maga-zine, P.O. Box 2329, Asheville, NC 28802.

• Aquaculture ($15, includes 12 issues)• “Buyer’s Guide” ($12)Doug Peterson. This author for IN-Fisherman

magazine has written many articles on organiz-ing fishing tournaments. He has produced a 5-tape video series that provides how-to informa-tion on planning successful fishing tournaments.To order the series, send your check to DougPeterson, 836 Third Avenue, #209, Excelsion, MN55331 or call (612) 444-6130.

• “Organizing a Fishing Tournament,” $159.95Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineer-

ing Service. The following publication is avail-able from NRAES, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Coopera-tive Extension, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701 or call(607) 255-7654.

• “Engineering Aspects of Intensive Aqua-culture,” NRAES-49, $30

8 5

write to the North American Gamebird Associa-tion, Inc. at P.O. Box 2105, Cayce-West Colum-bia, SC 29171.

Pennsylvania Game Breeders Association.To contact this association, write to PennsylvaniaGame Breeders Association, 288 LevengoodRoad, Douglasville, PA 19518.

Virginia Game Breeders and Hunting Pre-serve Association. To contact this association,write to the Virginia Game Breeders and HuntingPreserve Association, c/o J. M. Casero, P.O. Box304, SR 691, Greenwood, VA 22943

Mushroom ProductionAppalachian Mushroom Growers. This is

an informal association for small-scale mush-room growers in Maryland, Virginia, and WestVirginia. The association provides informationabout proven spawn sources, marketing, andproduction techniques. For more information,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope toMaryellen Lombardi, Route 1, Box 30 BYY,Hayward, VA 22722 or call (703) 923-4774.

Forest Resource Center. Started in 1984, thiscenter is an information clearinghouse for shi-itake growers. An initial subscription to “ShiitakeNews,” including back issues, is $25. The annualrenewal fee is $15. For more information, con-tact the Forest Resource Center, Route 2, Box156A, Lanesboro, MN 55949.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Information about educationalprograms and publications are available from theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center at 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756, (301) 432-2767; or fromthe University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter at P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658,(410) 827-8056.

Recreational AccessClemson University Cooperative Exten-

sion Service. The Extension Service in coopera-tion with other partners has sponsored fee-hunt-ing symposiums on a periodic basis. Proceedingsfrom past symposiums are printed and availablewhile supplies last. For information on past pro-ceedings or future programs, write to GregYarrow, Extension Wildlife Specialist, ClemsonUniversity, Box 320362, Lehotsky Hall, Clemson,SC 29634-0362 or call (803) 656-7270.

General InformationCornell University Farming Alternative

Program. This program, an excellent source ofinformation for producers of nontraditional prod-ucts and services, offers numerous publicationson such farming alternatives as aquaculture, hor-ticultural crops, exotic livestock, mushrooms,poultry, and cut flowers. The program also offersa newsletter for a nominal fee. For a list ofresources, write to the Farming AlternativeProgram, Department of Rural Sociology, WarrenHall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 or call(607) 255-9832.

Maryland Small Business DevelopmentCenter. This center provides services to newand existing businesses. Regional offices offertraining and continuing education at minimalcost, free counseling, information services, andspecial programs. Each regional office, the coun-ties it serves, and the phone numbers are as fol-lows:

• Western Region (Garrett, Allegany, andWashington Counties), 1-800-457-7232.

• Central Region (Baltimore City, and AnneArundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford,and Howard Counties), 1-800-834-7232.

• Southern Region (Calvert, Charles, and St.Mary’s Counties), 1-800-762-7232.

• Eastern Region (Eastern Shore counties),1-800-999-7232.

Workshops and SeminarsAquaculture and Fee Fishing

Aquaculture in the Mid-Atlantic. This annu-al conference offers information on aquacultureproduction, financing, marketing, and processingand is a cooperative effort between the Mary-land, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsyl-vania, and West Virginia Cooperative ExtensionServices. The conference location varies eachyear. For more information, write to DonaldWebster, University of Maryland CooperativeExtension Service, Wye Research and EducationCenter, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658 orcall (410) 827-8056.

Forest ProductsCentral Maryland Forest Stewardship

Seminar. This seminar for forest landowners isheld annually each fall in either Harford orBaltimore County. Information is available from

Recreational AccessDelaware Cooperative Extension Service.

The following publication is available from theDelaware Cooperative Extension Service,University of Delaware, Townsend Hall, Newark,DE 19717-1303.

• “Managing Your Farm for Lease Hunting: AGuide to Developing a Hunting Lease,”Bulletin 147

Ohio Cooperative Extension Service. Thefollowing publication is available from thePublications Office, Ohio Cooperative ExtensionService, 258 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road,Columbus, OH 43210-1044:

• “Developing a Hunting Lease Enterprise inOhio,” Bulletin 798, $2.85

Proceedings From the Conference onIncome Opportunities for the Private Land-owner Through Management of NaturalResources and Recreational Access. Much ofthe information presented in these proceedingsis about recreational access. See the listing forthese proceedings in the General Informationsection for more information.

Rural Information Center. To receivecopies of the following publication, contact theRural Information Center at the NationalAgricultural Library, Room 304, Beltsville, MD20705-2351 or call 1-800-633-7701:

• “Fee Hunting on Private Land: An Anno-tated Reference Listing for Extension, Re-searchers, and Practitioners,” RICPS No. 15

University of Maryland Cooperative Ex-tension Service. The following publications areavailable from county Extension offices andregional research and education centers. (CountyExtension office phone numbers are listed in theblue pages of the phone book.)

• “Woodland Management Series—LandownerLiability and Recreational Access,” FS 617

Wildlife Harvest Publications. Many of thepublications available from this company pertainto recreational access. See the Gamebird Propa-gation section under Published Information onpage 8 of this fact sheet for more information.

General InformationNorth Dakota Cooperative Extension Ser-

vice. The following publication is available fromthe North Dakota Cooperative Extension Service,North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105:

• “Homebased Business—Is It For Me?” $2

Ohio State University. The following publi-cation summarizes 100 ideas from a variety ofsources on the topic of nontraditional enterpris-es. To order a copy, send your check payable toOhio State University to the Department ofAgricultural Economics and Rural Sociology,Ohio State University, 2120 Fyffe Road,Columbus, OH

• “Innovative Rural Enterprises,” $3Proceedings From the Conference on

Income Opportunities for the Private Land-owner Through Management of NaturalResources and Recreational Access. Theseproceedings from an April 1989 conferenceinclude more than 40 articles by entrepreneursand others on natural resources-based enterpris-es. Topics include marketing, economics, busi-ness management, liability, and lease criteriaassociated with hunting, fishing, outdoor recre-ation, and forestry. The cost is $15. Make checkspayable to WVU Foundation, Inc., and sendthem with your request to William Grafton,WVU, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV26506-6125.

Note: Presentations from these proceedingshave been edited into 24 separate publicationsthat address natural resource management andspecific income opportunities. A limited numberof single copies are available at no cost. The fol-lowing is a partial listing of the available publica-tions:

• “Aquaculture and Fishing,” 751• “Bed and Breakfast,” 767• “Campgrounds,” 768• “Demand for Outdoor Recreation,” 757• “Hunting Preserves,” 753• “Insurance Aspects of Recreational Access,”

745• “Marketing Practices,” 756• “Pricing and Profit,” 766• “Recreational Clubs,” 755• “Risk Recreation,” 765• “Statutory Trespass/Liability Law in the

Eastern United States,” 746• “Supply for Recreation,” 758• “Waterfowl Opportunities,” 752Rooy Media. A video, produced by Rodale

Institute of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, shows infor-mal conversations and forums with farmers, pro-ducers, and marketing experts who share theirexperiences. To order a copy, write to Rooy

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Media, 7407 Hilltop Drive, Frederick, MD 21702or call (310) 473-8797.

• “High-Value Marketing: Strategies forSustainable Agriculture” (time: 29:37), $29.95

Rural Information Center. This center, ajoint project of the Extension Service-USDA andthe National Agricultural Library, combines tech-nical, subject-matter expertise with informationspecialists. The center provides information andreferral services, as well as information searchesand publications on enterprise topics, to helpmaintain the vitality of America’s rural areas. Formore information, contact the Rural InformationCenter at the National Agricultural Library, Room304, Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 or call 1-800-633-7701.

Southern Rural Development Center. Toobtain a copy of “Inventory of NontraditionalAgricultural Commodity Activities in the South-ern Region,” send $5 to the Southern RuralDevelopment Center, Box 5446, Mississippi State,MS 39762, or call (601) 325-3207.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. “Farming Alternatives: A Guide toEvaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-BasedEnterprises,” NRAES-32, is an excellent work-book to help you through this process of select-ing an alternative income enterprise and is avail-able for $6 from the University of MarylandCooperative Extension Service. Contact yourcounty Extension office to obtain a copy.(County Extension office phone numbers are list-ed in the blue pages of the phone book.)

The following publications are also availablefrom county Extension offices and regionalresearch and education centers. (County Exten-sion office phone numbers are listed in the bluepages of the phone book.)

• “Competent Financial Planning: RecordOrganization,” EB 301, $2

• “Starting a Homebased Business,” FS 372Extension also offers a video that provides

sound marketing and business principles onwhich to base a plan for starting an income en-terprise. Interviews with entrepreneurs providefirst-hand experience that could help increase

your chances of success. Enterprises studiedinclude fee fishing, sporting clays, shiitake mush-rooms, firewood, wood crafts, bed-and-breakfast,and custom sawmilling. The video is available bywriting to the Distance Education and OutreachCommunications Unit, Communications andInformation Technology Office, 0119 SymonsHall, College Park, MD 20742 or by calling (301)405-4581. Make checks payable to the Universityof Maryland.

• “Natural Resource Income Opportunities”(time: 23 minutes), $18

University Press of New England. Thisbook, written by M. Beattie, C. Thompson, andL. Levine, published in 1983 and revised in 1993,is available from the University Press of NewEngland in Hanover, New Hampshire.

• Working With Your Woodland: A Land-owner’s Guide, $18

USDA Office of Small-Scale Agriculture. Aquarterly newsletter, “Small-Scale AgricultureToday,” published by the USDA Office for Small-Scale Agriculture, is an excellent source of infor-mation on a variety of income enterprises andupcoming events. Fact sheets on specific enter-prises are available. Topics include exotic live-stock, specialty vegetables, woodlots, specialtyflowers, herbs, mushrooms, desert vines, foliageplants, strawberries, brambles, aquaculture, wild-flowers, and sheep. To be placed on the mailinglist or to receive copies of fact sheets, contactUSDA/CSREES, Office of Small-Scale Agriculture,AG Box 2244, Washington, DC 20250-2244.Copies of the fact sheets also are available fromthe University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service, Western Maryland Research andEducation Center, 18330 Keedysville Road,Keedysville, MD 21756.

U.S. Government Printing Office. “TheDirectory for Small-Scale Agriculture” is availablefrom the U.S. Government Printing Office. Senda request for stock number 001-000-04539-3 anda check for $5.50 to the Superintendent ofDocuments, U.S. Government Printing Office,North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20402.

Suite 1020, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 347-2900.

American Tree Farmers. This organization isoriented toward landowners who actively man-age their properties for forest products andwildlife. The State program is administered bycounty foresters from the Maryland Departmentof Natural Resources, as well as private forestryconsultants and industrial foresters. Informationis available from the American Tree FarmSystem, American Forest Council, 1250 Connecti-cut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 or bycalling the Maryland Forest Service at (410) 974-3776.

Appalachian Export Center for Hard-woods. This center provides information, assis-tance, and educational workshops on exportinghardwoods. A free newsletter is available.Contact the center by writing to AppalachianExport Center for Hardwoods, P.O. Box 6061,Morgantown, WV 26506-6061 or by calling (304)293-7577.

Appalachian Hardwood Center. This centerprovides information, assistance, and educationalworkshops dealing with a range of forest prod-ucts, such as custom sawmilling, kiln-drying, andwood utilization. Contact the center by writing tothe College of Agriculture and Forestry, Divisionof Forestry, Appalachian Hardwood Center, 205-FPercival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506-6125 or bycalling (304) 293-7550.

Center for Forest Products Marketing. Thiscenter is a cooperative venture of industry, gov-ernment, and academia. It provides market-ori-ented training and information for the forestproducts industry through short courses, publica-tions, and newsletters. Contact the center bywriting to the Center for Forest Products Market-ing, 1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0503 or by calling (703) 231-5876.

Forest Farmers Association. This grassrootsorganization of large and small timberland own-ers represents southern timberland owners atlocal, regional, and national levels. Membership($40 per year) includes a subscription to ForestFarmer magazine, which is published six times ayear. For more information, contact the ForestFarmer at P.O. Box 95385, Atlanta, GA 30347,(404) 325-2954.

Maryland Chapter of the Walnut Council.This state-level association is part of the nationalWalnut Council and offers educational meetingsand field tours for anyone interested in the pro-

duction and marketing of walnut trees for woodand nuts. For more information, write to PhillipPannill at 17343 Bakersville Road, Boonsboro,MD 21713, or call (301) 739-7743.

Maryland Department of Natural Re-sources. The Maryland Department of NaturalResources–Forest Service has county forestersand stewardship biologists who will visit yourproperty and provide management assistance inthe form of a forest stewardship plan and namesof professionals to help implement the plan. Thedepartment also provides information on cost-share programs to help implement the plan. Thedepartment also sells seedlings. For more infor-mation, write to the Maryland Department ofNatural Resources, Forest Service, Tawes StateOffice Building, E-1, Annapolis, MD 21401 or call(410) 974-3776.

Maryland Forests Association. This associa-tion’s annual meeting is held in late fall.Individual membership ($20 per year) includes asubscription to the “Crosscut” newsletter.Membership is recommended for anyone withan interest in forestry in Maryland. Contact theassociation by writing to Maryland Forests Asso-ciation, P.O. Box 599, Grantsville, MD 21536 orcall (301) 895-5369.

National Woodland Owners Association.Membership ($15 per year) in this associationincludes a subscription to the monthly “Wood-land Report” and National Woodlands magazine.For membership information, write to theNational Woodland Owners Association at 374Maple Avenue, E. Suite 210, Vienna, VA 22180 orcall (800) 476-8733.

North American Maple Syrup Council. Forinformation about this national association forproducers, write to the North American MapleSyrup Council at 387 Country Road, Woodstock,CN 06281 or call (203) 974-1235.

Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Association.This association’s Somerset branch is the closeststate association available to Western Marylandproducers. For information, write to Jane Wableat Wables Camp, P.O. Box 171, Fort Hille, PA15540.

Gamebird PropagationNorth American Gamebird Association,

Inc. This trade association produces many publi-cations and videos, sponsors short courses andan annual convention, and sells liability insur-ance for hunting preserves. For information,

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• Recreational access. A recreational accessfee is an amount of money charged by thelandowner for consumptive and noncon-sumptive uses of the land. Consumptiveuses include hunting and fishing. Noncon-sumptive uses include bird watching, cross-country skiing, hayrides, hiking, sportingclays, and water study.

The sources are divided into three categories:organizations; workshops and seminars; andpublished information.

Although this fact sheet centers on informa-tion available for selected alternative incomeopportunities, there are many other possibilities.Information on additional opportunities is avail-able from your local Extension office, and a listof other possible alternative enterprises is includ-ed at the end of this fact sheet.

OrganizationsAquaculture and Fee Fishing

Maryland Aquaculture Association. Thisassociation, formed in 1989, is a good source ofaquaculture information. The association spon-sors field days and other opportunities for newgrowers to learn about aquaculture. For informa-tion, contact the Maryland Aquaculture Associa-tion at P.O. Box 246, Thurmont, MD 21788.

Maryland Office of Aquaculture. This officeprovides information on regulations, permits,and special programs. For information, contactthe office at 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway,Annapolis, MD 21401, (301) 841-5724.

Natural Resources Conservation Service.This service provides assistance with pond prob-lems and offers free soil surveys. See the bluepages of the phone book for the phone numberof your county office.

University of Maryland Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Aquaculture specialists with theSea Grant Extension Programs provide educa-tional programs, research, publications, anddemonstration areas at several sites across theState. For more information, contact theUniversity of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionService, Wye Research and Education Center,P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658, (410)827-8056; or contact the Sea Grant ExtensionPrograms, 2218 Symons Hall, College Park, MD20742, (301) 405-1280; or contact University ofMaryland Cooperative Extension Service, West-ern Maryland Research and Education Center,

18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD 21756,(301) 432-2767.

Bed-and-BreakfastMaryland Bed-and-Breakfast Association.

This trade association provides information andassistance for bed-and-breakfast businesses inMaryland. For information, contact the associa-tion at P.O. Box 23324, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Christmas Tree ProductionMaryland Christmas Tree Association. This

association holds winter and summer workshopsevery year. For more information about theannual meetings, write to the Maryland ChristmasTree Association, 826 Spring Dale Road, NewWindsor, MD 21776 or call (301) 875-0272.

National Christmas Tree Association. Forinformation about this national association, con-tact the National Christmas Tree Association, 611East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 or call(414) 276-6410.

Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Associa-tion. This association holds several workshopseach year. For more information, contact theVirginia Christmas Tree Growers Association,HCR60, Box 41-T, Deerfield, VA 22432.

Forest ProductsAmerican Forestry Association. Member-

ship ($30 per year) in this association includes asubscription to American Forests magazine andThe “Urban Forest Forum” newsletter. For moreinformation, write to the American ForestryAssociation, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC20013.

American Paulownia Association, Inc. Thisassociation’s purpose is to advance the produc-tion and marketing of paulownia for profit in theUnited States. Membership ($20) includes a sub-scription to the association’s newsletter. Formore information, write to the American Paulow-nia Association, Inc., Route 3, Box 1600, Sweet-water, TN 37874.

American Pulpwood Association. Themembers of this national trade association areprimarily loggers and industrial foresters. Theassociation promotes the safe and efficient har-vest and transportation of forest products fromthe woods to the mill. A newsletter and otherinformation is available by subscription. Forinformation, contact the American PulpwoodAssociation, Inc. at 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW,

Aquaculture• bait• catfish• crayfish• eel• striped bass• tilapia• trout

Field Crops• amaranth• black turtle beans• buckwheat• cranberry beans• grapes• hops• malting barley• popcorn• sorghum• sunflowers• wild rice

Fruit and Nuts• blackberry• blueberry• currant• dewberry• elderberry• grapes• kiwifruit• papaw• raspberry• strawberry• tayberry• walnuts

Herbs and Spices• garlic• ginseng

Livestock• bees• duck• emu• free-range or organic poultry• goat• goose• ostrich• rabbit• rhea• sheep• turkey

Mushrooms• morel• oyster• shiitake

Prepared Goods• baked goods• butter• cheese• cider and other fruit juices• filleted fish• fruit leathers• ground grains• maple syrup• pickles• preserves, jellies, and jams• smoked and marinated fish• wine• yogurt

Vegetables• asparagus• baby vegetables• hydroponic vegetables• organic vegetables• salad blends• sprouts• sweet potatoes

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Possible Alternative Income Opportunities

Food Products

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Flowers• bedding• cut• dried• edible• potted• wild (cultivated)

Forest Products• cedar shavings• Christmas tree production• custom sawmilling• evergreen cones and needles• firewood• holly boughs• kiln drying• kindling• willow branches• wood pellets

Game• buffalo• duck• grouse• guinea fowl• pheasant• quail• rabbit• squab

Homebased Business• bed-and-breakfast• butchering service• craft store• antique shop

Homemade Products• barrels• baskets• beeswax products• charcoal• compost (packaged or bulk)• furniture

• hides and hide products• spun products• woven products• wreaths, roping, and garlands

Livestock• alpaca• donkey• llama• sheep• specialty horses

Ornamental Fish• aquarium• pond

Plants• fruit trees• landscape trees and shrubs• ornamental grasses• specimen plants

Outdoor Recreation• campground• fee fishing• game preserve• guided farm tours• guided hunts• hay rides• paint-ball range• sporting clay target range

Specialty Lumber• walnut• paulownia

Reviewed bySteven BogashExtension enterprise consultantWestern Maryland Research and Education CenterRobert L. TjadenExtension natural resources specialistWye Research and Education Center

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Jonathan S. Kaysregional Extension natural resources specialist

Western Maryland Research and Education Center

Alternative IncomeOpportunities—Utilizing

Natural ResourcesIf you are a Maryland landowner who wants

to generate income from your woodland orfarmland while maintaining the long-term con-servation of the property, you may be interestedin starting an alternative income enterprise thatutilizes your natural resources. These enterprisescan involve forest products, aquaculture, mush-rooms, and charging fees for recreational orother use of your land. Alternative income enter-prises differ from traditional farm and forestenterprises in that they usually center on value-added or specialty products or services. Manyalternative enterprises begin as hobbies andevolve into businesses after the owner gainsknowledge about marketing, production, andprofitability. Nearby metropolitan areas offer vastmarkets for these enterprises.

There are many reasons why landowners pur-sue alternative income enterprises. Whateveryour motivation, the first step in selecting a prof-itable and enjoyable enterprise is to access thefollowing information:

• personal, family, and business goals;• an inventory of your resources;• information about local and regional mar-

kets; and• an analysis of the production feasibility,

profitability, and potential cash-flow of theenterprise.

A workbook entitled “Farming Alternatives: AGuide to Evaluating the Feasibility of NewFarm-Based Enterprises” (NRAES 32) is availablefrom your local Cooperative Extension Serviceoffice for $6 to guide you through this first step.A video on natural resources income opportuni-ties, also available for loan or sale ($18) fromyour local Extension office, features interviewswith entrepreneurs involved in various enter-prises and highlights the challenges andrewards. Your local Extension Service office canprovide additional information on new publica-tions and opportunities.

In addition to general information sources,this fact sheet provides a list of resources on thefollowing alternative enterprises:

• Aquaculture and fee fishing. Raising fishfor market and operating a fee fishing pondare income-producing opportunities.

• Bed-and-breakfast. Providing overnightaccommodations in an informal, homeyatmosphere can be an enjoyable income-producing enterprise.

• Christmas tree production. Trees grownfor wholesale, choose-and-cut, and wreathproduction provide seasonal income.

• Forest products. In addition to Christmastree production, forest products that gener-ate income include fuelwood (which is usu-ally compatible with forest and wildlifemanagement operations), timber, customsawmilling, and wood kiln processing.

• Gamebird propagation. Gamebirds canbe raised for hunting or food markets.

• Mushroom production. Shiitake andother mushroom species can be sold tolocal grocery stores, restaurants, and farm-ers markets.

Alternative Income Enterprises—Resource List

This fact sheet is part of a series on woodland management. If youwould like information on additional topics in the series, contact yourcounty Extension office.

Nonfood Goods and Services