Hidden Valley Nature Center welcomed 40 young and beginning farmers for a tour of its working forest on July 11. In conjunction with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s (MOFGA) beginning farmer program, HVNC staff members led two groups of MOFGA apprentices on an interpretive walk through old and new forests.

HVNC has a committed legacy of innovative, creative, and sustainable forest management. All 1,000 acres of HVNC’s contiguous forest landscape are managed in one way or another. Almost the entire property is managed for non-motorized recreation. Trails lace their way up and down hills, across streams and ponds and climb rocky ridges.

Visiting farmers were encouraged to consider all the diverse values of a forest, and how to manage their woods in a way that integrates those values. At HVNC, the extensive trail network is partly a by-product of timber harvests.

Forest health is always the primary concern of a management decision at HVNC, but recreational trails are a natural result. So while we carefully select poor growing, diseased, and otherwise low-value trees to be removed, we are simultaneously creating ways for visitors to get out and enjoy the Maine woods, to explore diverse habitat, and to enjoy healthy, outdoor lifestyles.

MOFGA’s Education Director, Andrew Marshall, noted that “it is so important to convey this message to beginning farmers because they are the ones who will own hundreds of acres in woodlot. They have a lifetime of management ahead of them so we want them to start out with the right objectives in mind.”

HVNC offers a suite of diverse forestry-related events and workshops to the public throughout the year. The next event, “Explore the Depth and Breadth of Sustainable Forestry”, is on September 17. Visit our online calendar for more information.

Hidden Valley Nature Center, located in Jefferson, is a community based nonprofit with nearly 1000 acres of diverse habitat dedicated to providing nature based educational and non-motorized recreational opportunities to the community throughout the year.

For more information on HVNC, including upcoming forestry-related events visit hvnc.org, call 207-200-8840, or email codey@hvnc.org.