CAFRE to host ‘Introduction to Farm Woodland – Timber End Uses’ half day courses

October 5, 2023

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is offering a range of half day courses for farmers interested in managing woodland.  The courses will include woodland establishment, creating a woodland management plan, formative pruning and maintenance, thinning and harvesting strategies.

The course will place a major emphasis on growing trees for timber as an additional farm enterprise as well as the associated biodiversity, carbon and landscape benefits.

CAFRE’s Biodiversity Technologist, Henry Shaw explained that the first of the Timber End Uses course series will be held at Clarke Cunninghams Killyleagh timber yard and woodland and will look at timber end use, market opportunities and added value.  It will give an overview of individual timber characteristics, the milling process and will explain what characteristics timber buyers look for.

 If you have on farm timber or are planning a woodland enterprise this introductory session will set the scene and allow you to talk about the issues involved in producing timber fit for sale in an informal, on farm environment, with Clarke Cunningham, one of Northern Ireland’s best-known producers of finished timber.

Henry commented that the course is open to all farmers or land managers with an interest in developing a woodland enterprise. For more information including the dates of each course and to book your place for the limited places, please visit www.cafre.ac.uk/woodlandtraining