Income Opportunities in Special Forest Products: Self-Help Suggestions for Rural Entrepreneurs

Abstract

For many rural areas, the path to sustainable economic development will include innovative approaches to natural resource conservation, management, and utilization. This publication describes special forest products that represent opportunities for rural entrepreneurs to supplement their incomes. The types of products discussed in this publication include aromatics, berries and wild fruits, cones and seeds, forest botanicals, honey, mushrooms, nuts, syrup, and weaving and dyeing materials. Each chapter describes market and competition considerations, distribution and packaging, equipment needs, and resource conservation considerations, and presents a profile of a rural business marketing the products. In general, products suitable for very small or part-time operations are described. A suggested role for each type of microenterprise within a broader rural economic development framework is also mentioned. Each chapter concludes with a list of contributors and additional resources.