From Field and Forest Conference to Turn Focus Away from Timber
MONCTON–Using forests as a resource is often associated only with the timber industry. But an upcoming conference co-hosted by BioNB is aiming to change that by giving natural resource managers and rural entrepreneurs the opportunities to build businesses from non-timber forest products.
The From Field & Forest Conference is a two-day event happening from Oct. 20 to 21 and will focus on discovering the hidden value within forests and emphasize that non-timber forest products represent a lucrative industry for New Brunswick entrepreneurs to take advantage of.
“We have some serious heavy hitters joining us at the conference,” research scientist at the UNB Wood Science and Technology Centre Ron Smith said in a release. “We’re excited to hear the lessons the speakers may have to help develop the industry here at home. They have done it before and done it well, now it’s our turn to use our strengths to our advantage.”
Non-timber forest products are described as the goods and services provided by forests other than conventional wood products like timber and pulp. These can include fruits, berries, nuts, oils, herbs and manufactured products like medicines, herbal remedies and cosmetics.
The conference will feature speakers from across Canada and the U.S. including natural product entrepreneurs, research scientists, experts in marketing and sales and government representatives.
“New Brunswick’s economy is closely tied to our natural resources, with 80 per cent of our land mass covered in a rich forest tapestry,” said Meaghan Seagrave, executive director of BioNB. “We have the industry and technology assets to transform this resource into high-value products bound for international markets … This conference is a fresh step toward fostering the growth of the region’s non-timber forest products sector.