23 Dec 2016 Winthrop Rockefeller Institute plans workshop March 9

A one-day workshop for timber producers and other landowners will be held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute atop Petit Jean Mountain on Thursday, March 9. The workshop will cover a variety of topics, all related to helping landowners diversify their land’s income potential.

The workshop represents a partnership between the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, the Natural Resource Enterprise program at Mississippi State University and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service. Supporting the workshop are the Arkansas Forestry Association, the Arkansas Forestry Commission and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

“This will be the third time we’ve partnered with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service and Mississippi State’s NRE program to hold one of these workshops,” said Janet Harris, director of programs for the Rockefeller Institute. “Our past participants came away from the workshops equipped with fresh ideas about how their land can do more for them. We are excited to partner with these great organizations again.”

Among the scheduled speakers are area landowner Henry Jones; Adam Tullos and Daryl Jones of the Mississippi State University NRE program;  Clint Johnson of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission; Becky McPeake and Kyle Cunningham of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service; Matthew Vandiver of JWB Company Inc.; and Nick Livers of Hyden, Miron & Foster, PLLC.

Topics to be covered at the workshop include outdoor business revenue potential and considerations; premises liability and legal considerations; forest management; estate planning; wildlife habitat management; and opportunities to see management prescriptions on a field tour.

“The field tour is always a highlight of these workshops,” Tullos said. “Nothing beats being able to get outdoors and seeing the concepts being discussed applied to real situations.”

This workshop’s focus on timber-producing land is a new angle for workshops held at the Institute.

“Our state is rich with timber land, and many farms that have grazing land or row-crop operations also produce timber,” McPeake said. “This workshop will be a great opportunity for many farmers to learn about things like wildlife management, restoration of native plant communities, estate planning and even the Farm Bill.”

To find more information or to register, go to RockefellerInstitute.org/forestry or contact Program Officer Samantha Evans at 501.727.6257 or [email protected].