Join us for two events—a Friday night talk and a full-day Saturday intensive (each sold separately) as we answer these questions: What is coppicing? How does it work? What kinds of coppice systems might we use? How can we establish them? How does coppicing effect ecosystem functions?

Coppicing—the intentional harvest and management of woody resprouts to produce small diameter wood—has at least an 8,000-year history in Europe. The breadth of possible products from woody resprouts ranges widely—fencing, garden poles, charcoal and gates to name a few. Coppicing is also a valuable tool for responding to climate change and could be used on every small farm. 

Friday night’s lecture we’ll engage all of these questions and explore the history, culture, biology, and management systems of woody resprouts.

On Saturday, we’ll get hands-on. We’ll explore “leaf hay” animal fodder, mulch production in coppice blocks for integration into orchards, and firewood and mushroom log production. We’ll also discuss both establishing new plantings and converting existing woodlands to coppice agroforestry.

Dave Jacke is the primary author of the award winning two-volume book Edible Forest Gardens, and is now working with Mark Krawzcyk on the forthcoming book Coppice Agoforestry. Dave has studied ecology and design since the 1970s, and has run Dynamics Ecological Design since 1984, designing, building, and planting landscapes, homes, farms, and communities in the many parts of the U.S., as well as overseas. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Land Use Planning from Simon's Rock College (1980) and a M.A. in Landscape Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design (1984). He now homesteads and coppices an eagle’s flight from the Connecticut River in Montague, MA.