Alternative Economic Opportunities
Non-Timber Forest Products - MB Wild
Have you a Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) organization or business?
MBWild is preparing a brochure of all such Manitoba resources. If you
have a listing to submit you may do so several different ways below.
- Fill out the (.pdf) listing form here and email, fax or mail it to the NTFP.
- or download MS Word (.doc) here.
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Non Timber Forest Products Spring Workshops |
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A material list including tools and safety gear required will be given to all participants for the willow chair making and chain saw carving courses. Diane Dube, NTFP Coordinator Email: ntfp@manitobamodelforest.net |
Are you interested in learning about the various materials that can be sustainably harvested from the forest and products that can be manufactured for personal use or for profit? Join us for our non-timber forest product training workshops. Learn to harvest and manufacture NTFPs in a hands-on way. Space is limited in each workshop, so register early. To register, please call 367-4541 or 340-6707 or e-mail 
The primary economic base for many forest-based, rural communities is forestry and mining. In recent years, such communities have experienced significant loss of employment due to the downturn in both sectors.. One of the main objectives of the
Forest Communities Program is to develop new forest-based economic opportunities. The development of both value-added timber and non-timber forest product (NTFP) businesses have been identified by the Manitoba Model Forest (MBMF) as areas of alternative economic opportunities to pursue for the region.
In pursuing alternative economic opportunities, the MBMF is assisting local people in the development of non-timber forest products businesses.
Workshops highlighting the key areas of NTFPs have been conducted in local communities. These workshops were presented with the assistance of the
Canadian Non-Timber Forest Products Network and the
Centre for Non-Timber Resources, based out of Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia.
In order to train local entrepreneurs in NTFPs, the MBMF and Royal Roads University have developed the
Non-timber Forest Products Certificate course offered through the
Winnipeg River Learning Centre. The certificate course will utilize a new Canada-wide NTFP training curriculum, the development of which, the MBMF helped to fund. The intensive 2 week training course includes an introduction to NTFPs, safety, regulations and ethics in the bush,
harvesting equipment, sustainable harvesting practices, determining opportunities in region, business development, and marketing both locally and internationally. It is anticipated that this will become an on-going training course.
The MBMF will continue work in developing NTFP feasibility studies, conducting research on the distribution of certain NTFPs of interest, understanding the sustainable harvest levels of certain NTFPs, integrating NTFP harvesting with other forest-dependent industries and exploring NTFP marketing partnerships. We will also explore opportunities with local communities in areas of tourism and eco-tourism, and guiding and outfitting.