Minnesota Wood Campaign

Home of the True North Woods^® Certification Brand

Marketing Office: 26 E. Exchange Street, Suite 405 / St. Paul, MN 55101 / USA

Tel 888-223-5629 / Fax 651-222-5263 / Info@TrueNorthWoods.com / www.TrueNorthWoods.com

North Woods Workshop Series Presents

Two Free Workshops:

Websites Made Easy and Benefits of FSC Certification

The Website and FSC workshops are free  to the public and are designed specifically for woodland owners, loggers, primary and secondary producers, craftspeople, artists, and all others interested in learning more.

Websites Made Easy: how to use a blog to get up on the web

This workshop is designed for those who will never get a traditional website up and running (and those that have a website and never update it). No domain registrations, no annual fees, no programming. Just copy your text from Word and you’re on the web!

Having a presence on the Internet is becoming increasingly important for small businesses, part-time entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and artists. The Internet can be a no-cost advertising and sales vehicle once one knows how to use a blog as a website.

“If you can click a mouse, you can create a blog and get on the web” according to the presenter Sabrina Wille Erickson. Ms. Erickson maintains a website for her family’s wood business, owns a farm with her husband, and works in marketing and sales at a ski resort.

Wednesday, May 21, 7:00 p.m., Bemidji, 4111 Technology Dr NW (Beltrami Electric Coop)

Thursday, May 22, 7:00 p.m., Grand Rapids, 140 NE 2^nd Street (Library)

Benefits of FSC Certification: what, why, where, how, how much

This workshop is designed to provide information on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification programs and how woodland owners, loggers and primary and secondary producers of forest-based product in northern and central Minnesota can become involved in a group forestland management or chain-of-custody program.

The issue of FSC certification is of major concern to may of the region’s woodland owners and producers. “Builders, architects, lumberyards, and  homeowners are increasingly demanding green, specifically FSC, certification”, according the Kathryn Fernholz of Dovetail Partners, ”on the building products they purchase.” The new Minnesota GreenStar program and the growing use of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system have created a new market demand for local FSC certificated forest-based products that is not being filled by local suppliers.

Later this summer the Minnesota Wood Campaign and Minnesota Wood Education Project will be offering woodland owners, loggers and primary and secondary forest product producers the opportunity to join a group certification program. The group certification program will be supplemented by a local-sustainable promotion campaign that will connect local FSC product suppliers with builders and architects in the upper mid-west region.

The workshop presenter, Kathryn Fernholz, is executive director of Dovetail Partners, a trained forester, and an expert on the FSC program. She will discuss what FSC certification is, why it is just now beginning to be demanded in the marketplace, where it is being used, and how northern and central Minnesota woodland owners and producers can become part of the program.

Tuesday, June 3, 8:30 a.m., Cook, 320 Hwy 53 (US Forest Service)

Tuesday, June 3, 2:30 p.m., Grand Rapids, 140 NE 2^nd Street (Library)

Tuesday, June 3, 7:00 p.m., Grand Rapids, 140 NE 2^nd Street (Library)

Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 a.m., Bemidji, 3801 Bemidji Ave North (BS Center for Research)

Wednesday, June 4, 2:30 p.m., Brainerd, 501 W College Dr (Central Lakes College #E203)

Registration 

While pre-registration is not required, those pre-registering will receive a free CD of the complete 2007-2008 North Woods Workshop Series presentations. One may pre-register by email at Info@TrueNorthWoods.com or call 1-888-223-5629.

Sponsors

The North Woods Workshop Series is sponsored by the Minnesota Wood Campaign, home of the True North Woods certification brand, and the Minnesota Wood Education Project.