Sowing the seeds of commerce: guide offers advice on forest products.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: SAULT STE. MARIE

On her Grade 8 report card, after an unfulfilling experience in biology class, Gina Mohammed received a barely passing grade and this comment from her teacher: "Obviously she'll never be a biologist." Boy was he wrong.

After rediscovering a passion for biology in high school, Mohammed went on to earn her master's degree, followed by a PhD, in the science. Fast-forward to today, and Mohammed has become one of the Sault's preeminent experts on non-timber forest products (NTFPs), a subject with which she became well acquainted during a 10-year stint as a researcher with the Ontario Forest Research Institute.

While others categorized common plants like raspberry and firewood as nuisance weeds, Mohammed became intrigued with their supplementary applications, and her enthusiasm for NTFPs grew

"I found myself more curious about the weeds and the other uses of the trees than just for the timber and the pulp applications," she said. "It was a personal interest, just a curiosity about what else was growing out there and what else it was used for, especially for medicinal purposes and research around the development of new pharmaceuticals." 1 She has since compiled a personal database of 1,700 NTFPs, which she tracks for their uses in medicine, food, manufacturing, landscaping, and more.

NTFPs are the subjects of Mohammed s Author, The new 867-page guide, Business The Canadian NTFP Business Companion, published on CD this year. In it, Moham med, who now operates the consulting and research firm P&M Technologies with her husband Daii, lays out detailed chapters on NTFPs and their proper ties for those considering entering the industry.

"The idea was to not come at it from an academic or science perspective, but more as a businessperson," Mohammed explained. "It's not a science document, but it has technical depth because I want people to understand their sustainable aspects and uses."

The guide also includes information on the estimated costs involved, the equipment needed, resources entrepreneurs can draw from, precautions to consider, and hints from successful business owners.

Production of NTFPs is still a relatively new industry in Canada and in Northern Ontario, but Mohammed believes it has vast growth potential. Well-known NTFPs include maple syrup, Christmas trees, mushrooms and blueberries, but she challenges people to expand their view of the category.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Employing NTFPs doesn't always mean "stripping stuff from the...