Reforestation in Oregon: The Seed Orchard

Forest landowners in Oregon plant approximately 40 million trees every year. But the process of reforestation starts long before seedlings are put in the ground.

Join Casara Nichols of the J.E. Schroeder Seed Orchard near St. Paul, Ore. The seed orchard is managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry to provide genetically superior tree seed to Oregon's forest landowners. Decades of genetic research allow the Schroeder Seed Orchard to produce a stable source of seed for trees that are disease and pest tolerant, and able to produce greater wood volumes than those grown from wild seed.

The orchard is a cooperative with members that share the cost to operate it. Today, a good share of Schroeder’s clients and stakeholders include state forest districts, timber companies, and family forest Landowners. While the Oregon Department of Forestry owns and manages the Schroeder facility, the operating costs, risks, and rewards are shared by all of the cooperators.

The Schroeder Seed Orchard houses the Oregon Seed Bank, which supports family forest landowners across Oregon by providing superior tree seed for their reforestation needs. To acquire seed for tree planting, please contact the Oregon Seed Bank at (503) 930-3685 or visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/working/pa...

Learn more about reforestation at:
https://oregonforests.org/oregons-for...