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On June 16, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 d'aide \u00e0 la collectivit\u00e9 (SADC) Matawinie and the Association foresti\u00e8re de Lanaudi\u00e8re (AFL) were very proud to celebrate the launch of Lanaudi\u00e8re's newest cohort of professional non-timber forest product (NTFP) harvesters. 27 people took part in this first edition of the training course<\/strong> and many of them will receive a certificate that will serve as a seal of quality for any company that does business with one of them. This project is intended as a tool for developing pickers' skills, so that they can properly identify and pick the riches of our forests.<\/p>\n This 294-hour training course comprises four (4) modules spread over a year to take advantage of the potential offered by the different seasons. Several topics are covered to provide a varied knowledge base and explore a maximum number of products with commercial potential. Course topics include: mycology, Lanaudi\u00e8re forest ecosystems, northern nuts, medicinal plants, forest orientation, inventory techniques, NTFP potential before and after logging, forest vegetables, starting a business, plants, shrubs and berries, and many others.<\/p>\n We would like to congratulate the participants of this first edition, as well as all the trainers who shared their considerable expertise in the field, with a view to developing this booming sector.<\/strong> Such a training program would not have been possible without the collaboration of partners who believed in the potential of these emerging products and helped us lay the foundations of this new economy for our region: agroforestry. Our special thanks go to the Service aux entreprises et \u00e0 la communaut\u00e9 of the Centre multiservice des Samares, who made this project possible, as well as all our financial partners: the CLD Matawinie and CLD de d'Autray, the SADC de d'Autray-Joliette, the Lanaudi\u00e8re deputies and the municipality of Saint-F\u00e9lix-de-Valois.<\/p>\n The next edition will start on August 10, 2013, and an information session will be offered on July 2, at 7pm, at the Association foresti\u00e8re de Lanaudi\u00e8re (at 1700, Grande-C\u00f4te, Sainte-Genevi\u00e8ve-de-Berthier). The invitation is extended in anticipation of the second edition, which is fast approaching. Together, let's lay the foundations for this new economy.<\/p>\n