Minnesota DNR Paying For Bushels of Black Spruce Cones

The Minnesota state forest nursery is in short supply of black spruce seed.  An additional 800 bushels of black spruce cones are needed, and you can get paid to help.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources relies on individual collectors to provide cones to the state forest nursery.

The nursery dries the cones, extracts the seeds, and sells that seed to land managers. Approximately 6,000 acres of black spruce in Minnesota are replanted each year with seeds from the nursery.

The DNR will direct people to where they can find black spruce cones and they will purchase those they collect for $70 per bushel.

If you're interested in this opportunity, you should first contact one of the following DNR seed-buying stations for more information and directions on how to present cones for purchase:

• Two Harbors
• Cloquet
• Hibbing
• Minnesota State Forest Nursery
• Bemidji
• Deer River
• Warroad
• Baudette
• Orr
• Littlefork
• Tower
• Northome

Click here for the phone numbers of all the seed-buying stations listed above.

Cones may be collected on the collectors’ property or on state forest land. To be eligible for purchase, cones must be high quality, ripe, and free of stems and debris. Black spruce cones are needed now to the end of February.

Follow the link below for complete information.