Hello cathy404593,

The brown coming out of the trunk are flower pods. You can trim off the flowers and flower pods if you wish. You usually need both male and female, but there are reports that a few trachycarpus can carry both male and female flowers. If you are able to get another of the opposite sex, they should set fertile seed. I wouldn't attempt tissue culture (growing a new plant from a small cutting on the trunk) to get another palm as it would be genetically identical regardless. As far as the gender of the flowers, someone else may be able to help, but the links below will show you what the flowers look like:

Male Flowers

Female Flowers

Great specimen by the way!

Saw you used a pool company in Ga. to repair wood wall, what was the name?

Browns does it but you must be in their service area. Austell, Marietta, and a few other nearby areas. They take a while to come out sometimes but they do a good job.