Forest Farming Video Library

A business born from a passion is a concept that few people dare to dream of, but Joel and Leah Larabell, owners of High Garden Tea based in Nashville, TN, never had profit in mind when they began to share their love for tea and its medicinal qualities with their community. The road to success hasn't been easy them, especially after a tornado destroyed the tea shop they built by hand and with heart, but their genuine love for what they do and belief in the good that it effuses into the world has brought them through thick and thin. Their passion and commitment to the health of both people and planet is easy to see. It's in the 100 percent recycled, backyard compostable, hand-packaged tea bags. It's in the formulations that care for ailments from head to toe. It's the root of their business philosophy. That business philosophy led to them link up with the ABFFC, the United Plant Savers, and the ASD Herb Hub, and through these partnerships, they're able to expand without sacrificing the principles that keep them rooted in who they are. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring Joel and Leah Larabell of High Garden Tea from Nashville, Tennessee. https://www.highgardentea.com/ For more information about botanical business, sustainable sourcing, and forest farming, please visit appalachianforestfarmers.org. These videos are a USDA funded initiative, made in collaboration with Virginia Tech University. Filmed and produced by Priya Jaishankar.

Robin Suggs, Procurement Manager for Appalachian Sustainable Development, discusses two ways to propagate Solomon's seal in its native habitat. Through seed sowing and rhizome division, interested forest farmers and landowners can help ensure that this plant continues to thrive in its preferred habitat on south facing hardwood slopes in moist, rich soil. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring Robin Suggs, Procurement Manager for Appalachian Sustainable Development. https://www.asdevelop.org/ For more information about Solomon Seal, non-timber forest products, and forest farming, please visit appalachianforestfarmers.org. These videos are a USDA funded initiative, made in collaboration with Virginia Tech University. Filmed and produced by Priya Jaishankar.

Robin Suggs, Procurement Manager for Appalachian Sustainable Development discusses identification, and the preferred habitat of Solomon Seal (Polygonatum spp.). By understanding identification and habitat of this species, interested forest farmers and landowners can help ensure that this plant continues to thrive on south facing hardwood slopes in moist, rich soil. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring Robin Suggs, Procurement Manager for Appalachian Sustainable Development. https://www.asdevelop.org/ For more information about Solomon Seal, non-timber forest products, and forest farming, please visit appalachianforestfarmers.org. These videos are a USDA funded initiative, made in collaboration with Virginia Tech University. Filmed and produced by Priya Jaishankar.

Terry Black, owner of Shaw Black Farm, discusses the laws surrounding ginseng in Kentucky. What makes forest farming of ginseng complicated and how does Terry create a business from forest farming? Watch to find out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring Terry Black of Shaw Black Farm in Kentucky. https://www.shawblackfarm.org/ For more information about stewardship, sustainable sourcing, and forest farming, please visit appalachianforestfarmers.org. These videos are a USDA funded initiative, made in collaboration with Virginia Tech University. Filmed and produced by Priya Jaishankar.

What happens to all of the foraged edibles collected by Digger Jay from Charlottesville, Virginia? They make their way to restaurants in a timely manner. From a quick pickle that tops bruschetta to an infused butter that flavors risotto, the tasty morsels from the woods compliment dishes in a way that store bought ingredients can't compete with. We speak with Chef Landon Saul of Vivace, an Italian restaurant in Charlottesville and learn about the inspiration behind his cuisine. From ramps and morels to a variety of other foraged goods, Digger Jay has introduced some unique flavors that are adopted by curious and creative chefs near and far.

The buzz about wild edibles has been humming for a while now. Shows on the Food Channel have been featuring unique eats for years while social media celebs like @BlackForager bring the beauty of foraging right to your feed, making lesser known wild ingredients more accessible to beginning foragers and the gastronomically curious. But how does one become a professional forager, trusted by chefs and restaurant patrons alike? Digger Jay regales us with the story of his beginnings in this video - how he was trained and how he became known as "Digger Jay" amongst chefs in Charlottesville, Va and beyond.

In this webinar, Jeanine, Margaret, and Joe will talk about growing woodland botanicals other than ginseng. They will put an emphasis on selling and marketing these plants and discuss several types of operations and realistic financial expectations.

In this webinar, Dr. Burkhart will provide some research updates on ginseng forest farming site selection, crop protection, pest/disease management, and emerging leaf harvest opportunities. He will also be joined for the second half of the webinar by forest farmer Ed Daniels (Shady Grove Botanicals, WV) and Anna Plattner and Justin Wexler (Wild Hudson Valley, NY) for a lively discussion of these topics and more.

Hear from Tradd Cotter and Rick Felumlee for an exciting in-depth discussion: beyond the basics of fungi forest farming! With an emphasis on outdoor cultivation, and a handful of species and practices perfectly suited to forest farming

Join Kate and a panel of producers as they step into the world of saps and syrups produced from maple and other tree species. Learn how production processes vary by species to ensure quality, and take a tour of the latest technologies and value-added strategies.

This presentation will provide a more in depth discussion of site selection and evaluation, and compares and contrasts potential production sites using photographs and habitat characteristics. Instructor: Tanner Filyaw

This presentation provides an introductory overview of common forest farming methods, as well as market options for producers. Instructor: Tanner Filyaw

This presentation helps put forest farming into practice and context for natural resource providers. It highlights how forest farming meets the needs and interests of forest landowners, how it addresses natural resource concerns, and even how it ties into state forestry action plans and federal cost-share programs, like NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Instructors: Katie Commender and Kate MacFarland

In this presentation we will explore some of the more commonly produced eastern North American NTFPs used in the botanicals trade. Topics included are general range, site and habitat requirements along with information regarding their chief uses and markets. Instructor: Robin Suggs