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Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference Join us for Everything Forest Farming: From Site Selection to Post Harvest Handling Practices The 2023 Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference will provide participants with opportunities to learn about multiple forest farming topics and strategies including site selection, plant propagation, grafting, elderberry production, harvesting, post-harvest handling, processing, and business planning, as well as medicinal plant walks. The conference has a line-up of highly experienced instructors that will enable participants to gain a broad understanding of the many aspects and opportunities of forest farming. All levels of experience welcome! 2023 SOFFC Registration open July 10th! 2023 Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference - Registration 2023 SOFFC Schedule 2023 SOFFC Speaker Bios

ABFFC SITEMAP Home About ABFFC ​​ Calendar & Events ​ Membership ​ Resources Introduction to Forest Farming Forest Farming Publications Video Series NTFPs Video Series VAPs Ask an Expert Online Resources Centers & Facilities ​ Forest Farming Community ​ Initiatives AFFC - American Forest Farming Council POH - Point of Harvest Workforce Development Program Privacy Policy ​ Site Map (You are Here)

Forest Farming Centers & Facilities The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition is housed at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA, but our partners span the length and breadth of the Appalachians (and beyond). This regional map is a list of our partners and their locations as well as facilities, training locations and places of interest to the forest farming community. ABFFC Regional Map Education, Training & Community Centers Northern Centers Shaver's Creek @ Penn State ​ ​ UPS Goldenseal Sanctuary Western Mass Food Processing Center Commercial kitchen, plus entrepreneurial and natural products opportunities Appalachian Center for Economic Networks Food and business incubator (Ohio) Athens Business Incubator Nelsonville Business Center and Food Hub ​ ​ Southern Centers ​ Warren Wilson College ​ ​ The Yew Mountain Center Eastern Carolina Food Ventures Incubator Kitchen (Warsaw, SC) Blue Ridge Food Ventures – A natural product incubator – "11,000 square-foot shared use kitchen and natural products manufacturing facility". Supports product development, regulation navigation, marketing, equipment for bottling/packaging, etc. (Asheville, NC) Piedmont Food and Ag Processing Center (Hillsborough, Eastern NC) AH Herb Hub Overview & Flyer

Forest Farming 101 The AFFC mission is to educate, train and connect future and beginning forest farmers from all across the Appalachian region and beyond. Our aim is to increase accessibility to this information as well as support local programs and individual forest farmers. This Forest Farming 101 section provides an outline of basic forest farming practices and common non-timber forest products or (NTFP) species for the eastern seaboard and Appalachian region. Introduction to Forest Farming START HERE Forest Farming Video Library Watch Non-Timber Forest Products or NTFPs NTFPs Ask a Question & FAQ ASK Forest Farming Glossary & Definitions glossary Forest Farming Online Community Facebook Value-Added Products or VAPs VAPs

Forest Farming Intensive Propagation to Processing ~Event Resources~ Thank you for attending our Forest Farming Intensive! We hope you enjoyed the sessions and this corner of Virginia. Below you can find links to the video of Katherine Crane's talk and some Appalachian Harvest handouts. If you would like more information about Appalachian Sustainable Development you can find them online HERE . If you would like to receive emails about ABFFC workshops in 2022, please sign up here ! Keynote Video: Katheryn Crane of Mountain Rose Herbs Appalachian Harvest and ASD handouts: ASD Case Studies: Forest Farmers & Medicinal Herb Farmers AH Herb Hub Overview & Flyer AH Herb Hub Price Lists Katheryn Crane Keynote Speaker: Katheryn Crane of Mountain Rose Herbs Case Studies ASD Case Studies: Forest Farmers & Medicinal Herb Farmers Herb Hub AH Herb Hub Overview & Flyer Price Lists AH Herb Hub Price Lists

Forest Farming Publications These resources and online publications are dedicated to providing forest farming and educational materials to the public. Plant profiles are published by eXtension and detailed explanations of habitat, growing and processing according to Good Harvest Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices, which are industry standard. ​ eXtension Publications RootReport Newsletter Archive Forest Farming Footnotes ~ABFFC Newsletter Page~ eXtension eXtension Forest Farming This website contains a wealth of information about forest farming on a national level. UpS DOWNLOAD PAPERBACK @ AMAZON Publicatons Publications Want to learn more about Bloodroot? Bloodroot Want to learn more about Black Cohosh? Black Cohosh Pests Affecting Shiitake Mushrooms Shiitake Steps Involved in Farming Specialty Mushrooms Mushrooms Want to learn more about Goldenseal? Goldenseal Want to learn more about False Unicorn? False Unicorn Harvesting Pine Straw from a Forest Pine Straw Forest Farming and Non-Timber Forest Products Forest Farming Root Report RootReport at Virginia Tech ​ People have harvested roots, barks, foliage, fruits and mushrooms from forests for generations. Today these are meaningful traditions and sources of income for families and communities across the country. There is growing interest in cultivating NTFPs and managing forests to produce them, but there is a lack of reliable information about their markets. Our goal is to measure the scope and distribution of NTFP production and its economic impact, and make that research available to people who work with and care about these important species. For more information, visit our website .

2022 ABFFC Partner Events A big thank you to all of our participants and hosts in the ABFFC partner events of 2022. From the mountains of Western North Carolina to the forests of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, forest farmers from all around gathered to share in hands-on learning opportunities and community building. Please see highlights for each events below and be sure to keep up with our regional partners! If you are a beginning forest farmer, we invite you join our newsletter to hear about forest farming news, updates and events near you, or bring your forest farming questions to our FB community . 2022 West Virginia Forest Farming Forum 2022 Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference 2022 WNC Forest Farming Series 2022 Sassafras Moon Herbal Festival & Forest Farming Conference WVFFF 2022 West Virginia Forest Farming Forum We would like to thank all of our partner groups and attendees for making the 2022 West Virginia forest farming forum a huge success in Marlinton WV! On Saturday we enjoyed a beautiful day of networking and learning with teachers and speakers, culminating in a dinner at the Pocahontas County Opera House. Thanks to all who visited the Yew Mountain Center on Sunday to finish off the weekend with yet another day of immersive learning. Please continue to stay in touch and utilize the resources provided by Yew Mountain Center and the ABFFC. If you have any follow-up questions, we invite you to get in touch or ask and start discussions about forest farming topics in our FB group . SOFFC 2022 Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference We would like to thank all of our partner groups and attendees for making the 2022 Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference a wonderful event for two years running! All weekend we enjoyed the amazing hospitality of the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary and our hosts Rural Action , as we covered all the forest farming bases, from beginner basics to advanced business practices. ​ Please stay in touch and utilize our forest farming resources. If you have any follow-up questions, we invite you to get in touch or ask and start discussions about forest farming topics in our FB group. WNC FFS 2022 WNC Forest Farming Series Thank you for a wonderful series of forest farming workshops and tours in Western North Carolina! With our partners the Organic Growers School , this series was based on the format for the CRAFT Farmer Network and Tour program, which connects beginning and experienced farmers and producers throughout the WNC region. " Integrating Forest Farming into Existing Farm Enterprises " at Thatchmore Farm Our June session at Thatchmore Farm , "Integrating Forest Farming into Existing Farm Enterprises " had a great group. From heating greenhouses with wood, to yaupon holly and ramp propagation we had a day full of learning and sharing. Thank you to our hosts Tom, Karen, and Liz Elmore for sharing your time and knowledge. " Encouraging Mushroom Production within a Forest Ecosystem: A Practical Approach to Collaborating with Nature " at the Forest Farmacy In August we went to Madison County, NC for "Encouraging Mushroom Production within a Forest Ecosystem: A Practical Approach to Collaborating with Nature " with Forest Farmacy . We enjoyed a lovely day of integrating fungi into the forest farm practices. Our hosts Chris Parker and Kat Houghton generously shared their amazing knowledge and land. We got our hands dirty inoculating straw with spawn for participants to bring home. " Planting and Propagation of Forest Farmed Botanicals " at Green Heart Gardens We concluded the series in August at Green Heart Gardens in Buncombe County, NC. Our host Lori Burra of HerbMamma , offered her knowledge of planting a wild simulated forest farm and diverse methods for producing woodland botanicals and stewarding the forest plants. Participants enjoyed a beautiful afternoon with propagation, planting, and ginseng seed-sowing activities. 2022 Sassafras Moon Herbal Festival & Forest Farming Conference SassyFest What a plant-filled and inspiring weekend! A giant thank you to our hosts, partners, vendors and everyone who attended. We are grateful to be part of this wonderful event and this outstanding community. Read more about SassyFest here! On September 24, an incredible 2,500 people attended the Sassafras Moon Herbal Festival in downtown Erwin, TN to explore products from 40+ herbal vendors and learn from speakers at 7 FREE herbal classes. Then, on September 25, ABFFC & ASD co-hosted the SOLD OUT Sassafras Moon Forest Farming Conference at Blackberry Blossom Farm. We enjoyed concurrent classroom sessions in the morning and hands-on learning stations at a local forest farm throughout the afternoon.

APPALACHIAN FOREST FARMER COALITION GROWING OPPORTUNITIES BENEATH THE CANOPY JOIN our forest farming coalition LEARN more about forest farming CONNECT with our growing community GROW with partners, training & events What is the Coalition? The Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition (AFFC) is a network of forest farmers, forestland owners, universities, and governmental and non-governmental organizations that share a common goal of improving agroforestry production opportunities and farming capabilities among forest farmers. Our collective aim is to increase awareness of forest-grown medicinal, edible plants and products (non-timber forest products or NTFPs) through education and relationship building, and support conservation efforts through stewardship of existing plant populations and forest farming of these native botanicals. Recipient of the 2020 AHPA Herbal Insight Award Community Forest Farming Calendar Forest Farming Footnotes Read, print, download or share our most recent newsletter! The Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition (NFFC) is a partnership of individuals, farms, universities, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations with the shared goal of growing forest farming opportunities and education within the Northeast region.

Point-of-Harvest (PoH) Program Over the past year, ASD and Virginia Tech partnered on a pilot project, currently called Point of Harvest (PoH), to provide free education to 74 wild harvesters and dealers of forest roots, herbs, and barks. Training topics included plant identification, sustainable harvest practices, post-harvest handling methods, safety, regulations, marketing and more. To date, 74 people have been certified through the PoH program! ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub is working with participants to sell PoH certified botanicals to premium priced markets seeking high quality, sustainable supply. We are in the process of developing an official brand for the certification. We need your input on a brand name to ensure it resonates with both consumers and harvesters alike! By completing this short two question survey below, you'll help us choose a new, permanent brand name for this PoH pilot. Thank you for your input! VOTE TODAY! TAKE OUR SHORT SURVEY CONTACT About Survey More Information about the PoH Program The ABFFC is in the process of developing a Point-of-Harvest (PoH) training and market development program for wild harvesters. The PoH program will focus on supporting environmentally responsible and economically viable wild NTFP enterprises. Our goal is to offer PoH harvester training that is free of charge and recognized by the industry and large landholders such as the US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy. Potential PoH training topics include, among others: safety technology harvesting & propagation plant identification & botany raw material storage & processing marketing & bookkeeping Local instructors will lead the way helping PoH participants become more competitive in the marketplace and make the most with their products in the supply chain. ​ The PoH program is a workforce development project and will depend on support from the companies that buy these materials. If you are a harvester or buyer of raw or value-added material, we need to hear from you about how the PoH program should be designed. Click here to provide your input today. ​ For questions regarding the Point of Harvest Program or the upcoming input meetings, please get in touch with the ABFFC team . ​ For more information about PoH standards, see the PDF below. Thank you from the Point of Harvest team!

Forest Farming Resources Part of the coalition's mission is to create and host a "clearinghouse" of forest farming resources. These resources are free and available to the public. If you want to help us make more of these resources available, please become a member , sign up for our email list to stay informed, or fill out a survey to help us learn more about what our members need! ​ ​ ​ NEW TO FOREST FARMING? 🌳 START HERE! 🌳 ABFFC Free Membership MEMBERSHIP Forest Farming Video Library Watch Online Resources & Training LEARN Technical Service Providers Training Forest Farming Footnotes Newsletter Footnotes Forest Farming Publications READ Local Centers & Facilities LOCATE Forest Farming in Focus: Winter Webinar Series Forest Focus

Forest Farming: In Focus A Deeper Dive 2022 Winter Webinar Series Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2022 winter webinar series! ​ While this webinar series might be over, the ABFFC and our partners are working on the next series! Please become a member, join our FB group or reach out to tell us what you think, and what kinds of forest farming topics you would like to see next! ​ Scroll down this page to find all webinar resources for this series! -Pre webinar resource pdfs (101 level & basics) -Webinar recordings -Presentation slides ​ Click here to view all recorded webinars (on YouTube)! About our 2022 Winter Webinar Series "Forest Farming In Focus" is a series of 5 winter webinars that are designed to be a deeper dive into forest farming species, topics and practices. ​ ABFFC and our partners have joined forces to create this special webinar series for experienced forest farmers* who want to dive deeper into common non-timber forest products and expand their understanding of forest farming species and practices. ​ Each webinar in this series will bring together experts in the field, experienced forest farmers, and learning resources for our topic. Together we will explore forest farming species and practices, as well as engage in discussions with experienced forest farmers with years of expertise. ​ *While these webinars are more in-depth than most of our beginner level website resources, we invite beginner forest farmers, and those who are less familiar with these species to review our pre webinar resources to learn about the basics prior to each event. ​ ​ Saps & Syrups "Tree Saps & Syrups 201: A Deeper Tap into Species, Processes, and Products" Kate Fotos of Future Generations University Britney Hervey Farris of Family Roots Farm Rachel Taylor of Frostmore Farm Missy Moyers-Jarrells of Laurel Fork Sapsuckers Webinar Presentation Slides (pdf) Syrups - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Ramps "Digging Deeper into Ramp Forest Farming" Eric Burkhart of Penn State University Steve Schwartz of Delaware Valley Ramps Ramps - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Ramps- Presentation Slides Goods from the Woods - Delaware Valley Ramps Fungi Beyond the Basics: Forest Farming Fungi Hannah Hemmelgarn of University of Missouri Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain Rick Felumlee of Mayapple Farms Fungi - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Ginseng "Digging deeper into ginseng forest farming" Eric Burkhart of Penn State University Ed & Carole Daniels, Shady Grove Botanicals Anna Plattner & Justin Wexler, Wild Hudson Valley Ginseng - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Ginseng Webinar Slides (pdf) Goldenseal "How to make money growing Goldenseal and other NTFPs" ​ Jeanine Davis and Margaret Bloomquist of North Carolina State University Joe from "up the creek" in the High Country of Western North Carolina ​ Goldenseal - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Presented by:

ABFFC Privacy Policy Please read below our privacy and data collection policies, and about our commitment to keeping your information safe. Our email newsletter complies with GDPR Standards, and you may opt-out at anytime. ABFFC sends out seasonal newsletters about forest farming topics, resources for growing and training as well as upcoming events. ​ We use surveys and the secured anonymous demographic information that we collect from them in order to better understand our membership base and expand our reach, local and regional programs, and resources like grants and educational events. The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition is committed to protecting the privacy of our members and online visitors. We have created this Privacy Policy to explain why we collect particular information and how we will protect your personal privacy within our website. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for the Web site located at the URL https://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/ . In order to fully understand your rights we encourage you to read this Privacy Policy. Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition reserves the right at any time and without notice to change this Privacy Policy simply by posting such changes on our website. Any such change will be effective immediately upon posting. Because we want to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy, this Privacy Policy notifies you of: What personally identifiable information of yours is collected through the Site; Who collects such information; How such information is used; With whom your information may be shared; What choices you have regarding collection, use and distribution of your information; What kind of security procedures are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information under our control; and How you can correct any inaccuracies in your information. Questions regarding this statement should be directed to Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition by sending an email to the website administrator or using the below form. Please reference this Privacy Policy in your subject line. ​ What Information We Collect and How We Use That Information Our membership forms require users to give us contact information that may include name, email address, format preference (HTML vs. Text), location, interests, and similar information. We do not request or store sensitive information from our visitors, such as credit card or social security numbers. ​ ​ Surveys & Demographic Information Part of our free membership sign up asks for a completed short survey that includes information about how you describe yourself, your state and county, birth year and gender. This information will be used solely for the purposes of resource allocation and broad demographic information that allows us to offer trainings, programs and events in your area. ​ ​ Internet Protocol Address We collect an IP address from all visitors to our Site. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. We use IP addresses to help diagnose problems with our server, administer our Site, analyze trends, track users’ movement, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use in order for us to improve the site, and deliver customized, personalized content. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information. ​ ​ Use of “Cookies” Our Site may use cookies to enhance your experience while using our Site. Cookies are pieces of information that some Web sites transfer to the computer that is browsing that Web site and are used for record-keeping purposes at many Web sites. Use of cookies makes web-surfing easier by performing certain functions such as saving your passwords, your personal preferences regarding your use of the particular website and to make sure you don’t see the same ad repeatedly. Many consider the use of cookies to be an industry standard. ​ Your browser is probably set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our Site will not function properly when you view them. ​ Security All information provided to Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition is transmitted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. SSL is a proven coding system that lets your browser automatically encrypt, or scramble, data before you send it to us. We also protect account information by placing it on a secure portion of our Site that is only accessible by certain qualified employees of Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition. Unfortunately, however, no data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information. ​ Other Websites Our Site contains links to other websites. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are entering another website for which the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition has no responsibility. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on all such sites as their policies may be different than ours. ​ Contacting the Site Admin If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this website, or your dealings with this website, you can contact the Website Administrator for the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition, or use the form here on the Contact Page .