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Sitemap for AppalachianForestFarmers.org and resources 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)

September 17 - 18th, 2021 Join ABFFC and our partners Appalachian Sustainable Development in Duffield, Virginia to learn about forest farming - from propagation to processing. 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

Technical Service Providers In June 2021, the West Virginia Forest Farming Initiative, in partnership with Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition, hosted an online training for Technical Service Providers called, Forest Farming Training for Natural Resource Professionals: Capacity for Landowner Assistance. Below are the links to the recorded sessions and pre-recorded videos that were part of the training. Forest Farming 101: Introduction to Growing & Marketing Non-Timber Forest Products 51 minutes - Instructor: Tanner Filyaw* This presentation provides an introductory overview of common forest farming methods, as well as market options for producers. Commonly Produced Forest Botanicals 40 minutes - Instructor: Robin Suggs** In this presentation we explore some of the more commonly produced eastern North American NTFPs used in the botanical trade. Topics include general range, site and habitat requirements along with information regarding their chief uses and markets. Introduction to Site Assessment & Evaluation 60 minutes - Instructor: Tanner Filyaw* This presentation will provide a more in depth discussion of site selection and evaluation, and compare and contrasts potential production sites using photographs and habitat characteristics. Site Assessment Video Tour 10 minutes - Instructors: Tanner Filyaw* & Robin Suggs** @ The Yew Mountain Center This video provides an on the ground perspective of the site selection and evaluation process, including identifying and discussing site conditions as they relate to the production of forest botanicals. Forest Farming in Practice 35 minutes - Instructor: Katie Commender** and Kate MacFarland~ This presentation helps put forest farming into practice and content 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 hot it ties into state forestry action plans and federal cost-share programs, like NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Instructor Affiliations *Tanner was with Rural Action when these videos were made. He is currently with United Plant Savers . **Robin and Katie are with Appalachian Sustainable Development. ~Kate MacFarland is with the USDA National Agroforestry Center .

Forest Farming Centers & Facilities:The ABFFC is housed at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA, but our partners span the length of the Appalachians (and beyond). This regional map is a comprehensive list of our partners and their locations as well as 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

The Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition (AFFC) is a network of forest farmers, forestland owners, universities, and governmental and non-governmental organizations About the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition The Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition (formerly Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition) is a network of forest farmers, forestland owners, universities, 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. During the March 2024 Gather to Grow Forest Farming Conference in Roanoke, VA, the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition announced the evolution of our name to the "Appalachian Forest Farming Coalition". Please note that we are making changes on the website and our social accounts, but will remain the same coalition as we move into the future, and next phase of forest farming growth, community, and networks across the country. AFFC Team John Munsell, AFFC Project Director Professor and Forest Management Extension Specialist, Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech Margaret Bloomquist, AFFC Co-director Research Scholar, Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University Sara Jackson, Project and Resource Coordinator Agroforestry Project Coordinator, Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech

These projects-in-development are part of the AFFC's goal of bringing better forest farming resources to the Appalachians and beyond! Please help us learn more about the needs of forest farmers like you buy filling out our short surveys on each page. Thank you in advance! AFFC New Initiatives These projects-in-development are part of the AFFC's goal of bringing better forest farming resources to the Appalachians and beyond! Please help us learn more about the needs of forest farmers like you buy filling out our short surveys on each page. Thank you in advance. ARC ARISE ARC ARISE Wild Stewards Alliance WSA American Forest Farming Association AFFA Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program EMEF

Join us for Forest Farming Office Hours, where we meets by zoom to discuss forest farming topics and updates. AFFC's Forest Farming Office Hours 2025 Join the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition and NC State University Extension for Q & A, resources, and conversation about forest farming. All regions and experience levels are welcome. All Forest Farming Office Hours take place on ZOOM on designated Fridays from 12 noon to 1:30 pm EST. We realize that some may not be able to attend a lunch session so we invite you to look through our meeting notes, links and resources, as well as bring your questions to our Forest Farming group on FB . These zoom sessions are not recorded. Forest Farming Office Hours Email List This is email list sends FFOH announcements, registration links, and reminders, and is separate from the AFFC general mailing list. Forest Farming Office Hours Spring 2025 Friday, May 9th, 2025 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Summer 2025 Friday, June 27, 2025 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Friday, August 8, 2025 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Friday, September 19 , 2025 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Meeting Agenda 1. Welcome 2. Short Introductions (Name, region, topic) 3. Seasonal Forest Farming Discussion 4. Q&A 5. Resources & Events 6. End at 1:30pm Past Office Hours (2022 - 2024)

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.

Proposed Work Long Term Goals Regional Toolkit Project Design ARC Alignment Project Activity Regional Activities Technical Initiatives Accelerating Forest Farming in Central Appalachia: Strengthening Market Connections and Collaboration for Long-Term Sector Impact and Sustainability Accelerating Forest Farming in Central Appalachia: Strengthening Market Connections and Collaboration for Long-Term Sector Impact and Sustainability” is a regional and multistate project designed to support continued expansion of the ABFFC work and prepare for ARISE implementation funding. The work will result in long-term transformational goals all critical to establishment of the Appalachian forest farmers as leaders in this global market. Proposed Work Long Term Goals Proposed Work – Planning into Implementation The ARISE Project uses a multifaceted strategy to support Appalachian forest farmers, traditional wild harvesters who implement sustainable forest farming methods, and associated regional stakeholders. The planning work prepares for a five-year project to accelerate technical assistance, value-added market and technology development, sector capacity and efficiency initiatives, as well as efforts to raise industry investments and consumer awareness all of which underpin the economic viability of individual and collective business ventures across Central Appalachia and increase the long-term sustainability of a value-added NTFP supply chain. The project strengthens existing partnerships and programs in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Proposed programs and services will deliver a broad spectrum of market-centered opportunities for Appalachian residents and localities to transform a deeply rooted, traditional economic sector and create a sustainable platform for continued growth as the marketplace evolves. Planning will allow for an intensive focus on some of Appalachia’s most distressed communities, places where many individuals have knowledge of and experience with NTFPs but have long been poorly compensated for their efforts. Further, access to individuals in these communities can be challenging for a variety of reasons (lack of broadband, limits to enterprise development due to income challenges, despair factors linked to persistent poverty). The planning project will establish implementation methods and pathways to expand outreach, increase value-added trade, and encourage participation in a rising trend: just compensation and increased economic benefits for the citizens and communities where these natural resources thrive. This multistate project will touch 133 counties across Central Appalachia in seven states. Long Term Implementation Goals The work will result in long-term transformational goals all critical to establishment of the Appalachian forest farmers as leaders in this global market. Long-term transformational goals include: Position Central Appalachia’s forest farming sector at the forefront of the region’s future bio-economy; Become the global marketing, processing, aggregation, and distribution model for sustainable forest farmed products; Capture an unprecedented share of local, regional, national, and international value-added forest farming markets; Develop an Appalachian forest farming brand recognized the world over; Ramp and revolutionize forest farming planting stock, seed sales, mycelium and spore production, and tree-tapping equipment enterprises; Elevate, coordinate, and connect forest farming tourism, cultural identity, and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives; Grow the number of financially sound forest farming businesses predicated on sustainable whole-forest management; Leverage and sustain highly successful ongoing technical training and assistance for forest farmers and technical service provider consultants; Increase the reach and impact of current forest farming business recruitment, public awareness, and workforce development programs through product placement, experiential and technical education, and community engagement and tourism initiatives; Expand market activity and the physical presence of medium- and large-scale forest farming dependent industries in Appalachia; Celebrate Appalachian forest farmers as ecosystem services stewards who protect land, water and air quality, climate,biodiversity, and other natural resources; and Spur the next phase of Appalachian forest farming in meaningful, impactful, and sustainable bioeconomic regional development. Regional Toolkit Intersecting the ARISE Regional Multistate Collaboration Toolkit Insights and Strategies Project Design Project Design Process and Figures Section ARC Alignment Project Activity Alignment with ARC Strategic Investment Goals and Objectives Primary ARC Goal: Building Appalachian Businesses - Individual producers become small- and medium-sized business owners through technical assistance and participation in regional activities. Existing businesses (forest farming operations, primary buyers, nurseries, cottage businesses, tourism enterprise) expand revenue as supply chains grow and national and international investments increases. Secondary ARC Goals: Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem - By building and strengthening relationships, and coordinating and facilitating trainings, we will create an enabling environment for agroforestry to be a viable industry cluster for Central Appalachia. Building Regional Culture and Tourism - Appalachia has a rich history of forested homesteading combined with use and celebration of our resilient and fecund forest commons. Build producer networks, NTFP markets, and connecting these with the broader tourism economy allows this rich history to take center stage in narratives about Appalachia, and in tourist experiences of Appalachia. Project Activity Rationale, Framing, and Coordination The following summary identifies key focus areas, informed by previous and ongoing work, specifically designed to address the need for additional resources and expansion of the ABFFC footprint for transformational sector growth. The impact of ABFFC initiatives to date is clear. Training and recruitment events are sold out, the number and scale of forest farms is growing, forest farming is increasingly celebrated in regional, national, and international media, communities in the region increasingly extol forest farming, and sector challenges and opportunities have led to on-the-ground solutions. Building on the coalition’s success requires additional investments to expand sector growth and sustainability. The number of potential forest farmers who seek assistance is on the rise in terms of enterprise development (such as start-up support and training) with potential to maximize returns on investments. They seek business diversification by incorporating NTFPs into their production systems and/or by participating in substantial public and private investments in climate-smart commodities as well as carbon sequestration and water quality trading income streams. The project is designed to maximize impact using known strengths of ABFFC partners to support specialized technical activities combined with partner organizations who bring standing networks and relationships along with deep knowledge of their respective landscapes and goals. Knowledge and skills are shared across the seven-state region with a neutral facilitator assisting in the equitable distribution of financial resources, project administration, and scheduling support. The framework for managing a balanced and broadly impactful project occurs across two simultaneous tracks: 1) sub-region baseline activities that continue producer recruitment and support, market connections and promotion, and sector sustainability; and, 2) region-wide technical initiatives that address existing bottlenecks identified over the course of the Coalition’s growth. Regional Activities Sub-region Baseline Activities Local partner organizations oversee direct engagement and support in their particular areas of responsibility, known in this project as a sub-region (state, collection of counties). Baseline activities include providing technical assistance and training along with producer and entrepreneurial recruitment and outreach. Outreach and support activities also engage existing technical service providers to integrate agroforestry support services into existing land-use programs. As needed, the VT/ABFFC facilitator coordinates support by local or regional partners. Newer and longstanding partners are positioned to expand the ABFFC footprint and its role in continuing regional growth. This allows for provision of coalition-forged practices to a broad region. Further, because local partners best understand their networks and localities, community engagement and public awareness/education are delivered through them to realize proximal impacts supporting coherent multi-state goals and objectives. Local community engagement activities receive support through the neutral facilitator/lead applicant by connecting with communications and outreach professionals engaged in the project. These measures include an intentional focus on traditionally underserved communities (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, socially disadvantaged) based upon an ongoing financial producer support program funded by a private family foundation. To summarize, sub-region baseline activities include: Continuation of technical assistance and training, as well as ongoing market development Producer/business recruitment and outreach Community engagement and public awareness/education including direct engagement with local development district and locality leadership Region-wide Technical Initiatives Select partner organizations address specific challenges identified through ongoing work and prepare the cluster to accelerate regional and direct producer impact. Leadership assignments are based on specialized expertise and experience that chosen partner organizations possess and are informed by input from all partner organizations via technical topic committees. Initiative leaders are also responsible for advancing the state of knowledge in their respective technical specialties and distributing information along with documenting findings for distribution to all participants across the region. It is important to note that all technical leaders receive a high level of support from other organizations. Cooperative relationships exist through past and ongoing ABFFC efforts, allowing for efficient and effective launching of proposed work by virtue of ARISE investments. Technical activities have been identified as critical needs in order to advance the Appalachian agroforestry economic cluster toward a broadly coordinated and efficient regional NTFP sector: Technical Initiatives

Forest Farming Glossary Common terms used in forest farming and agroforestry. Agroforestry - agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. Silvopasture, alley cropping, windbreaks, riparian buffers, and forest farming are widely recognized examples of agroforestry practices. At-risk species - at-risk plant species are locally or broadly at risk of overharvest, environmental pressures or mis-management. ------------------------------------------- Botanical - relating to plants, botany. Botanical name - latin binomial, scientific name Business plan - a document setting out a business's future objectives and strategies for achieving them. Forest farms by necessity require diversity, planning and investment of time and resources. Business plans are highly recommended for income producing forest farms of all sizes. Most extensions have contacts or resources to help create generic business plans, but local and regional specialized input is very helpful. ------------------------------------------- Conservation - preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment and of wildlife. Craft & Traditional Crafts - a skilled activity in which something is made in a traditional way with the hands rather than being produced by machines in a factory, or an object made by such an activity. Forest Farming provides several important craft goods and raw materials. Cultivation - cultivation is the act of caring for or raising plants. ------------------------------------------- Dendrology - the scientific study of trees. Diversity - (Ecological biodiversity) refers to the variations in the plant and animal species living together and connected by food chains and food webs. ------------------------------------------- Edible - fit or suitable to be eaten. Ecology - the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Ecological community - An ecological community is defined as a group of species that are commonly found together. Ecological communities may be animal or plant assemblages with similar habitat requirements and contain species which may influence each other or rely on similar processes in their environment. Endangered species - An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for three main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation or outright removal. Enterprise budget - Enterprise budgets assist in understanding the costs and returns of a production activity, identifying potential sources of risk, and evaluating alternatives. Extirpation - the state or condition of having become locally or regionally extinct ------------------------------------------- Forest canopy - In forest ecology, canopy refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms Forest management - Forest management focuses on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health. Forest - A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Forester - Foresters oversee forest land, manage budgets, create plans for forestry projects, and supervise forest and conservation technicians and workers. Forest farming - Forest farming is the cultivation of high-value crops under the protection of a managed tree canopy. Food forest - A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature. ------------------------------------------- Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) - Appropriate production practices, careful harvesting, and proper storage, and transport all contribute to good produce quality after harvesting. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) - a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. Guild - In Permaculture, a guild is a grouping a plants, trees, animals, insects, and other components that work together to help ensure their health and productivity. ------------------------------------------- Herbivore - an animal that feeds on plants. Harvest - the process or period of gathering in crops . In forest farming, several types of harvest occur including the traditional root harvest that usually takes place in autumn, leaf or flower harvest. ------------------------------------------- Indicator species - An indicator species is an organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. Indigenous - originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native. Invasive species - An invasive or alien species is an introduced species to an environment that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. ------------------------------------------- Latin binomial - botanical name, i.e. American ginseng is Panax quinquifolius. ------------------------------------------- Medicinal plant - Medicinal plants can be defined as the plants that possess therapeutic properties or exert beneficial pharmacological effect on the human or animal body. ------------------------------------------- Nursery (botanical) - place where plants are grown for transplanting, for use as stock for budding and grafting, or for sale. Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) - products that originate from trees or plant parts but are not derived from timber. Native species - a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention"). ------------------------------------------- Permaculture - an approach to land management and design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. Poaching (plants)- plant poaching involves the illegal removal of plants and plant parts. RE: THEFT Population - the number of plants in a given unit or area of land. Post Harvest handling - In agriculture and agroforestry, postharvest handling is the stage of production immediately following harvest, including cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing. Post Harvest recovery - the amount of time it takes a harvested population to recover from the removal of plant material. Predation (herbivory) - the action of species that browse/eat forest plants and crops, thereby damaging or removing plants. ------------------------------------------- Restoration - actions to recreate and reinstate ecological processes, forest structure, ecological functioning and biodiversity levels towards those typical of a healthy forest ecosystem. Riparian - relating to wetlands, adjacent to rivers, streams and springs. ------------------------------------------- Stewardship - a general approach to management that focuses on conservation, minimizing negative impacts and plans for the future. In forest farming, stewardship can apply to forest stewardship and species like ramps or American ginseng. Silviculture - the growing and cultivation of trees. Species - A biological species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring. In the context of forest farming, key species include dominant trees, non timber forest product species, indicator species as well as invasive species and pests. Succession - is the orderly and predictable change in the dominant species of forest plants and their ecologies. Security - protecting highly valuable forest farming crops (like American ginseng or goldenseal) or other non timber forest products from theft, poaching, destruction, etc. Site Assessment - Evaluating the existing forest aspects and ecologies in order to understand what plantings and species might do well there. Usually the first step in forest farming operations. A thorough site assessment includes GIS mapping, terrain, direction, etc., as well as species inventory and seasonal observations. Silvopasture - Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land. ------------------------------------------- Thinning - in forest farming this is usually thinning a forest area by felling/removing dead or diseased trees, lower quality species, or site preparation by the removal of understory or underbrush in order to allow more light to reach the forest floor. Theft - illegal removal or harvest of wild, stewarded, cultivated or forest farmed species, NTFPs, materials from private or public lands. Technical service provider - extension agents, organizations professionals and people who have been trained in best practices, safety and more. Toxic - species which can cause external or internal harm if handled or ingested. Several forest farmed species have toxic look-alike species and must be identified or vouchered before harvesting for personal use or commercial harvest. Ramps (Allium tricoccum ) has a highly toxic look-alike species, false hellebore (Veratrum viride ), all parts of mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum ) are highly toxic to ingest. ------------------------------------------- Understory - The layer of small trees and shrubs between the highest canopy layer and the shrub and herb layers on the ground. ------------------------------------------- Value Added Products (VAPs) - stand for V alue A dded P roducts, often processed end products with forest farming ingredients for wholesale or retail markets like blended teas, food products like ramp salts or jarred goods, or baskets made from white oak bark. ------------------------------------------- Watershed - A watershed is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet. Woodland - land area covered with woody vegetation. Wild simulated - a forest farming approach where forest farmers/growers introduce specific species into an ideal forested environment and then let it grow with little to no intervention, often for up to 10 or more years. This is the least disturbing approach Wild/uncultivated - plants and plant populations that occur naturally in the wild without the assistance of humans.

ABFFC's Newsletter: Forest Farming Footnotes features stories, people, partner organizations and more! Forest Farming Footnotes AFFC's Forest Farming Footnotes Newsletter features partners, people, forest farming stories and events related to forest farming throughout Appalachia and beyond. Have a great story, event or forest farming feature? Let us know by sending us an email ! Current Newsletter Newsletter Archive Forest Farming Footnotes Newsletter Read, print, download or share our most recent newsletter. Current Forest Farming Footnotes Archive archive Issue 1, Winter 2012 Issue 2, Spring 2013 Issue 3, Fall 2013 Issue 4, Winter 2013 Issue 5, Spring 2014 Issue 6, Fall 2014 Issue 7, Spring 2016 Issue 8, Fall 2016 Issue 9, Spring 2017 Issue 10, Fall 2017 Issue 11, Summer 2018 Issue 12, Spring 2019 Issue 13, Spring 2020 Issue 14, Fall 2020 Issue 15, Summer 2021 Issue 16, Fall 2021 Issue 17, Spring 2022 Issue 18, Spring 2023 Issue 19, Autumn 2023 Issue 20, Winter 2024

Join us for a series of 5 free webinars: Forest Farming In Focus! Each webinar we will discuss a different NTFP species in-depth with experts and experienced forest farmers! Forest Farming In Focus: A Deeper Dive Winter Webinar Series (2022) Thank you to everyone who joined us live for our 2022 winter webinar series! We now maintain this webinar series as an online resource for beginning and experienced forest farmers. Read on to find webinar resources for this series including: -Pre-webinar packet (101 level & basics) -Webinar recordings and presentation slides "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. In 2022, AFFC and our partners joined hands 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. webinar series on youtube more forest farming videos Tree Saps & Syrups Forest Farming Ramps Forest Farming Fungi Forest Farming Ginseng Goldenseal & other NTFPs Tree Saps & Syrups 201: A Deeper Tap into Species, Processes, and Products Join Kate Fotos of Future Generations University 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. 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 Syrups - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) "Digging Deeper into Ramp Forest Farming" In this webinar, Dr. Burkhart will provide the latest research updates on ramp forest farming, site selection, nutritional and medicinal properties, as well as sustainable husbandry and harvest methods. He will also be joined in the second half of the webinar by Steve Schwartz of Delaware Valley Ramps (Equinunk, PA) for a lively discussion. Eric Burkhart of Penn State University Steve Schwartz of Delaware Valley Ramps Ramps - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) Beyond the Basics: Forest Farming Fungi Join Hannah Hemmelgarn and 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, we will hear from Hannah and our special line up of top experts with years of knowledge and experience in forest fungi productions. Hannah Hemmelgarn of University of Missouri Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain Rick Felumlee of Mayapple Farms Fungi - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) "Digging deeper into ginseng forest farming" 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. Eric Burkhart of Penn State University Ed & Carole Daniels, Shady Grove Botanicals Anna Plattner & Justin Wexler, Wild Hudson Valley Ginseng - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf) "How to make money growing Goldenseal and other NTFPs" In this webinar, Jeanine Davis, Margaret Bloomquist, and Joe from 'up the creek' 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. Jeanine Davis and Margaret Bloomquist of NCSU's New Crops and Organics Program Joe from "Up the Creek" in Western North Carolina Goldenseal - Pre Webinar Resource (pdf)