Appalachian Sustainable Development benefits from partnership with Dave Matthews Band andTraditional Medicinals to promote sustainable harvesting of forest botanicals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6/27/2023
Contact: Katie Commender
Director of Agroforestry
276-623-1121
kcommender@asdevelop.org
asdevelop.org
DUFFIELD, Va – Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) will be receiving up to $20,000 from Traditional Medicinals® through their partnership with Dave Matthews Band (DMB) during the band’s U.S. summer concert tour. Donated funds will support ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub and point of harvest program.
The Herb Hub, located in Duffield, Virginia, provides training, processing, and marketing services to medicinal herb producers, while promoting plant conservation. The point of harvest program is a partnership with Virginia Tech that offers free training to wild harvesters and buyers of woodland roots, barks, and herbs. Training topics include plant identification, safety, sustainable harvest, post-harvest handling, processing, and more. ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub helps trained harvesters access fair wage markets for high quality, sustainably sourced botanicals.
“Our Appalachian forests are the perfect environment for medicinal forest botanicals, and they’ve been a source of income for wild harvesters going back for many generations,” said Katie Commender, ASD’s Director of Agroforestry. “But due to centuries of habitat loss and overharvesting, many of these native herbs are now at risk. Donations from the partnership with Dave Matthews Band and Traditional Medicinals will help provide training to dozens of wild harvesters across Appalachia, who in turn, will gain access to premium priced markets for sustainably sourced supply. This is how we impact economic development through sustainable agriculture.” To learn more about the Herb Hub and point of harvest program, visit: https://www.asdevelop.org/programs-resources/herbhub/#Point_of_Harvest
Dave Matthews has been using Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat® tea for years as part of his throat care routine before performing and while on stage sharing his music with fans. Throat Coat® contains slippery elm bark that is responsibly sourced right here in Appalachia, from 3rd generation wild harvesters who were some of the first individuals trained in ASD’s point of harvest program.
Dave’s connection to the Throat Coat® brand resulted in Traditional Medicinals’ sponsorship of REVERB’s Eco-Village at 42 concerts this May-September. Concertgoers who visit Traditional Medicinals’ booth in the Eco-Village will be invited to learn more about Traditional Medicinals’ slippery elm sourcing community in Appalachia and to donate one dollar to ASD through Traditional Medicinals via text. Those who participate will also be entered to win a guitar with artwork by Dave Matthews through REVERB, and will receive a Traditional Medicinals digital coupon, Throat Coat® tea sample, and an herb illustration temporary tattoo to get into the concert spirit.
For those not attending the summer concert series, there’s still a chance to win signed merchandise from the Dave Matthews Band and Throat Coat® tea from Traditional Medicinals. Follow Appalachian Sustainable Development (@asdevelop) and Traditional Medicinals (@tradmedicinals) on Instagram and enter to win the giveaway starting on July 6, 2023.
About Traditional Medicinals
Traditional Medicinals’ business is rooted in plants, and it’s a business imperative that the company care for the ecosystems where these plants live and thrive. Traditional Medicinals believes that everything is interconnected, which means supporting the ecosystems, farmers, and collectors who harvest and gather their herbs. From their certified organic and non-GMO ingredients to their commitment to renewable energy, Traditional Medicinals represents the vanguard of environmental and social responsibility. In everything they do, they strive to uphold the three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, social equity and economic viability. To learn more, please visit traditionalmedicinals.com.
About Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD)
Living Better. Locally. It’s what drives ASD’s commitment to build a thriving regional food and agriculture system that creates healthy communities, respects the planet, and cultivates profitable opportunities for Appalachians. Since 1995, ASD has been working in Central Appalachia, providing hope and making a difference for the people who call the region home. What began as opportunities for struggling tobacco farmers to grow fruits and vegetables have become lasting solutions to regional challenges that impact economic development, workforce development, food access, health, and wellness.
A leader in sustainable agriculture, economic and workforce development, and food access, ASD is developing a destination agriculture campus where innovation meets agriculture in Washington County, Virginia. To learn more about ASD, visit asdevelop.org.