Contact: Emily Lachniet
Agroforestry Program Manager
276-623-1121
elachniet@asdevelop.org
www.asdevelop.org
Abingdon, Va — On August 11 – 13, experts Jeanine Davis, NC State; Eric Burkhart, Penn State; and Ryan Huish, UVA Wise; will provide a multi-day workshop at UVA-Wise designed to give growers of forest botanicals an opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience with the technical aspects of individualized planning, growing, and planting. Growers will deepen their skillsets, allowing them to further their own forest farming operations.
Registration is required www.regonline.com/asd2017 and space is limited. The workshop begins at 4:30pm on August 11 and concludes at 3:00pm on August 13, EST. The cost is $80 per person through August 10 and $100 on the opening day of the workshop. There are a limited number of full and partial scholarships available. Attendees can request a scholarship by writing a brief description of who they are, why they are requesting a scholarship and what they hope to learn by attending. Requests should be sent to Emily Lachniet: elachniet@asdevelop.org by August 4, 2017. Replies will be made within 2-3 days.
This intermediate-to-advanced level training is sponsored by Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) and the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmers Coalition (ABFFC), and is designed for growers who understand the basics of forest farming. Attendees will hone their plant identification skills, learn propagation methods in a hands-on environment, and prepare voucher specimens. They will gain important background knowledge on federal regulations and learn how to estimate plant populations in the field. During the training, attendees will work together with the experts to develop sample forest farming plans using lands owned by the university.
Agroforestry and an herbal economy in Central Appalachia
ASD’s agroforestry program, co-sponsor of this event, envisions a thriving and sustainable herbal economy in Central Appalachia, where plant conservation is achieved through cultivation. This fall, ASD will unveil the Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub, which expands the work of the Appalachian Harvest Food Hub in Duffield, VA. It will serve to help forest farmers sustainably cultivate, harvest, process and sell forest botanicals to premium-priced markets. This upcoming workshop is a critical step in training the next generation of successful forest farmers in Appalachia.
About Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmers Coalition
The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition is a network of forestland owners, universities, and governmental and non-governmental organizations, including ASD, that share a common goal of improving agroforestry production opportunities and farming capabilities among forest farmers. The collective aim is to increase awareness of forest-grown medicinal plants through education and relationship building, and support conservation efforts through stewardship of existing plant populations and forest farming of these native botanicals.
For more information about the ABFFC, go to http://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
About Appalachian Sustainable Development
Nationally known and respected for its commitment to local farmers, Appalachian Sustainable Development is transitioning Appalachia to a more resilient economy and a healthier population by supporting local agriculture, exploring new economic opportunities and connecting people with healthy food. Since 1995, ASD has served 15 counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
For more information about ASD, visit www.asdevelop.org, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
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