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APPALACHIAN FOREST FARMER COALITION GROWING OPPORTUNITIES BENEATH THE CANOPY JOIN our email list for forest farming news and announcements LEARN more with forest farming resources and a dedicated video library CONNECT with our growing community of forest farmer and partners GROW with Forest Farming Office Hours, webinars, and in person training What is the Appalachian Forest Farmer 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. Established in 2014, our collective aim has been to increase awareness of forest-grown medicinal, edible plants and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs) through education and relationship building, and support conservation efforts through stewardship of existing plant populations and forest farming of native botanicals. About AFFC AFFC's Partners are you a potential or beginning forest farmer? do you have forest farming questions? If so, be sure to check out our Forest Farming 101 and Resources sections where you can find a clearinghouse of information about Forest Farming and non timber forest products. We are also excited to continue our popular Forest Farming Office Hours , where we connect with forest farmers from all over Appalachia and beyond, and discuss seasonal forest farming topics and answer questions. All regions and experience levels are welcome! 2025 Forest Farming Office Hours Community Forest Farming Calendar The Community Forest Farming Calendar features training, workshops, webinars and regional events with the AFFC and from our partners. Please be sure to follow our Facebook page and online community to learn about online and in-person learning opportunities throughout the year. NFFC Event Calendar MWFFC Event Calendar Forest Farming Footnotes Seasons greetings from the Appalachian Forest Farming Coalition! Click on the buttons below to view the latest Forest Farming Footnotes Newsletter. This edition features several updates and announcements, 2025 Forest Farming Office Hours, Catalyzing Agroforestry website information, new videos and more. After all that 2024 has brought us, we are most grateful for this wonderful group, and the work being done in this and other regions. We send our best wishes to everyone for wellness, warmth, and a wholehearted Holiday Season. Sincerely, The AFFC Team Read the December Footnotes Subscribe to the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition email list below for future newsletters, updates, announcements and more.

Wild Stewards Alliance The Wild Stewards Alliance is a point-of-harvest initiative that offers free training on industry best practices, and certification to wild harvesters and dealers of woodland roots, barks, and herbs. Our goals are to: Grow a trained and certified workforce of wild stewards to meet rising demand Create a sustainable supply chain of woodland botanicals for generations to come Ensure wild harvested botanicals meet top-quality standards Secure fair wages for certified producers to improve rural livelihoods Keep the deep-rooted traditions of wildcrafting alive in Appalachia From 2022-24, the Wild Stewards Alliance: trained and certified 108 wild harvesters and dealers in VA, TN and KY sold 856 pounds of woodland roots, barks, and herbs supplied certified botanicals to 9 buyers across the U.S. and Canada This initiative is currently being piloted by Virginia Tech and Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub in Central Appalachia. About WSA Producer Spotlight Past Trainings For Buyers For Producers Are you looking for forest roots, herbs, or barks that are high quality and sustainably harvested? The Wild Stewards Alliance is here to meet your needs! This network of certified producers is trained and inspected on industry best practices, to ensure top quality and to steward botanicals for future generations of harvesters. Benefits to You sustainable, ethical sourcing verified wild-stewarded supply high quality roots, barks and herbs access to a trained harvester network enhanced sourcing traceability reliable, one-stop shop for aggregated supply How it Works Advanced purchase orders for certified supply can be placed each winter with ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub. Founded in 2017, ASD opened the very first Herb Hub in the country to provide the herbal industry with Appalachia’s highest quality botanicals, backed by top-notch customer service. To learn more about the order process, please visit ASD’s website below. Contact Our Sales Team: Katie Commender, Appalachian Sustainable Development: kcommender@asdevelop.org Order Process: Herb Hub Katie Commender (ASD) If you are a dealer or harvester of wild roots, herbs and barks who is interested in: learning more about the best ways to collect and prepare botanicals for market selling top quality roots, herbs and barks, and getting paid more for your efforts… then you may be a good fit for joining with our Wild Stewards Alliance! Our Certification Program trains you on: plant identification propagation and stewardship sustainable harvest post-harvest handling storage & processing Benefits of becoming certified: top pay for top quality and stewardship plant resources are sustained for generations to come industry recognition and voice participation in a member-led group access to a like-minded community for networking and opportunity increased land access How it Works The Wild Stewards Alliance works with existing dealers and their harvester network to increase membership and sales of certified material. Member dealers and harvesters receive professional training to ensure only the best materials reach Wild Stewards Alliance customers. Trained and certified dealers and harvesters receive top dollar for certified material marketed through the Wild Stewards Alliance network. Would you like to get certified as a Wild Stewards Alliance dealer? Step 1: Contact us today (contact info below)! Step 2: Arrange a Wild Stewards Alliance training session with your harvester network Step 3: Get certified Would you like to get certified as a Wild Stewards Alliance wild harvester? Step 1: Contact your nearest Wild Stewards Alliance dealer Step 2: Attend a training S tep 3: Get certified Contact Our Training Team Robin Suggs, Appalachian Sustainable Development: rsuggs@asdevelop.org John Munsell, Virginia Tech: jfmunsel@vt.edu Point of Harvest Price List (printbale pdf) Wild Stewards Alliance Standards Agreement Robin Suggs (ASD) John Munsell (VT) Wild Stewards Alliance: Producer Spotlight Donnie and Carol, wild herb harvesters from east KY, attended the very first Wild Stewards Alliance training in 2022 to learn about safety, plant identification, sustainable harvesting, processing, storage, and more. They became the very first stewards to get certified. Carol, a 3rd generation wild harvester, praises the Wild Stewards Alliance for deepening her understanding of the importance of sustainability, saying it taught them "how to preserve, how to save." After the training, Carol is happy to now pass that knowledge on. "It's not what you take, it's what you leave behind. Be good to nature, and nature will be good to you." Wild Stewards Alliance Program Trainings

Forest Farming Community The aim of the Appalachian Forest Farmers Coalition is to connect the various forest farmers, partner organizations and groups, community projects, and universities that are taking part in growing the future of forest farming and agroforestry in Appalachia and beyond. Our Forest Farming email list and social media shares virtual and hands on learning opportunities across the Appalachian region, as well as resources, partners, topics and more. AFFC Partner Organizations AFFC Partner Universities AFFC Supporting Organizations Funding for the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition has been sponsored by The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

Forest Farming 101 Page under construction - check back soon. Forest farming is an agroforestry practice which cultivates medicinal and edible plants, fungi, traditional craft and decoratives, bulk materials, and more under a forest canopy that is managed to provide ideal shade levels and habitat. Though many cultures from here and around the world have always tended the forest and and harvested food, medicine, and other necessities, the modern agroforestry practice of forest farming focuses on the cultivation, stewardship and sustainable harvest of these diverse and important resources mostly on a larger scale. These days, the benefits of forest farming are many. Locally, forest farming benefits the forest and its inhabitants through management and conservation, as well as families, communities and consumers by way of economic opportunities and the availability of forest products. On a larger scale, broad agroforestry and forest farming adoption by farmers, private landowners and communities has much potential for the conservation through cultivation of at-risk species, diversity and local/traditional foodways, regenerative agriculture, sustainable sourcing, carbon sequestration and more. Non timber forest products and value added products from the forest are the foundations of income derived from forest farming. From root harvests and raw materials to finished products on market tables and store shelves, everyone is likely familiar with at least one forest product. Gleaming bottles of maple syrup, the famous -and infamous- ramps or wild leeks festivals every spring, and world famous medicinal roots; these are all generously provided by the forest. When these natural resources are well managed, stewarded and sustainably harvested, not only do they give much to the forest ecosystem, but also provide comfort, sustenance, food, medicine, income and more to those who learn to live with -and from- the forest. Key Forest Farming Terms and Concepts Forest Botanicals within the practice of forest farming include any number of plants species that are produced by a forest farm. Typically these forest (shade) obligate species are also native plants and often naturally occurring across the Appalachian region. Popular species include: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius ), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis ), black cohosh (Actaea racemosa ), solomon seal (Polygonatum biflorum ), and many others. Forest Management is fundamental for obvious reasons. As forest farming is a long term endeavor, the ongoing health and continued management of a forest can create or incorporate forest farming opportunities, help restore or enhance biodiversity, and more. Fortunately, there are lots of national, regional and local resources, groups and professionals that can be of assistance landowners. Documents, maps and various levels of planning are all very useful tools for potential and beginning forest farmers. Non timber forest products (NTFPs) are products that come from the forest that are not the result of commercial timber harvest. Examples include: tree saps, edible plants, nuts and fruit, medicinal plants and roots, forest grown mushrooms, live planting stock, craft and decorative supplies and bulk materials like pine straw. Site Assessment is the process of evaluating a forest site for future forest farming purposes. Site Preparation is how forest farmers prepare forest areas for new plantings using seeds or planting stock. Value added products (VAPs) from the forest are products that have been changed, enhanced or stabilized for extended shelf life. Many NTFPs can be processed and made into market ready goods including: jams, jellies or preserves, tree saps and syrups, tea or tea blends, tinctures, essential oils, crafts, dried mushrooms, spices and more. Explore the following resources below to learn more. 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 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.

An Introduction to Forest Farming Page under construction - check back soon. Forest farming is an agroforestry practice which cultivates medicinal and edible plants and fungi, traditional craft and decorative materials, bulk material, and more under a forest canopy that is managed to provide ideal shade levels and habitat. While most agroforestry practices usually involve incorporating trees into other agricultural practices (i.e alley cropping: planting annual crops between rows of trees, and windbreaks: strategically placed rows of trees to decrease wind or snow load), forest farming generally focuses on the cultivation of forest species under an existing forest canopy. Unlike high-production annual farm and garden crops which need full sun and amendments, forest-obligate species are well adapted to shade and competition on the forest floor including from the trees themselves. This results in many factors that can affect cultivation, namely slow growth, changing stages, susceptibility to wildlife and several other considerations. Sometimes, key forest farming species are already naturally occurring, but may need a helping hand to grow into larger populations that can directly support sustainable harvests , which is why good stewardship is a key concept and practice for forest farmers. Forest farming also provides several opportunities for land owners, families and communities to benefit while managing, protecting and conserving the forests for the future. What is Forest Farming? FAQ Who Are Forest Farmers? First, it is very important to acknowledge, honor and respect the indigenous peoples and their practice of stewardship and land management. The first nations have been stewards, foragers, and farmers since time immemorial, and continue these practices to this day. Individuals and families: Forestland owners are incredibly interested in forest farming. Opportunities abound to bring supplemental income, partially relieve tax burdens and invest in the future of families and forests. However, unlike traditionally agriculture with clear seasons, harvests and yields, forest farming is generally a longer term investment, but one with potentially higher values. Forest farming can also be a legacy endeavor of conserving forests, and a family's land well into the future. Communities An ever-growing group of communities now sees the need for community supported agriculture (CSAs), and forest farming is yet another opportunity for folks to come together to make plans, build visions and create these local, resilient and economically viable projects using forest farming and other agroforestry practices. Technical Services Though always high on the list of interests, non-timber forest products and forest farming assistance are generally limited and associated forest resource inventory and habitat management planning services scarce. However, markets for forest farmed products are evolving quickly and forest farming education and networking has increased in the past several years. Improving management services, education and outreach has never been more important. What do forest farmers need? To develop the operational capacity needed to capitalize on emerging markets, forest farmers need technical, administrative, market sales, and state regulatory training and support related to production using forest grown verification, organic production, and best handling and processing practices. They also need access to extension and state agency personnel that are prepared to assist them with forest resource assessments and medicinal plant habitat management.

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 Farming 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

Community Forest Farming Calendar The Community Forest Farming Calendar features online and in person events, workshops, webinars from the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition and our partners . On demand videos and webinars are available in our Forest Farming Video Library . View Calendar on Homepage AFFC's Forest Farming Office Hours Northeast Forest Farming Coalition Events Midwest Forest Farming Coalition Events View Past Events

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

Catalyzing A groforestry Grant Program Thank you for your interest in the Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program! This program has moved to a new website. Please visit CatalyzingAgroforestry.org to learn more about the 2025 Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program (CAGP), and the Agroforestry Regional Knowledge Exchange (ARKx) Networ k. catalyzingagroforestry.org

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. 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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