Press release from Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center:
Join the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition for a two-day fall training event at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center. The program will focus on all of the ways to add value to Appalachian native forest crops like goldenseal, black cohosh and ginseng so that you can make money doing what you love!
Demonstrations, hands-on activities, case studies and expert talks will cover specialized topics on forest botanicals from harvest to the shelf. We’ll kick off Friday with pre-conference tour from 1-3 p.m. of community processing facilities and laboratories in the area, and come together at Montreat starting at 4 p.m. for a group welcome dinner and Vendor/Maker Share Fair, where participants will have the opportunity to share what they are doing or just peruse the tables and meet like-minded folks who are doing interesting things with forest botanicals. Saturday we’ll have options for demonstrations on ways to add value to your raw ingredients, local business case studies, and group lectures. Sunday morning we’ll dive into creative marketing and the multitude of regional resources available to assist you in your endeavors.
Topics covered include: harvesting, drying, packaging, labeling, tincture and other herbal product making, nursery and eco-/agritourism opportunities, essential oil production, and more! Our teaching team of makers, producers, industry representatives, cooperative extension, growers, lab personnel, and our forest farming community members will gather and share knowledge and experience over this fun weekend together with plenty of opportunities for networking.
Join us for a beautiful autumn weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains, options available for on-site accommodation, meals, and individualized session registration to fit all budgets. Cost of the full two-day event is $80 including all meals, demos, lectures, and gatherings. Option to add on a Friday pre-training tour for $10. For folks traveling in, various lodging options are available for a separate cost, including at the Montreat Lodge for $20 per person per night. Check out the draft agenda here.
Register for this event here.
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