Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for year 3 of the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) included: 1) beginning forest farmers with woods grown, wild simulated, and/or managed wild medicinal plant population operations; 2) forestland owners and lessees or caretakers that are interested in managing wild stands of marketable medicinal plants; 3) forestland owners and seekers who would like to begin forest farming using woods grown and/or wild simulated techniques; 4) technical service providers stationed in locales where forest farmers are in need of training and technical assistance; 5) industry stakeholders interested in expanding markets for forest grown raw material; and 6) advanced forest farmers interested in mentoring new forest farmers. Multiple face-to-face and online training efforts reached forest farmers throughout Appalachia and beyond. A mentorship program kicked off in western North Carolina and an online training program for forester continuing education was developed and is being made available on eXtension's online educational portal. A regional producer-industry expo was held. Events, programs, presentations, and capacity building were local, regional, national, and international in scale. Two multi-day programs, 1 industry expo with buyers and sellers from Appalachia and beyond, 2 conference tracks, and 1 presentation at a national herbal products industry expo were held during year 3. Key coalition members also staffed the program's booth display and represented the coalition at two external sustainable ag and/or forest farming meetings. In total, 245 program participants directly benefited from coalition programs. Another 282 joined the coalition, raising membership from 1,252 to 1,543 and video views on the ABFFC's YouTube channel surpassed one million. Changes/Problems:It is clear from the survey response data that members would like to see more educational and networking opportunities available in the future, particularly as related to new products to grow on their land. Creating an easily accessible educational forum for members focusing on dissemination of exchange between practitioners and professionals will be critical for future membership confirmation. In particular, the data indicates a strong desire for more information about edible plants and fungi. Gaps in Programming No clear programming gaps or deficiencies were identifiable from the survey data alone; however, comparing the survey data with past and planned programming may be helpful - particularly what activities coalition members would like to see in the future and what topics they are interested in. What Members would like from the Coalition in the Future Members indicated that they would like to see new information from the coalition in the future, which will be important in tailoring the direction of exchange so as to address the needs of potential members. When asked why they had joined the coalition, at least 38 of 59 forest farmers (64%) said they were in it for education and 18 (31%) said networking was important to them. These were the most common threads in the open-ended responses. When all three groups surveyed were asked what they would like to see from the coalition in the next 3 years, in-person workshops, mentorship, and connecting growers and buyers ranked highest overall. Forest farmers also showed strong interest in connecting with other forest farmers and service providers were interested in planting stock suppliers. Forest farmers are also interested in expanding the portfolio of products grown on their lands as well as new management techniques. The largest percentages of surveyed forest farmers are currently growing woodland medicinal plants (94%), followed by edible plants (42%) and mushrooms (33%). When asked about what they are interested in growing, forest farmers responded with the same items, but in even higher percentages for edible plants (76%) and mushrooms (66%). 56 forest farmers, eight service providers, and three Others commented on the topics they are most interested in. Forest understory management, plant propagation, and marketing outlets came out on top overall, but post-harvest handling/processing and crop certification/verification programs also had a strong showing. Additional Educational Services Additional educational services are needed to further disseminate information to forest farmers. The coalition is considering forming an association to continue providing services like education, technical support, market development, and advocacy. This membership would include two magazines per year, a discounted regional conference registration held every other year, a reduced rate to attend local trainings in conference off-years, association leadership opportunities, planting stock and cultivation sales support, and networking opportunities. Additional Issues Identified: Issues described in open-ended questions seemed to be isolated instances. For example, one individual was not receiving emails because of an incorrect address and was having trouble resolving the issue. Another was looking for tutorials but was having trouble finding them on the website. However, a number of respondents referred to videos and a useful website so most members seemed to have no trouble locating the resources. "Other" suggestions for what people would like to see from the coalition and what topics they are interested in include support to nursery growers, tips for available grants, sources of organic seeds and rhizomes, and better knowledge of how to apply resource assessments to business decisions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Forest Farming Mentorships Summary: Mentor pair 1 August 14 Mentor came out to Everland Cove to tour our property. He brought gifts of tinctures and consulted for several hours about the siting possibilities for various permaculture operations planned for the farm.He provided feedback for myself and our Aquaculture manager, and spurred the vision of several methods of mushroom production on our hardwood-rich acreage. We had a lovely stroll through the medicinal herb forest and discussed growing and marketing of wholesale herbs, and potential collaboration. He also recommended several different herbalist to engage to care for the property, the first of which moved onto the property as of today. I'd call that an excellent start. August 20 Our Aquaculture manager, and I went to Mentor's property for a tour. We talked at length about the various operations he led us to on his farm, including the multi-species livestock operation (goats, pigs, and rabbits), terracing processes, many forms of mushroom cultivation, and the pond system. We had an great time and furthered our collaboration plans. August 30 Mentor was kind enough to meet me at the health food store to discuss infrastructure planning for the Cove. We discussed the potential needs for our farm's processing pavilion, and mentor provided crucial information and guidance about drainage, ergonomics, and harvesting/packaging procedure. He arranged for us to meet simultaneously with a friend who is in the process of designing a commercial kitchen, so that I could also get wisdom about what would be required for potential future development. We also inspected his new two-wheel tractor and I was delighted to watch the modification design process in action. Our processing pavilion is on its last stage of completion. Photos will be available Friday morning. September 20 We brought oak and poplar logs from our construction site to learn innoculation techniques with warm weather Shitakes. Mentor taught us how to use a specialized bit and angle grinder to drill easily into the hardwood, and informed us of many of the tools and tricks available for rapid and effective innoculation. We ordered a set of the same tools while still on site. We took home the plugged poplar (which I had misidentified) and left the oak in Mentor's forest garden. We took home a female silver fox rabbit to match my breeding pair at the cove. I still have the pet carrier. November 2 Mentor will come out and tour the new processing pavilion, and meet with me, others in their newly built apothecary to take pictures and discuss our plans for the permanent raised beds that will grow next year's medicinal herbs. We will site and create a purchase plan for the native orchard to be planted this November. We are excited to collaborate to unify our goals for the medicine we will be making. Mentor pair 2 Mentor: Yes we have met and worked together for about 4 hours one day. We will be meeting again soon. I am in the middle of a family event so we will take up our planning and meeting in a couple weeks. I think I am learning more than the mentee...laugh. Next meet up will be at my place. I took my camera and and carried it around taking plant pictures and production pictures but failed to get us in them. I will take some of us when we get together at my place. Keep you updated. mentee: we had a great day walking the creeks and woods. don't let the mentor fool you, he is a wealth of information and although he might learn a thing or two from me, i'm definitely the major recipient of info here. May 19, 2018: Forest Farming Grower-Industry Expo and Training in Kingsport, TN This event brought together people representing herb companies, apothecaries, and herbal product makers with experienced and aspiring forest farmers for a day of networking and learning.95 attended in total. Topics included herb cultivation and propagation techniques, plant conservation, certification, harvest and post-harvest handling, value-added production and more. More than 20 vendors attended, three of which have since purchased value-added forest grown raw material from several attendees. Forest Farmer Post-Conference Survey Results Before attending this event, my understanding of forest farming and market opportunities was: 44 respondents 5% Excellent 16% Good 34% Moderate 34% Limited 11% Non-existent After attending this event, my understanding of forest farming and market opportunities is: 43 respondents 21% Excellent 16% Good 19% Moderate 2% Limited 0% Non-existent How much did you learn about forest farming and market opportunities during this event? 44 respondents 11% A vast amount 43% A lot 43% A fair amount 2% A little 0% Nothing How much did your understanding of the challenges and opportunities for forest farming products and sales increase as a result of attending this event? 44 respondents 9% A vast amount 52% A lot 30% A fair amount 7% A little 2% No increase How likely are you to use the information you learned at this event? 44 respondents 55% Highly likely 39% Likely 7% Maybe 0% Probably not 0% Not at all likely How relevant was the event to your needs? 44 respondents 52% Completely 36% Mostly 11% Somewhat 0% Only a little 0% Irrelevant How much do you think this event will help you acheive your forest farming goals? 43 respondents 21% A vast amount 15% A lot 16% A fair amount 5% A little 0% Not at all May 20, 2018: Forest Farmer Field Day in Duffield, VA This field day started with a tour of the Appalachian Harvest herb hub and a discussion on the economics of cultivating forest-grown medicinal herbs. After a catered lunch, attendees toured forest farmer Ryan Huish's nearby farm, learning about his plans for cultivating forest herbs, along with plant identification and information on site selection and more. March 23-25: Planning, Managing, and Growing Your Forest Farming Business A Rural Action and Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition Multi-day Intensive in Hocking Hills, OH. The multiday training was attended by 45 people. The meeting included interactive discussion, hands on demonstration and woods walks, along with a series of testimonials and market reports all designed to improve attendees grasp on the economics of successful forest farming. Post-Conference Survey Results Before attending this training event, I would rank my understanding of forest farming business planning and management as: 35 respondents 0% Excellent 11% Good 29% Moderate 49% Limited 11% Non-existent After attending this training event, I would rank my understanding of forest farming business planning and management as: 35 respondents 6% Excellent 54% Good 37% Moderate 9% Limited 0% Non-existent How much did you learn about forest farming business planning and management during this training? 35 respondents 20% A vast amount 37% A lot 46% A fair amount 0% A little 0% Nothing How much did your understanding of the challenges and opportunities for forest farming business opportunities in Appalachia increase as a result of attending this training? 34 respondents 12% A vast amount 59% A lot 26% A fair amount 23% A little 0% No increase How likely are you to use the information you learned at this training? 35 respondents 54% Highly likely 40% Likely 6% Maybe 0% Probably not 0% Not at all likely How relevant was the training to your needs? 35 respondents 34% Completely 49% Mostly 14% Somewhat 3% Only a little 0% Irrelevant How much do you think this training will help in achieving your forest farming business development goals? 35 respondents 23% A vast amount 63% A lot 14% A fair amount 3% A little 0% Not at all How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?https://www.facebook.com/FarmingForests/ https://www.youtube.com/user/exforestfarming (more than one million views of over 300 videos; 5.2k subscribers) https://www.pinterest.com/forestfarming/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The ABFFC executed the project survey to gauge their success to-date, to identify knowledge gaps, and to seek feedback from coalition members on how the direction of future ABFFC activities should be implemented. Survey results provided critical data which will be used to inform the ABFFC and guide how it interacts with members going forward and what programs and services are needed. Specifically, the objectives of the survey determined: Member status in terms of active forest farming, land access, and forest farming plans The degree of helpfulness or success of the ABFFC programs and services Gaps in programming (See Section 6) What members would like from the Coalition in the future (See Section 6) Of approximately the 1,400 ABFFC members, analysis has been completed on 89 (6.4%) responses, comprised of forest farmers (72), technical service providers (8), and members who identified as "Other" or "Industry" (9). Overall, 106 responses have been received to date. Respondents were very enthusiastic about the education and networking opportunities offered by the Coalition, and most of them indicated that membership had had a positive effect on some aspect of their forest farming or service operations. Member status in terms of active forest farming, land access, and forest farming plans Robust data was obtained about participating forest farmer demographics, land tenure, and overall future management plans. These data are needed for the developing long-term coalition planning. About Thirty (58%) of 52 forest farmer respondents were female and the balance (42%) were male. They ranged in age from 23 to 70 with an average age of 49. Most forest farmers surveyed own the land they are forest farming. 83% of 53 respondents said they own their own land, which ranged in size from one to 620 acres with a median size of 29 acres. Seven of 50 respondents (14%) lease their land, and six of them lease 33 acres or fewer. Most of the respondents (36), when asked how long they had been forest farming, indicated they were relatively new at it, with about 90% farming for less than five years, and 61% farming for two or fewer. 83% of respondents own their land. The largest percentage (39%) of those selling their forest farmed products do so to market consumers (e.g., farmers markets, groceries, other direct-to-consumer sales), while 44% do not sell their products yet. When members were surveyed as to how interested they were in starting a forest farming operation, all 29 respondents were fairly to very interested with 55% of them being very interested, 24% being fairly interested, and 21% were more than fairly but less than very interested. Three quarters of them said they had learned more about forest farming through the coalition and respondents experienced other benefits such as staying current on events, improving their businesses, supporting the forest farming cause, and networking. The degree of helpfulness or success of the ABFFC programs and services Results from the ABFFC member survey indicate that respondents had positive experience with the coalition. A vast majority, 91%, of forest farmer respondents had experienced positive effects of involvement. When offered an open-ended question asking how they had benefitted from joining, 33 of 48 forest farmer respondents (69%) said unequivocally that they benefitted and specifically mentioned in-person trainings (6 people), networking opportunities (9), and resources including videos, website, and Facebook articles (11). At least seven of the 13 negative or neutral responses seemed to be from people who had just joined and had not yet had the opportunity to benefit. Given an open-ended opportunity to describe why they had joined the coalition, 64% of forest farmers said they were in it for education and 31% indicated that networking was important to them. The strongest responses from all three groups (forest farmers, service providers, and others) about what they would like to see from the coalition in the next three years were in-person workshops, mentorship, and connecting growers with buyers. Topping the list of crops farmers are currently growing and those they are interested in growing are woodland medicinal plants, edible plants, and mushrooms and what they are interested in, and in terms of programming, forest understory management, plant propagation, and marketing outlets came out on top. Over half of the forest farmers responding said they are willing to share their successes and challenges with the coalition, primarily by presentation/testimonial or by written story but significant numbers were also willing to mentor or make a video. Over 65% of all survey respondents are willing to volunteer on behalf of the coalition, most popularly by volunteering at conferences and promoting the coalition, but individuals are also willing to mentor beginning forest farmers, contribute to the newsletter, and recruit new coalition members. 63% of all the respondents follow the coalition on Facebook, and the website articles, YouTube videos, in-person trainings, and newsletter were all utilized to a similar degree. Member recruitment is strong through United Plant Savers, Appalachian Sustainable Development, and Rural Action with social media, internet searches, and word-of-mouth also drawing members. Additional results of the survey indicate the ABFFC coalition is having a positive impact on the forest farming community in respect to information exchange, organization, networking, and dissemination of information. Specific results showed that forest farmers have been using the coalition to learn more about forest farming (75%), stay abreast of current happenings (41%), improve their businesses (34%), support the forest farming cause (34%), to network (32%), and to better manage their operations (29%). The eight service providers responding to the survey also reported positive experiences, sharing that the coalition had helped them share resources with forest farmers, support forest farmers, network, gain knowledge (all 75%), support forest farming organizations (63%), stay current with information (88%), and support the forest farming cause (50%). One was able to connect a forest farm land seeker with a landowner. Three forest farmers were able to aggregate product for Mountain Rose Herbs, while one individual shared that because of forest farming on his family farm, the operation will be able to support itself by the time he inherits it and he will be able to pass it along in good shape to his son, who will be the 4th generation on the land. A service provider praised the ABFFC as being "well-funded, well organized, and effective" and credits it with providing better communication among the community.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
10th issue of the Forest Farming Footnotes newsletter
|
Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for year 2 of the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) included beginning forest farmers with woods grown, wild simulated, and/or managed wild medicinal plant population operations, forestland owners that are interested in managing their wild stands of marketable medicinal plants, and forestland owners who would like to begin forest farming using woods grown and/or wild simulated techniques, and technical service providers stationed in locales where forest farmers are in need of training and technical assistance. Engagement to build awareness among nutraceutical and herbal products industry representatives was also a priority. Face to face and online training efforts reached people throughout Appalachia and beyond. Trainings occurred at the local, regional, national, and international scales. Three multi-day programs, 4 conference tracks, 3 one-day training events, a 1-day technical service provider intensive, a luncheon keynote at a national conference, and an awareness-building presentation for industry professionals were held during year 2 of the project with a total of 828 participants. Events were inclusive and provided training for economically disadvantaged and minority populations in rural Appalachia and beyond. Several attendees were also US military veterans across all face-to-face trainings and a large number of women forest farmers and landowners were represented as well, especially at the events held in NC and WV. A keynote presentation during the luncheon at the 11th Minority Landowner Magazine conference in Greensboro, NC reached over 175 minority landowners with information about forest farming and the ABFFC. Online and video trainings have also reached over 1,473 people up to this point. Changes/Problems:There are no major problems to report that would have a significant impact on expenditure, schedule or goals, though there have been changes in terms of program structure, as well as several unexpected outcomes. The project narrative originally called for 2 technical service provider events in year 2 but we have held one in 2017 and plan to hold the second in year two. We had several added training events for forest farmers this year with external partners (Listed in "other" under products) and two of our project partners choose to host their second multi-day events in the spring of 2018 instead of fall 2017 because that timing aligned better with their internal programing goals. Thus, we will be holding events in project year three though we did not originally plan to do so. Organizations began reaching out to the ABFFC requesting to partner on training events in their locales and as a result we developed Curriculum guides for external events for beginning and intermediate forest farming trainings and held 5 added events in year two. We remain open to external partnerships on training events for year three. Two new partnerships were forged in year 2. Warren Wilson College and Organic Growers School partnered with the ABFFC to host a very successful event in the Asheville, NC region. The ABFFC has also teamed up with Kentucky State University faculty coordinating a BFRDP project in eastern Kentucky to develop programming to service their project participants. A high rate of attendance was achieved for all events. Along with education and training, helping stakeholders connect and build relationships across the supply chain is a key project goal for the ABFFC and we have seen tangible gains in this arena again in the second year of the project as stated in the previous section, Including continued operation of a coalition member grower cooperative in the Virginia who contracted with an herb company for a second year to sell raw botanical material. along with several coalition members establishing new contractual relationships with buyers to sell their crop with the assistance of the ABFFC network and partnerships. A regional herb hub was opened by one of our NGO partners in Virginia that our forest farmers used for the first time in August to process their harvests to the specifications of their buyers. More coalition members made a profit from their forest grown medicinal plants for the first time this year. The formation of this direct, grower to buyer relationships was an intermediate rather than initial expected outcome for the project. The early growth of these contractual relationships in year 1 and continued development in year 2, along with the exposure the coalition and forest farming have received within the nutraceutical products manufacturing industry (mentioned in the products section) are testaments to the interest and demand for forest-farmed products. The ABFFC is also currently working with several new potential byers and expect to match them with coalitions growers in year 3. Other developments include parallel projects spearheaded by ABFFC NGO partner organizations including a new project to extend the forest grown verification opportunities into parts of Ohio and West Virginia to make verification even more accessible across the region and a coalition member who worked with project partners to apply for a research grant to analyze and assess market readiness of black cohosh leaf. As part of this work, the University of Virginia at Wise and the Appalachian College of Pharmacy have joined forces with the ABFFC to advance its precision and services in support of forest farming in Central Appalachia. The ABFFC led informational presentations at 9 conferences in 2017. We have confirmed dates, curriculum, and agendas for our final year three multi-day internal forest farmer training events and one event geared toward extension and agency professionals and other forest farming service providers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development are listed in detail under section 4 'Other Products'. The ABFFC project kicked off year 2 with a series of 4 conference-training tracks at the PASA, CASA, and Organic Growers School Conferences at the end of 2016 and in early 2017. We provided 3 multi-day training events, multiple 1-day trainings and conference add-on sessions held in diverse locations across Appalachian in Year 2. We also held a 1-day field intensive at the North American Agroforestry Conference designed to give 24 extension and agency personnel in-depth knowledge of forest farming from site-selection and planning to planting, propagation, and harvest procedures, enabling them to support beginning forest farmers in their service areas. In year 2 the ABFFC worked with existing project partners and 4 new, external partner organizations to host a total of 14 forest farming trainings. These new partnerships signal the rapid popularity and visibility of the beginning forest farmer coalition, in that new, aspiring partners approached coalition members about joining forces for future programs because of need and interest among their clientele. Coalition leaders worked in year 2 to determine a framework for new collaborations that increase the sustainability and permanence of the coalition. Two Curriculum Guidance Documents were created to guide the process of planning and implementation of educational events with external partners for beginning forest farmer programs and intermediate-level programs. These documents provide a flexible model that is adaptive yet holds true to ABFFC core curriculum and values. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Numerous forest farming feature videos, trainings, website compendiums, and face to face presentations What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, programming follow up survey and review feedback form will be sent to all coalition members. A second annual 1-day retreat will be held where data and results from year 1 participant evaluations will be discussed and reflected upon. The ABFFC advisory board will continue to implement and revise organizational and decision-making protocols according to member input and engage in specific action items outlined in their plans for outreach and policy initiatives. Development and refining of the ABFFC project website will continue as the resources section is re-designed based on viewer feedback for better accessibility and maneuverability, along with an open access 24/7 member survey link to continuously collect feedback. Issues 4 and 5 of the bi-annual Appalachian Forest Farmer Footnotes e-book will be published and disseminated to coalitions members in the spring and fall of Year 3. ABFFC will host two multi-day follow-on forest farmer trainings that will be structured to go more deeply into specific topics, and one will include a grower-industry expo and meet and greet to encourage relationship building and offer opportunities for buyers to discuss relevant information relating to processing specifications, etc. We are also planning one, 1-day forest farm inventory and medicinal plant habitat management planning services trainings for extension and agency personnel for year 3.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Increasing demand for high-quality, herbal and nutraceutical products is improving the financial equation for forest farmers. Receiving premium prices for medicinal plant products depends on a forest farmer's ability to consistently supply forest grown material. The Appalachian region contains native habitat for many farmable medicinal plants and is home to rich ethnobotanical connections. Trained and connected (to fellow forest farmers and service providers), beginning Appalachian forest farmers will be in a better position to capitalize on industry demand and sustain premium sales of high-quality forest grown organic stock. A collaboration across multiple academic institutions and governmental and non-governmental organizations, the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) is a project that increases opportunities for forest farmers and forestland owners in Appalachia and beyond who are interested in starting or expanding/diversifying a forest farming operation. The ABFFC has promoted and expanded cultivation and conservation of native non-timber forest medicinal products and prepared Appalachian forest farmers to supply verified and organic forest grown raw material to nutraceutical and herbal product industries by providing technical, administrative, and market sales training, and opportunities for farmer-farmer and farmer-industry representative networking. The coalition gained 1,252 members from April 2016 to August 2017, 787 new members in year 2. Coalition membership is comprised predominantly of forest farmers and also includes members affiliated with industry or agency, and 'other'. A coalition website with a large resources section and an 'Ask and Expert' page was developed and is continually updated. A coalition members only Facebook group was created in year 2 with 295 active group members and an ABFFC Facebook Page was created with 895 followers that also links to the ABFFC twitter account. An instructional video series on various forest farming topics, as well as a forest farmer feature video series that showcases new and beginning forest farmers and their operations has continued to grow with 32 new videos published in year 2. The ABFFC Advisory board finalized a coalition charter and organizational guidelines, as well as action plans related to forest farming outreach and policy. The coalition has trained over 828 forest farmers and landowners in the project's year 2 face-to-face internal and external events and an additional 721 through online learning tools and videos on the ABFFC website, for a total of 1,549 trained. 24 extension and agency personnel were also trained during a 1-day forest farm inventory and medicinal plant habitat management planning services trainings. Coalition members gained access to partner organization resources across the region such as organic certification and Forest Grown verification cost share program, discounted seed and planting stock, and regional processing facilities. A community forest farmer cooperative was established in SW Virginia among members of a community growers association that supplied an emerging market opportunity for verified forest grown botanicals to a prominent herbal products company for the second year in a row with more growers joining in. Several coalition members also were able to establish new contractual relationships with buyers to sell their crop with the assistance of the ABFFC network and partnerships, making a profit from their forest grown medicinal plants for the first time. Coalition partner Appalachian Sustaibable Development harnessed the coalition network and momentum to secure funding for and open the Appalachian Harvest "Herb Hub" in SW Virginia where ABFFC members can efficiently process their harvested materials to the specifications of buyers at low cost in a GAP certified facility. Coalition Partner Rural Action harnessed the same ABFFC momentum to extend and expand the Forest Grown Verified label into Ohio and West Virginia. Another coalition member grower worked with the ABFFC network to apply for funding to investigate the use of Black Cohosh leaf as a sustainable alternative to root harvest. The formation of these direct grower to buyer to consultant relationships and service expansions were intermediate rather than initial expected outcomes for the project. The early growth of contractual relationships between forest farmers and herbal products companies in year 1 expanded in year 2 to include four new producers of verified forest grown material. This is a testament to the interest and demand for forest-farmed products, as well as evidence of the role and impact of the ABFFC in making appropriate connections and building momentum and capacity among producers. Along with direct training for farmers, the ABFFC acts through its multiple partner networks as a conduit, linking key stakeholders across the supply chain and facilitating individual relationship building, which will strengthen the industry overall. The ABFFC presented on forest farming at the 6th Annual American Herbal Product Association Botanical Council at Supply Side West Expo in a program titled "Grown in thr U.S.A.". This outreach leads to expanded awareness in the neutraceutical industry of transparent, sustainable, and quality domestic sourcing opportunities and new, reliable income opportunities for Appalachian communities. The coalition also improves access to farm resource inventory and plant habitat management support services by providing targeted medicinal plant forest farming training to extension and other agency service personnel and linking them with forest farmers in their area. Additional technical service provider trainings are scheduled for year 3 and will take place through state agencies and other stakeholder organizations. The ABFFC is also completing its technical service provider registry, which will list trained and knowledgeable service providers by state and locale in a lookup menu on the ABFFC website. Here, a continual and growing list of resource experts will be maintained providing coalition members and the general public access to a registry with local experts that can help them solve their problems.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
https://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org
|
Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for year 1 included beginning forest farmers with woods grown, wild simulated, and/or managed wild medicinal plant population operations, forestland owners that are interested in managing their wild stands of marketable medicinal plants, and forestland owners who would like to begin forest farming using woods grown and/or wild simulated techniques. Face to face and online training efforts reached people throughout Appalachia and beyond. Eight year 1 face-to-face events took place in Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky, drawing participants from each local area and surrounding counties, as well as from surrounding states, and drew close to 340 participants. Maximum capacity was reached at the final three multi-day training events for year 1. Events were subsidized in order to be inclusive and provided opportunity for economically disadvantaged populations in rural Appalachia to attend. Several attendees were also US military veterans across all face-to-face trainings and a large number of women forest farmers and landowners were represented as well, especially at the events held in TN and OH. Online trainings have also reached over 750 people up to this point. Changes/Problems:There are no major problems to report that would have a significant impact on expenditure, schedule or goals, though there has been one change in terms of program structure, as well as several unexpected outcomes. The project narrative originally called for 4 events in year 1, two in the southern region and two in the northern region of Appalachia, where each of the for ABFFC NGO partner organizations would choose one location to hold a single, multi-day event. NGO partner organizations indicated a preference to host events within the communities they are already serving. Two of our project partners are located within the same geographic area with overlapping networks in southeastern Ohio. For this reason, one partner elected to plan 3, 1-day events in three separate communities in Ohio and Kentucky earlier in the year to access a wider community and garner interest in the subsequent multi-day training to be hosted by the other NGO partner in that region. This alteration in program structure enabled ABFFC curriculum and support to reach beyond what would have been possible otherwise. A high rate of attendance was achieved for all events and the three multi-day trainings sold out in advance and reached capacity as more spaces were added to accommodate interest. Along with education and training, helping stakeholders connect and build relationships across the supply chain is a key project goal for the ABFFC and we have seen tangible gains in this arena even in the first year of the project as stated in the previous section, Including a forest farmer cooperative taking shape in Virginia among members of a community growers association and several coalition members establishing new contractual relationships with buyers to sell their crop with the assistance of the ABFFC network and partnerships, making a profit from their forest grown medicinal plants for the first time. The formation of these direct, grower to buyer relationships was an intermediate rather than initial expected outcome for the project. The early growth of these contractual relationships in year 1 is testament to the interest and demand for forest-farmed products. Other developments include parallel projects spearheaded by ABFFC NGO partner organizations including a new processing facility for forest medicinal crops in Virginia and a planting stock project that will supply coalition members as early as next year. Mounting interest across the Appalachian region in forest farming as a viable income opportunity and subsequently the ABFFC as a leading education and service provider has also resulted in new external partnerships. Organizations began reaching out to the ABFFC requesting to partner on training events in their locales and as a result we began to develop protocols for external partnerships outside of the project partner organizations. The ABFFC lead a presentation at the 2016 International Herb Association Conference in Columbia, MD in August 2016 and are set to give a short course on forest farming at the 7th Small Farmers Conference in September. We have also confirmed dates, curriculum, and agendas for four additional external partner events to take place in 2017 along with our internally organized year 2 events for forest farmers and another series geared toward extension and agency professionals and other forest farming service providers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development are listed in detail under section 4 'Other Products'. The ABFFC project kicked off with a series of four internal live professional development webinars geared specifically toward project partners to ensure a consistent general understanding of key elements of forest farming and the forest medicinal plant market as a baseline to begin work on the project. For Forest farmers and landowners, we have provided three 1-day training events, three multi-day weekend training events including an online preparatory pre-conference course, and two 1-day forest medicinal plant industry stakeholder meetings, for a total of 8 training events held in diverse locations throughout the Appalachian region. Additionally, the ABFFC partnered with two external organizations to present on the forest medicinal plant market and supply chain at the International Herb Association Conference in Columbia, MD and to plan for an ABFFC lead short course of forest farming in September, 2016 at the 7th Small Farmer's Conference in Virginia Beach, VA. We have also confirmed dates, curriculum, and agendas for four other external partner events to take place in 2017 along with our internally organized year 2 events for forest farmers and another series geared toward extension and agency professionals and other forest farming service providers. These new partnerships signal the rapid popularity and visibility of the beginning forest farmer coalition, in that new, aspiring partners approached coalition members about joining forces for future program because of need and interest among their clientele. Coalition leaders are working to determine how best to proceed such that the new collaboration increases the sustainability and permanence of the coalition. In that regard, coalition leaders envision new program models based on self-sufficiency to enhance the possibility for future and long-term programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, programming follow-up surveys will be sent to all event participants of year 1 events in December 2017. An annual 1-day reflective retreat for all project partners will be held where data and results from year 1 participant evaluations will be discussed and reflected upon in order to plan appropriate follow-on year 2 trainings. An annual review feedback form focused on coalition development and activities will be sent to all members in 2017 along with a new coalition member registration survey. The ABFFC advisory board will continue to develop organizational and decision-making protocols according to member input while also developing plans for outreach and policy initiatives. Development of the project website will continue, as an interactive section on regional resources for processing and value added production facilities is added, along with an open access 24/7 member survey link to continuously collect feedback. Issues 3 and 4 of the bi-annual Appalachian Forest Farmer Chronicle e-book will be published and disseminated to coalitions members in the spring and fall of Year 2, a forest farmer-to-forest farmer mentorship program will be initiated in year two, pairing at least 20 beginning Appalachian forest farmers with more experienced mentors for shared learning and engagement over the next two years. ABFFC will host four multi-day follow-on forest farmer trainings that will be structured to go more deeply into specific topics, and two more industry stakeholder meetings. We are also planning two, 1-day forest farm inventory and medicinal plant habitat management planning services trainings for extension and agency personnel for year 2.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Increasing demand for high- quality, herbal and nutraceutical products is improving the financial equation for forest farmers. Receiving premium prices for medicinal plant products depends on a forest farmer's ability to consistently supply forest grown material. The Appalachian region contains native habitat for more than 15 forest farmable medicinal plants and is home to rich ethnobotanical connections. If trained and connected (to fellow forest farmers and service providers), beginning Appalachian forest farmers will be in a better position to capitalize on industry demand and sustain premium sales of high-quality forest grown organic stock. A collaboration across multiple academic institutions and governmental and non-governmental organizations, the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) is a project that increases opportunities for forest farmers and forestland owners in Appalachia and beyond who are interested in starting or expanding/diversifying a forest farming operation. The ABFFC has promoted and expanded cultivation and conservation of native non-timber forest medicinal products and prepared Appalachian forest farmers to supply verified and organic forest grown raw material to nutraceutical and herbal product industries by providing technical, administrative, and market sales training, and opportunities for farmer-farmer and farmer-industry representative networking. The coalition gained 465 members from April 2016 to August 2016. Coalition membership is comprised predominantly of forest farmers and also includes members affiliated with industry or agency, and 'other'. A coalition website was developed with a large resources section, 3 forums, and an 'Ask and Expert' page. An instructional video series was created on various forest farming topics, as well as a forest farmer feature video series that showcases new and beginning forest farmers and their operations. The ABFFC has trained over 300 forest farmers and landowners in the project's year 1 face-to-face internal and external events and an additional 752 through online learning tools and videos on the ABFFC website, for a total of 1,052 trained. Two industry stakeholder meetings were also held during year 1 providing opportunities for networking across the supply chain. Coalition members gained access to partner organization resources across the region such a certification and verification cost share program, discounted seed and planting stock, and regional processing facilities. A community forest farmer cooperative is taking shape in SW Virginia among members of a community growers association in order to supply an emerging market opportunity for verified forest grown botanicals to a prominent herbal products company. Several coalition members also were able to establish new contractual relationships with buyers to sell their crop with the assistance of the ABFFC network and partnerships, making a profit from their forest grown medicinal plants for the first time. Another coalition member developed a relationship with a verifying organization and now provides services for them by working with forest farmers to verify their crops as forest grown. The formation of these direct grower to buyer to consultant relationships was an intermediate rather than initial expected outcome for the project. The early growth of these contractual relationships in year 1 is testament to the interest and demand for forest-farmed products. Along with direct training for farmers, the ABFFC acts through its multiple partner networks as a conduit, linking key stakeholders across the supply chain and facilitating individual relationship building, which will strengthen the industry overall. This leads to new, reliable income opportunities for Appalachian communities and a transparent, sustainable supply of quality material to domestic herbal and nutraceutical product companies. The coalition also improves access to farm resource inventory and plant habitat management support services by providing targeted medicinal plant forest farming training to extension and other agency service personnel and linking them with forest farmers in their area. The service provider sub-committee met on two occasions and began planning for trainings scheduled in year 2. Two events have been identified and planning is underway. One will be included as part of a northeast and mid-Atlantic agroforestry academy in early 2017 and the other will be held as a pre-conference training at the North American Agroforestry conference in June 2017. Several sub-committee members announced training opportunities for service providers at various regional events primarily attended by agency foresters and agricultural leaders. Outputs for Objective 1: 1) An advisory board was established including 9 coalition board members representing beginning forest farmers, extension agents, government and non-government professionals, universities, and supply-chain experts with guidelines for 100% consensus on decision-making; 2) A coalition charter document and decision-making protocols were developed by the advisory board for board interactions and the coalition. Project goals and objectives are posted on the ABFFC website as are pictures and biographies of the current advisory board members: http://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/about/; 3) Announcements and information are disseminated via listserv email that reaches 624 individuals; 4) An annual review feedback form focused on coalition development and activities will be sent to all members in early 2017 Outputs for Objective 2: 1) Three, 2-day and three, 1-day training events took place with a total of 224 participants; 2) Two additional conference sessions took place with 100 participants; 3) Pre- post- evaluations and individual session response cards were administered and results demonstrate that participants felt the material presented was useful and relevant, with significant gains in knowledge. Participants also indicated that they are interested in establishing or expanding forest farming plots of medicinal plants as a result of the training; 4) A pre-conference preparatory course was offered online to all registrants prior to each 2-day event with 240 views. 98 viewers participated in the Pre and post evaluations for the preparatory course and results indicated that viewers gained relevant and meaningful knowledge in each topic area and felt more prepared for the ABFFC event they would be attending; 5) Private attendee directories were created and shared with participants for each multi-day event; 6) The ABFFC website went live in April 2016 and includes instructional resources many topics. The resources page currently houses 126 instructional videos, 8 webinars, extension publications for cultivation of 8 forest medicinal crops, and the Forest Farming Footnotes Newsletter archive with 752 views by August 2016. ABFFC Resources page: http://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/resources/ ; 7) Several forums were created on the ABFFC Website to enable member-to-member communication and collaboration: http://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/forums/ ; 8) Coalition members are connected with seed and planting stock and equipment supply programs via the ABFFC website forums and at face-to-face events; 9) An online events calendar is accessed from the ABFFC and is updated regularly: http://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/386-2/ ; 10) Species specific plant fact sheets on cultivation, certification, and best handling and processing practices are available on the ABFFC forest farming website and disseminated at face-to-face events; 11) The Appalachian Forest Farming Footnotes e-newsletter was sent to 600 recipients in March 2016 for its first issue and Issue 2 was released October 2016. Outputs for Objective 3: 1) 2 trainings scheduled for year 2, aimed at service providers on developing forest farming inventory and medicinal plant habitat management skills
Publications
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