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With warmer temperatures, fields planted, and rainy afternoons returning to the mountains, the growing season is well underway.
Keep reading for upcoming opportunities to connect, register for volunteer days, and learn more about recent data collection. |
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Bai Shao (白芍) (Paeonia lactiflora) seed head. Jeanine Davis Program 2026. |
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May and June have been filled with planting days and the slow, steady growth that accompanies the start of the growing season.
Above and below ground, crops are establishing, and research projects are entering a busy phase of data collection.
One of our ongoing projects focuses on cataloguing the growth of mature American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Researchers track annual growth through detailed measurements of stems, leaves, and floral structures to better understand how these plants change over time. |
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American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) data collection. Jeanine Davis Program 2026. |
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The Savanna Institute, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is seeking qualified Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) to support producers participating in the Expanding Agroforestry Markets and Production (EAMP) project. |
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The primary goal of this Request for Qualifications is to establish a pool of experienced providers capable of delivering high-quality, regionally appropriate technical assistance to participating producers. Qualified providers will be added to the pool and may be contracted as producer demand and regional capacity needs arise.
Scope of Work
● Conduct consultations with project-approved producers
● Assess land, goals, and feasibility of agroforestry practices
● Develop agroforestry plans aligned with producer goals and site conditions
● Schedule and conduct on-site evaluations, as appropriate
● Document site conditions and recommendations
● Ensure all plans and recommendations align with State and Federal NRCS
standards and specifications
● Capture required data, metrics, and qualitative data, and submit required forms
and related documentation to support project reporting needs, as applicable
● Communicate regularly with Savanna Institute staff
● Participate in periodic coordination meetings and updates as needed
To be considered for this opportunity, please fill out the Application Form
For more information, visit the Program Page.
Please send any questions to adoptionpathways@savannainstitute.org. |
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“Thyme for Safety”: Food Safety Webinar -
Online
July 15, 2026 4-6pm EST |
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Medicinal Herb Growers Discuss Food safety, GAPS, GMPS and More
Free Zoom Webinar.
Learn more at the Eventbrite Website.
Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Learn about regulations and post-harvest handling practices that maintain quality standards for culinary and medicinal herbs.
In this online workshop we will highlight the regulations that can impact herb growers and herbal product makers.
Topics covered include:
- Home processing versus commercial kitchen opportunities
- Food Safety Considerations
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Collection for Medicinal Herbs
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for Medicinal Herbs
- Q & A Panel with Industry Professionals
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Chinese Medicinal Herb Volunteer Day
Mills River, NC
July 16, 2026 9am-12pm EST |
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Chinese Herb Volunteers. Jeanine Davis Program 2026. |
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Our June Chinese Medicinal Herb Volunteer Day was a blast! We weeded our more than 20 species of Chinese medicinal herbs, discussed irrigation and field management practices, and deep-dived into organoleptics (the sensory analysis of a product's physical properties).
Our next volunteer day will be Thursday, July 16th from 9am - 12pm.
To register for a volunteer day, please email Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu.
Please share with friends, students, and colleagues that may benefit from getting to know these plants more intimately. |
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Aerial and Tea Grade Medicinal Herbs: Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling
Mills River, NC
August 5, 2026 2-4pm EST |
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Learn about the best practices to maintain high-quality herbal ingredients for value-added products.
This event takes place in-person at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center in Mills River, NC.
Learn more and register at the Eventbrite link. |
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Forest Farming Office Hours -
August 7, 2026 12-1:30pm EST |
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Join the Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition and NC State University Extension for Q & A, resources, and conversation about forest farming. All regions and experience levels are welcome.
All Forest Farming Office Hours take place on Zoom on designated Fridays from 12 noon to 1:30 pm EST. We realize that some may not be able to attend a lunch session, so we invite you to look through our meeting notes, links and resources, as well as bring your questions to our Forest Farming group on FB. These zoom sessions are not recorded.
To register for Forest Farming Office Hours, please visit the Appalachian Forest Farmers Coalition website or email Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu. |
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Ginseng Regional Production Update
Asheville, NC
September 18th, 2026 |
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Join us for the latest updates on regional ginseng production and marketing.
Lunch and one ounce of high quality stratified seed are included in the price of registration!
There have been some interesting changes in the world of ginseng production! In this workshop we'll review production, marketing, security and a variety of other topics around the production and sales of ginseng in Western North Carolina.
We are excited to have Dr. Jeanine Davis and Dr. Jim Hamilton of NC State Cooperative Extension joining us.
Tickets go on sale July 9th, 2026.
Find more information at the Eventbrite Page. |
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Gather to Grow Forest Farming Conference
Blacksburg, VA
October 23-25th, 2026 |
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The 2nd Gather to Grow multi-day Forest Farming conference will be held in Blacksburg, Virginia on October 23-25, 2026, and will feature learning and networking with the community at the heartwood of forest farming in Appalachia and beyond.
The conference will be held at the Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center on campus and will feature learning, networking, and growing with the community surrounding forest farming of botanicals, mushrooms, syrups, and decorative products in Appalachia. Keynote speakers, an industry panel, regional meet-ups, producer stories, and an expanded expo are all things to look forward to.
For more information visit the Conference Website.
Please contact Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu with questions. |
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Organic Seed Growers Conference
Asheville, NC
March 24-31, 2027 |
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Organic Seed Alliance is thrilled to announce that the Request for Proposals is now LIVE for the 2027 Organic Seed Growers Conference.
We welcome farmers, plant breeders, advocates, government staff, academics, and anyone with practical knowledge of organic seed systems to apply to speak at one of our sessions. (Note: Organic certification is not a requirement.)
We will have separate Pre-conference (March 24-25), In-person (March 26-27) and Virtual (March 30-31) components, providing an interactive agenda of workshops, demonstrations, farm tours, lightning talks, art, seed swaps, affinity spaces, keynote presentations, and of course – celebration!
Priorities for session topics are: nuts-and-bolts sessions (ex: seed cleaning, packing/shipping, contracting) for both beginning and advanced farmers, centering farmer voices, building equity and justice in organic seed work, interactive or audience-engaged sessions, Southeast-focused seedwork, and presentations from Southeastern seedworkers across all tracks (seed production, plant breeding, seed stories, and advocacy & policy).
Speaker proposals are accepted through July 15th, 2026.
Please contact Katie Learn with any questions: osgc27@seedalliance.org. |
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