 |
|
Join the NC Alternative Crops & Organics Program for exciting opportunities across the eastern US! From multi-day conferences to volunteer events, we welcome you to learn and grow with us this year.
Keep reading below to explore a creatively crafted TomatoZine and learn about an exciting new Black Cohosh project announcement! |
|
|
|
TOMI (Tomato Organic Management and Improvement) Project TomatoZine! |
 |
|
Our TOMI project collaborator, the Culinary Breeding Network, has created a beautiful and informational TomatoZine!
Inside you can find information on the origin & domestication of the wild tomato, our own TOMI project, the elusive Indigo Tomato, and more.
See the TomatoZine here.
Visit the Culinary Breeding Network's Zine Collection for more educational zines about buckwheat, quince, and other unique topics.
Learn more about the TOMI project here: https://eorganic.info/tomi |
|
|
|
Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference - June 4-5, 2026
Registration ends this Wednesday! (May 20)
|
 |
|
|
|
The 1st Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference is fast approaching! Register now to be a part of this exciting event, coming up in just 2 weeks.
This in-person event will give agroforesters, forest landowners, new and beginning farmers, service providers and conservation professionals insight into our region’s state of agroforestry, products and marketing approaches, and case studies from practitioners. Keynote speakers are our very own Jeanine Davis and Margaret Bloomquist.
The conference will be held June 4–5, 2026, at the Special Events Building, Ag Progress Days site in Pennsylvania Furnace, PA. The two-day event will have a variety of programs, with a mixture of presentations, panels, tours, workshops, and networking opportunities, designed to build connections across agroforestry networks and build on knowledge to expand accessibility, productivity, and sustainability.
We’re thankful to have a great group of speakers joining to make this happen!
Note that this conference is relatively small, limited to 200 attendees, and we are already more than half full – if you plan to attend, we encourage you to register as soon as possible! |
|
|
|
Chinese Medicinal Herb Volunteer Days -
June 11 & July 26, 2026 9am-12pm EST |
|
|
 |
|
Our May Chinese Medicinal Herb Volunteer Day was a great success! Volunteers discovered the different microclimates needed for select Chinese medicinal herbs to thrive, learned about our research collection of over 25 species of Chinese herbs, and helped to maintain our growing collection of Chinese botanicals using small-scale farming practices.
Upcoming Volunteer Days:
June 11th: 9am - 12pm
July 26th: 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. |
|
|
|
Gather to Grow Forest Farming Conference -
October 23-25, 2026 |
 |
|
The Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition is excited to welcome the community together again to share knowledge and connect this fall in Blacksburg, Virginia on October 23-25, 2026!
Early Bird Registration thru July 15th
Calls for Speakers and Scholarship Requests are now open! Find links at the website.
The 2nd Gather to Grow multi-day Forest Farming conference 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 in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, 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.
Learn more information at our website. |
|
|
|
Forest Farming Office Hours -
October 23-25, 2026 12-1:30pm EST |
 |
|
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.
|
|
|
|
“Thyme for Safety”: Food Safety Webinar -
July 15, 2026 4-6pm EST |
 |
|
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 to be 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
|
|
|
|
Aerial and Tea Grade Medicinal Herbs - Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling Webinar - August 5, 2026 2-4pm EST |
 |
|
Learn about the best practices to maintain high quality herbal ingredients for value-added products.
Free Zoom Webinar.
Learn more at the Eventbrite Website.
Please register to receive the Zoom link. |
|
|
|
AHPA (American Herbal Products Association) - Black Cohosh Project Announcement |
 |
|
View an AHPA press release, detailing our new project Improving Germination and Seedling Vigor of Black Cohosh!
This project aims to improve the supply chain for black cohosh by making production from seed more efficient and reliable.
Press release link here
Project information here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
