Farmers Head Into the Woods

news & ideas for local growers

Volume 29 / Number 9 October 2020 since 1992 Farmers head into the woods Agroforestry growing as a way to diversify farms By Jane Tanner able grants and reimbursements to Yet, loss of wholesale customers encourage cultivation and protection like Whole Foods sent Sawyer into the At Windy Hill Farm in Elk Creek, of forest plants. The Virginia De- woods. He harvests armfuls of sting- Virginia, Michelle Pridgen’s main partment of Agriculture reimbursed ing nettle (Urtica dioica) that grows crops are winter and spring high tun- Pridgen for about half the cost of or- in the woods to bring in about $100 a nel greens, along with tomatoes, pep- ganic certification of the cohosh and week in sales to a local herbalist, chefs pers and flowers. Years ago, she went Appalachian Sustainable Develop- who use them in soups (although into the woods on the property to ment reimbursed the Forest Grown restaurants sales have dropped dur- move some black cohosh (Actaea rac- Certification expenses. ing COVID-19), along with market emosa) into an ornamental perennial As Pridgen dug up the black co- customers who cook and eat them border but never considered it a cash hosh, she simultaneously replanted like spinach. Blanching removes the crop. Then, a Virginia Tech doctoral roots with growth nubs to regenerate stinging properties. student persuaded her to participate it. More than 70 percent of the re- Sawyer converted a used bakery in a trial to prove certified sustain- planting took; it also self-seeds well. proofing oven into a dehydrator by able forest crops fetch much higher She waits at least three years between adding a 1500-watt toaster oven ele- prices than wild harvested plants like harvests and plans to move the black ment and increasing ventilation with cohosh that are losing habitat and are cohosh back from the perennial bor- two-inch holes in the top of the cabi- overharvested. der. She’s considering starting a patch net. “I personally like to reach 140 de- In 2015, Pridgen earned $25 a of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) grees for about 15 minutes to ensure pound from Mountain Rose Herbs in her forest. most bacteria is killed even if I slow in Oregon for Forest Grown Certi- Chris Sawyer at Jake’s Farm in dry with lower temps,” he said. Herb- fied dried black cohosh root, 25 times western North Carolina didn’t con- alists prefer dried herbs and Sawyer more than wild harvested root. How- sider forest crops until GAP rules cut also dehydrates strawberries and oth- ever, Pridgen broke even because she his lucrative wholesale sales. His farm er crops. didn’t understand post-harvest han- complied with all the rules but one: Muscadine grapes grow in the dling and over washed it, over dried dogs. The dogs suppress voles, moles trees on the forest edge, and farther it and meticulously pulled off the root and rabbits that thrive on his isolated into the canopy Sawyer is starting a hairs, which could have stayed on. wooded property. Jake’s Farm con- patch of giant Solomon’s seal (Polygo- A few years later, she sold anoth- tinues to sell at tailgate markets and natum biflorum). He participated in er batch to Mountain Rose at $60 a grows greens all winter along with a several ginseng (Panax quinquefo- pound and came out well-ahead with long list of vegetables, sweet cherries, lius) workshops and anticipates get- lower labor time. For both sales, she strawberries and figs in fields and two ting that going. A plant expert helped also benefitted from the widely avail- 6,000-square-foot-greenhouses. him identify yellowroot (Xanthorhiza

Garlic planting / 7 Compost sifter and spreader / 14 Observations for quality flowers / 24

GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020 1 Left: Chris Sawyer of Jake’s Farm harvesting stinging nettle. Photo by Courtney Gryzb. Right: Dried ginseng root ready for sale. Photo courtesy of Terry Black. simplicissima) and mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) al- sassafrass; orchards in areas transitioning back to forest, ready growing in the woods, and he plans to expand those. such as polyculture layering of tall trees (e.g., chestnut) “It’s something to keep your crew busy when they’re in be- and smaller trees (pawpaw and persimmons) and even tween crops,” Sawyer said. “There’s undiscovered money trees inoculated with truffles; riparian buffers, where in the woods, like treasure hunting.” commercially valuable shrubs like witch hazel do well; Agroforestry — combining agriculture and trees in alley cropping; and silvopasture, combining animals and sustainable systems — is a large umbrella that covers agriculture. plants under the tree canopy; saps and syrups; forest-edge Areas ill-suited for other crops can work well. Eric loving crops such as elderberry, raspberry, sumac, and Nelson, who has a vineyard outside Lincoln, Nebraska,

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2 GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020 planted curly willow and cardinal, “In many cases, harvesting timber vor and can be used in many ways, as red and yellow twig dogwoods on two won’t be worth putting that land out spice powders, in vinegars, soups and odd-shaped acres that wouldn’t work of commission for many years. Using blended in butters. for grapes. Some trees that went in 20 the shade of the canopy is a great way The Beegles also used NRCS years ago are still producing. Nelson to retrieve value out of those lands,” funding to set up silvopasture for 10 is part of Nebraska Woody Florals, a he said. steers. Dana, who has an agroforest- cooperative of nine growers produc- The conservation value of leaving ry master’s from Virginia Tech, also ing woody stems for local wholesalers. trees intact and practicing agroforest- plans to use another silvopasture ap- Nelson averages $5,000 gross income ry is high, including reduced soil ero- proach: chickens to reduce weed and a year selling stems to the co-op. sion and higher soil and water quality. insect pressure among asparagus and In addition to florals, agroforestry The Natural Resources Conservation blueberry plants. “Agroforestry is a crops include food and medicinals. Service offers financial support for missing piece when you are learning This article covers options outside of putting in forest and edge crops, ed- beginning farming practices,” Dana mushrooms. GFM covered mush- ible buffers and other practices. Jon said. “Why not learn how to farm rooms in January 2016 and has future and Dana Beegle at Stone Root Farm your understory?” mushroom articles planned. in Floyd, Virginia, used an NRCS United Plant Savers, which pro- Agroforestry can diversify small invasive species removal cost-share tects native medicinal plants such as farms while demand for many me- in 2014 to clear out wild barberry in ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh, dicinal plants greatly exceeds supply. their woods and used the money they bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) COVID-19 is further driving con- saved to buy ramps (Allium tricoc- and many others and their habitats sumer interest in plant-based rem- cum) and goldenseal to plant. With in the United States and Canada, edies that support immune and lung all the wildcrafting of ramps, they is among groups supporting forest health and healthy eating overall. want to help restore them. growers. “We see forest farming as Timing for growers is good with sup- Ramps, also known as wild leeks, taking pressure off of wild popula- port available to enlarge and protect are native to nearly all the eastern tions measured in terms of the value populations of endangered and at-risk half of the US and Canada and are a of cultivated plant material going into plants. good fit for CSA and market farmers the market versus wild harvested,” Overall, putting underutilized because it’s a culinary plant. Harvest- said John Stock, former director of forest to use is a growing trend, said ing leaves only, common in Europe, operations at United Plant Savers, Jim Hamilton, Watauga County is the most sustainable way to use which oversees the third-party veri- North Carolina extension director. them. The leaves carry the same fla- fication Forest Grown Certification,

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GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020 3 increasingly valued by wholesale and der the canopy can be low-mainte- Wild simulated mimics natural retail customers. nance or intensive. The continuum of ecosystems. It involves pulling back Today, most forest botanical practices runs from artificial shade- the leaf litter and forest floor duff to plants come from the wild. “Right grown (the most intensive, costly and plant new root starter stock or seeds now cultivated is just a scratch,” Stock disease-prone) to the lightest touch, and covering them back up. Wild said. Ginseng is especially decimated wild stewarding naturally growing simulated plants are highly valued by by overharvest and poaching because plants. buyers. Low-density plantings gener- it has averaged over $750 per dried Wild stewarding nurtures native ally eliminate worries about diseases pound. Among other groups offering populations by manually reseeding and a need for treatments. Hamil- financial and technical support: West to ensure seeds make contact with ton’s rule of thumb: no more than one Virginia Forest Farming Initiative, the soil. Leaf litter might be as deep ounce of seed per 100 feet. Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture as seven inches, keeping seeds from Yet, in wild stewarding or simu- Project, and Appalachian Beginning reaching bare ground. So, it’s neces- lating, you can’t completely neglect Forest Farmer Coalition. sary to pull back the leaf layer, get the the plants. “A lot can happen if you Statistics on forest crops are hard seeds in contact with bare soil and aren’t there to walk your woods,” says to come by. John Munsell, forest cover them back up. “These are little Jeanine Davis, associate professor and management professor at Virginia steps that make the population size extension specialist at North Caro- Tech, points out that the national grow,” says Terry Black, who consults lina State University. Voles, turkeys agricultural censuses ignored non- on forest crops while growing wood- and deer can destroy plants, big limbs timber forest crops until the last sur- land plants and hemp at Shaw Black may fall into your patch, trees may vey which asked, “Do you practice Farm in Covington, Kentucky. Yields fall down and increase sunlight and agroforestry?” but didn’t break it from wild stewarding are lower, but erosion. On the other hand, you may down. so are labor and other costs and im- need to trim the canopy to let in some Stewarding or growing crops un- pact on the forest. light. Ginseng, for instance, likes 70 percent to 80 percent shade. Invasive species may need to be removed. Woods cultivated or forest grown, the next approach on the continuum, entails some earth works and site preparation for intensively planted rows in raised beds. Although it’s under the tree canopy it mimics mechanized monocrops and often requires spraying fungicides and other treatments. There are natural alternatives, such as the crushed goldenseal rhi- zome tea Ed Daniels uses to prevent fungus blight on his ginseng at Shady Grove Botanicals deep in the Monon- gahela National Forest in West Vir- ginia. Artificial shade-grown is outside the natural canopy and is commonly mechanized. Start-up costs are high and so are disease headaches. Much of Wisconsin grown ginseng is grown in these systems. BLUE RIBBON PLASTIC MULCH LAYER The first step is determining if MODEL # BR400 your property is suitable for for- This layer comes with many options; like rolling dirt shields, side chisels and center fillers. est crops. See what is already grow- Layer makes a 5” high bed in either 20” or 30” width depending upon if you use 3’ or 4’ ing and look for companion plants. plastic mulch. Bed shaper is lined with non-stick poly liner so less horse power is required. (See resource list.) Davis suggests it’s Powder coat paint finish. This machine was demonstrated locally with great reviews from customers. worth hiring an expert to walk your In a single trip, make raised bed, lay drip line and cover with plastic mulch! woods with you and talk with old- Horse power requirements; 20 hp 4 wheel drive or 30 2 wheel drive. timers in the area who know what grows in the forest. $2,300.00 with drip attachment PlantShoe Site Assessment Tool Distributed & sold by; MORGAN COUNTY SEEDS LLC (https://plantshoe.org/PlantShoe/) 18761 Kelsay Rd lets people in states east of the Missis- Barnett, MO 65011 sippi River plot 10-by-10 meter poly- gon grids on their property to gener- Phone # 573-378-2655 ate free reports that predict success with black cohosh, bloodroot, golden- Dealerships available. seal and ramps. More plants will be

4 GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020 added. It ranks habitats based on environmental variables before planting. He uses the goldenseal tea for fungus and (canopy cover, slope, elevation, soil fertility, moisture and mixes up an organic deer repellent from yarrow. Wild drainage). At a minimum, the reports help rule out sites or stinging nettles around the ginseng also deter deer. target areas for more on-the-ground investigation. Ginseng is heavily regulated in West Virginia and else- Research on forest crops is underway both to help pro- where. Daniels spent just under $300 to get a determina- tect the plants and enhance profit for growers, says Da- tion for state licensing, which included a requirement that vis. For instance, botanists are studying how much of the the GPS coordinates of the outside corners of the ginseng ramps can be harvested without weakening the popula- patches could be seen by four or more satellites for map tions. Most of the studies focus on wild harvests, Davis platting. said. “We need more studies on how farmers can be more In Kentucky, a 2011 law prohibits selling plants under profitable.” five years old and they must have three separate com- In general, to enhance and not weaken a native popu- pound leaf clusters or prongs. Any plant division must lation only a third or less is harvested. And, unlike field be within 50 feet of the mother plant and it is illegal to crops, the turnaround on forest crops can take from three be in possession of ginseng seeds. “I cannot relocate my years to a decade to reach harvestable size. There are in- seed in a quarter acre lot,” said Black, who is advocating termediary harvests for some plants, such as leaves only to change the law which conflates cultivated ginseng with with ramps. Buyers such as Red Moon Herbs purchase wild plants. In the meantime, he scaled up goldenseal, co- ginseng tops for teas. hosh and Solomon seal. For farmers with patience and longer-term orienta- Black, who like Daniels started as a wild-crafter, sells tion, payoffs can be significant. Daniels recently planted starts of goldenseal, bloodroot, a patch of ginseng for his 5-year-old grandson, Briar. “He black cohosh and wild ginger and would like to expand can buy a truck when he turns 18,” Daniels said. Dan- his nursery. iels wildcrafted ‘seng’ as a teenager and admittedly took “We need more planting stock,” said Davis. “We need smaller roots than he should have. He has done his pen- more nurseries. If you wanted to start large-scale gold- ance by growing it sustainably and teaching many others. enseal, you’d need a wild harvester, doing what we don’t Daniels went from the forest to the field, recently build- want done.” ing a 24-foot-by-74-foot high tunnel to grow produce for High Country Ginseng in western North Carolina, the community and start hemp plants that are later moved which consolidates growers’ harvests, also offers ginseng to the field. He plans to grow more field botanicals. rootlets, starter kits and education. Shady Grove sells For his forest grown ginseng, Daniels builds raised starter kits after September 1, the official start of West beds using downed trees and field stone. He adds mulch Virginia’s ginseng season. Kits include 100 ginseng seeds, from sugar maple trees and manure and lets it sit for a year 20 rootlets and 10 goldenseal rhizomes that can be split at

GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020 5 least once. At the time of this article, the kits sell for $120 plus shipping. For growers in West Virginia, small farm grants cover it. Agroforestry Resources Daniels and his wife, Carole, make forest herb and hemp value-add tinctures and products to sell directly to consumers, herbalists or chefs. “We want people to be Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and Other more sustainable in their practices,” Daniels said. “The Woodland Medicinals more you take out in volume the less there’s going to be.” By Jeanine Davis and W. Scott Persons, New Society Pub - A few roots can be leveraged into lots of tinctures. They lishers, updated in 2014 focused on elderberry products until the local market be- came saturated. Now, they are tapping into a wild huckle- Farming the Woods: An Integrated Permaculture Approach berry patch on the farm. to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests Wholesale buyers generally want larger quantities than By Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel small farms can produce. Aggregators, like Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Herb Hub, consolidate crops Forest Farmers Handbook and have specialized equipment growers use to clean and By Rural Action and United Plant Savers. (Free PDF dry plant material. at https://unitedplantsavers.org/wp-content/up- Penny Frazier, who started Goods from the Woods loads/2020/05/UpS-Rural-Action-Forest-Farmers-Hand- Wild Crops Farm in Missouri in 1995, emphasizes value- book-for-web.pdf) added products. These days she focuses on witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), which grows along stream and Having Your Ramps and Eating Them, Too creek beds that dry. She distills the leaves into hydrosols By Glen Facemire, McClain Printing Co. for personal care products. Frazier mentors others to work with woodland crops to preserve native plant ecosystems Essential Oils and Hydrosols by demonstrating economic incentives for wilderness con- By Jeanne Rose, Frog, Ltd. servation. “Obtaining livelihood and profit from the forest can go hand-in-hand with restoration,” Frazier said. Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) In 2002, Frazier was fighting legal battles over destruc- https://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/resources/ tive government land uses in western states when anthro- pologist Eric Jones, who teaches human dimensions of Center for Agroforestry at University of Missouri http:// forest ecology at Oregon State University, urged her to in- www.centerforagroforestry.org/practices/ stead demonstrate the value of intact forests. Frazier orga- nized pinyon pine nut harvests on Pikes Peak in Colorado and other western states. Frazier mentored Kris Boggs at The Boondocks farm Wild Garden Seed in Wentworth, Missouri. Boggs distills berries, leaves and Organic Vegetable and Flower Seeds from wood from cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana) that grow along her fence line and makes soaps (ground-up wood Shoulder to Shoulder Farm makes a good exfoliant in the soaps), biodegradable sham- Ecological Crop Improvement For and By Farmers poo bars for camping, linen closet sprays, aftershaves and other products. Neighboring farms call her before they cut an inconveniently placed volunteer juniper and she takes those trees. Boggs also harvests wild plum flowers (Prunus ameri- cana) growing in the understory of the 25 acres of woods on her property to distill into facial toners among other products. She’s able to propagate more wild plum through suckers. Boggs always leaves plenty of flowers for the pol- linators and fruit to feed birds. Agroforesty goes beyond the understory and forest edge; old pastures leading up to the trees can be ideal for orchards. These transitional areas over time can be converted into new woodlands. At Red Fern Farm in Iowa, chestnut trees are the main crop, while paw paws, persim- mon and heart nut walnuts are growing between and under them. New World Truffles in Oregon is researching scores of native trees that can be inoculated with truffles. A follow-up article will focus on orchards on farms.

Jane Tanner grew cut flowers and specialty crops at Wind- crest Farm and Commonwealth Farms in North Carolina, and helped manage the biodynamic gardens at Spikenard Farm in Virginia. www.WildGardenSeed.com

6 GROWING FOR MARKET / OCTOBER 2020