West Virginia Forest Farming Expo 

Attend workshops on propagating, growing, harvesting, and using plants like ginseng and ramps for food and medicine. Learn how forest farming can conserve and rejuvenate woodlands while generating agricultural income. Apply for mini-grants and technical assistance to get you started or expand a forest farm. All experience levels welcome!

$20 covers the cost of all events, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday! (Price increases to $25 after April 1.)

***Scholarships available for students, veterans, and people who need financial assistance to attend this learning weekend.  Please send a scholarship request to info@wvforestfarming.org before registering.***

Saturday

8:00-9:00  Registration, Coffee, Tea, and Snacks

9:00-9:25  Welcome and Introductions

9:30-10:20  Made in the Shade Forest Farming 101 with Tanner Filyaw Non-Timber Forest Products Program Manager at Rural Action

10:25- 11:15 Concurrent Sessions

• Same Plant, More Money Forest Grown Verified with John Stock of United Plant Savers
• Woods Medicine Traditions Afrolachian Traditions of Herbs, Heritage Plants, and Cooking with Ruby Daniels of Sprouting Farms and owner of Creasy Jane Herbs.

11:30 – 12: 20 Concurrent Sessions

• Mycelial Investment and Fungus Funds  Spawn additional income by adding mushrooms to your forest farming mix.  Lacy Davidson Ferguson, Business Development Division - WVDA, and Co-owner of Elmcrest Farm in Wayne, WV. 
• Tree Saps on the Rise in WV Tap into emerging opportunities for maple producers and other tree sap products. Luke Taylor-Ide of Future Generations University, WV Maple Producers Association.

12:20  Vendors, Tabling, Lunch (included with registration)

1:15-2:00  Non-Timber Forest Product Policy Round Table with WV Food and Farm Coalition

2:05-2:50  I’m Too Sexy for this Dirt  Dig up and cash in--Post-Harvest Handling to Sale with Katie Commender, Agroforestry Program Director at Appalachian Sustainable Development 

2:55-3:45  Go Forth and Multiply Propagation techniques--amplify your planting stock to increase yields. Margaret Bloomquist, Research Associate at North Carolina State University

4:00-5:00  Shady Enterprises Running a Small Forest Farming Business with Ed and Carole Daniels of Shady Grove Botanicals.

6:00 Dinner (Included with registration)

6:45 Keynote Speaker, Margaret Bloomquist, Research Associate NCSU

Sunday

9:00-12:00  Field trip to the Yew Mountain Center.  Tour the forest farming operation. 

12:00 Lunch at the Yew Mountain Center (included in registration)