Medicinal Herb Grower Education Workshop

Medicinal Herb Grower Education Workshop: Harvesting, Washing, Drying, & Packaging

December 14, 2013

9 am to 4 pm

Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center

455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759

In collaboration with the buyers from Gaia Herbs, Red Moon Herbs, and Strategic Sourcing, we are hosting a workshop to address a problem that we see many herb farmers face: proper post-harvest handling (washing, drying, cutting/sifting, packaging, and labeling). Many sales are lost because well-grown medicinal herbs are not properly washed, dried, or packaged. This workshop will be led by three local medicinal herb buyers and Jeanine Davis and her staff at NC State University who have been conducting research on growing medicinal herbs and educating herb growers for over 25 years.

The agenda is flexible and intended to encourage as much discussion as possible. Bring all your questions, such as: Why did your herbs get moldy after drying? Why did a buyer reject the roots you tried to sell? Why are you spending half a day washing the harvest of one herb? We will also discuss GAPs, cGMPs, and how FSMA may affect your medicinal herb business. (If you don’t know what those acronyms stand for, you really need to be there!) Please bring samples and pictures to share, stories of success, and what challenges you face.

Pre-registration is $20 which includes lunch (plus a $2.09 Eventbrite fee). Registration at the door is $30 and lunch is not guaranteed. The event will be held at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, NC. There are limited spaces available so please register early at our Eventbrite page. 

If you are interested in sponsoring this event or having an exhibit table, please contact Alison Dressler at alison_dressler@ncsu.edu or call828-684-3562 x150.

Agenda

9:00    Registration and coffee

9:30    Welcome and state goals for the day

10:00   Harvesting and Washing

12:00   Lunch

1:00    Drying and Packaging

3:00    Discussion and sharing of experiences and challenges

Visit medicinal herb-grower education for more information


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Rural Tax Education

Taxes

Not many things make growers' blood boil as much as the word:  Taxes.  However, one thing to know is if you have to pay them it means that you are making money or have a lousy accountant.  A relatively new website with contributors from several land grant university has been rolled out which provides a lot of good educational information about dealing with income taxes.  Please visit this site at:  http://ruraltax.org/.




For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Emerald Ash Borer - Informational Video

Emerald Ash Borer

The pest that we thought would not come to NC has arrived.  Emerald Ash Borers have been found in a few of the counties along the Virginia borer and NCDA&CS/NCFS have quarantined these areas to help reduce the chance of their movement into other areas of the state.   The link below will provide you with an informational video regarding this pest:

https://archive.org/details/gov.usda.aphis.green.menace

The following article describes what the NC Forest Service is doing to keep the Emerald Ash Borer from moving.  http://www.ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/fh_eabfaq.htm.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.