Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition - NFFC

Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition - NFFC These sites also serve as locations for hands-on educational opportunities.

We are a partnership of universities, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations with a shared goal of bringing forest farming opportunities and education to the Northeast region. The Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition (NFFC) is a partnership of universities, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations with the shared goal of bringing forest farming opportunities and education to the Nort

heast region. At the center of the project is a network of Research & Demonstration Forests – these are active research sites generating important ecological, financial, and production data on five understory plant species with significant profit potential. The project is funded through a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant. This page will be used to post updates, events, and educational information regarding forest farming in the Northeastern United States. Please post your own forest farming resources or share updates on your own forest farming operations!

We’re co-hosting two workshops coming up the first weekend of September. More info and registration links in the bio.For...
08/26/2026

We’re co-hosting two workshops coming up the first weekend of September. More info and registration links in the bio.

Forest farming offers added ecological and economic benefit to those who successfully implement this agroforestry practice on their lands. However, establishing these high-value native botanicals in forest farming systems can be challenging. There are many factors to consider when propagating forest herbs, including sourcing planting stock, propagule type, and different cultivation methods from shade cloth to wild-simulated. Join us for two workshops covering propagation related considerations and more.

We’re excited to share a new research paper and summary fact sheet with some ginseng harvest policy implications 👀 NFFC ...
08/02/2026

We’re excited to share a new research paper and summary fact sheet with some ginseng harvest policy implications 👀

NFFC staff members Karam Sheban, Nat Burr, and Marlyse Duguid, together with long-time NFFC collaborator Anna Plattner (Wild Hudson Valley) and other coauthors recently published a new paper in Environmental Research Letters examining the federal rules that govern the harvest of both wild and wild-simulated (forest-farmed) American ginseng. Based on data collected at Wild Hudson Valley, the forest farm Anna runs with her husband Justin Wexler, the study asks whether the age-based rules that currently govern ginseng harvest are actually the best way to protect wild populations while supporting sustainable harvesting. Read the policy fact sheet summarizing the paper’s findings at the link in our bio.

07/15/2026

We’re hosting another workshop on Saturday at the Yale-Myers Forest! Join us to learn about relevant laws and policies for forest farmers in Connecticut. This workshop is free but space is limited—head to the link in our bio to register.

The June newsletter is here… Happy solstice, forest farmers. The spring flurry of activity is done and the summer heat i...
06/29/2026

The June newsletter is here… Happy solstice, forest farmers. The spring flurry of activity is done and the summer heat is setting in. While it feels good to take shelter in the forest shade, many are turning to the open fields for the longest days of the growing season while planning for forest plantings and harvest in the fall.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing a fact sheet on law and policy considerations for farmers and landowners in Connecticut interested in growing ginseng and goldenseal. We’re holding workshops across the state this summer and fall to cover the material listed in the fact sheet and more, and we’re so grateful to have been hosted by Dina at The Hickories for the first workshop (slides 1 and 3). If you missed this one, another is coming soon—linked on our website and in the newsletter.

Find the link for the newsletter, which includes the fact sheet, workshop registration, and plenty more, in our bio.

Got an event or opportunity for the July newsletter, or a question for us? Reach out at [email protected].

We were lucky to attend and participate in the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference hosted at Penn State this ...
06/07/2026

We were lucky to attend and participate in the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference hosted at Penn State this week. So many inspiring practitioners and farmers shared about the amazing work they’re doing in forest farming and multifunctional riparian buffers, and it was an honor to join on the forest farming panel.

We also got out in the field to collect data from our long-term research plot at and share about this project during a field tour led by . Shoutout to and for helping with the plot maintenance and monitoring 🪏🪨🤘

The conversations and connections remind us why we do this work: not only for love of these plants and the woods, but for the people.

Join us for a workshop on June 25 in Ridgefield, CT where we’ll discuss ecological and legal considerations for forest f...
05/30/2026

Join us for a workshop on June 25 in Ridgefield, CT where we’ll discuss ecological and legal considerations for forest farmers growing ginseng and goldenseal in Connecticut hosted with . Linked in the May newsletter, out now, and on our website: northeastforestfarmers.org/events

Forest farming offers an exciting strategy for cultivating high-value herbs within a natural forest setting. However, some of these herb species are very rare in most New England states like Connecticut. These rare species are protected by state law, adding complications for growers. This workshop will focus on two of the highest-value, rare native herbs: American ginseng and goldenseal. We will discuss the basics of forest farming and delve into the details of working with these sensitive species. This is a free, 3-hour event including a classroom presentation followed by a field walk.

This is the first of three workshops we’ll be holding across the state, so if you live in central or eastern CT, we’ve got you covered! These workshops were made possible through a grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

On earth day, served forest farmed ramp ice cream 🍦🌱 it was really fun to talk about the good, the bad, and the murky o...
04/25/2026

On earth day, served forest farmed ramp ice cream 🍦🌱 it was really fun to talk about the good, the bad, and the murky of culinary foraging, and how forest farming systems can be a solution to unsustainable wild harvesting practices of the seasonal plants we love.
Admittedly, the ice cream was not for everyone 🧅 but those who liked it loved it 😍 much like agroforestry and all farming, it was a fun and wild experiment. Do you have questions about forest farming ramps? Drop a comment below ⬇️

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” - Simone Weil, Gravity and GraceLook a little closer—this is a ...
04/17/2026

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” - Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace

Look a little closer—this is a forest bed full of ramp seedlings. Springtime in the forest asks us to pay close attention to what is emerging from the earth. Take a moment this weekend to look at what’s coming up in the woods where you are: each season is an opportunity to grow our knowledge along with these plants.

Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are spring ephemerals that, as seedlings, look like little more than a blade of grass! Later in their perennial lives, they usually have 2 or 3 leaves. Swipe through this post for more ramp pics.

In the April newsletter, find more resources on ramps as well as some forest herb seedling ID for other woodland botanicals. The newsletter just went live—link in bio to read and sign up for future editions 🌱

“In a climate where winter lasts six months, we always search assiduously for signs of spring, but never more eagerly th...
03/09/2026

“In a climate where winter lasts six months, we always search assiduously for signs of spring, but never more eagerly than after we decided to make syrup.” Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass.

Sap is flowing and the NFFC March newsletter is up—check your inbox, or sign up and find it at the link in our bio. In the newsletter: maple resources and NTFPs, an herbal growers survey from our friends at the Vermont Herb Growers Initiative, state funding opportunities, forest farming conference and workshop dates, and more 🍁

Registration for the mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference is open! We’re excited to be there in the company of an incred...
02/17/2026

Registration for the mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference is open! We’re excited to be there in the company of an incredible lineup of agroforestry practitioners, researchers, and professionals on June 4th and 5th, 2026 in Pennsylvania Furnace, PA.

Hosted by , and a slew of partners across the mid-Atlantic region, we hope to see you there. Link for more information and registration in our bio 🔗🌱

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Pennsylvania Furnace, PA

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