Income Opportunities with Non-timber Forest Products Jeanine M. Davis Dept. Horticultural Science North Carolina State University Wild- Harvesting A Long Time Tradition Every year people forage dozens of different plants from the forests. Most of these are for personal use. A few can be found at roadside stands. A few enterprising individuals sell on-line. Plants and fungi used for food and medicine. Photos from Zen Sutherland and Jeanine Davis Jeanine Davis 2008 Photo by Jeanine Davis Wild Food Interests With rising interest in wildfoods, more nutritious foods, and anything new and different, collecting plants from the woods provides an income opportunity. Niche market, e.g., wild food enthusiasts, people who grew up eating these foods, gourmet cooks, and high-end restaurant chefs. Harvest from Wild or Cultivate There is a place for both. Can also tend wild populations. There are different levels of cultivation: intensive to wild-simulated. Photos by Jeanine Davis and Jackie Greenfield Be Kind to the Forest! Forage responsibly. Sustainable harvesting. Manage existing populations. Cultivate new populations. Respect private property. Get permits for state/federal lands. Follow the laws. Photo by Jeanine Davis Introducing New Plants/Fungi Invasive species are a big problem. Don t add to the problem. Check with NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Plant Industry Division before planting something exotic in your woodland. Photos by Jeanine Davis 1
Woodland Botanicals Focus on native forest herbs. Become informed about permits, regulations, times of harvest. Can sell to large dealers, small manufacturers, and local practitioners. Make your own products. Photo by Joe-Ann McCoy Photos by Jeanine Davis Ginseng (Panax quinquifolius) The most popular of the forest botanicals. Root is used as tonic, longevity, fertility, virility. Worth LOTS of money. Poaching is a serious issue. State, federal, and international laws. Extensively cultivated in some areas. Propagate by seed. Wild-harvested and wildsimulated production here. Photos by Jeanine Davis Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) Common but popular women s herb. Root is used. Prices are low but demand is high. $2.50- $4.00/dried lb whl. Still mostly wildharvested in the US. Some cultivation in Europe. Strong local market by practitioners. Propagate by seed or rhizome division. Photo by Zen Sutherland Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Likes very moist areas. Foliage is used. Mostly wild-harvested Used to treat colds, flu, and arthritis. Good local market. Prices are low, but easy to harvest. $0.75-$1.00/ dried lb whl Purchased by some dealers. Propagate by division. Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) Popular women s herb used to treat unwanted menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Root is used. $0.50-$4.25 dried lb whl. Mostly wild-harvested. Propagate by root division. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Likes rich, moist woodlands. Root is used for dye and antimicrobial properties. Animal feed. Mostly wild-harvested. Cultivation needed. Propagate by rhizome division or seed. Prices are low. $5.00-$6.00/dried lb whl. There are safety concerns for its use. Photos by Jeanine Davis and Karen Hardy 2
False Unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) Likes rich, moist soils and deep shade. Root is used. Used to treat many gynecological problems, pain, and cough. $30.00-$85.00/dried lb whl. Propagate by seed and rhizome division. Forest Vegetables Photos by Jeanine Davis and Agatha Grimsley Photos by Jeanine Davis and Jackie Greenfield Ramps (Allium tricoccum) Grow in moist areas. Popular spring treat; festivals. Popularity is threatening wild populations. Needs to be cultivated. Propagate by seed or planting bulbs. Branch lettuce, mountain lettuce (Saxifraga micranthidifolia) Grows in moist soils in light shade to full sunlight. Perennial Is a common spring time food; used as a salad green or cooked vegetable. A traditional meal would consist of branch lettuce fried in bacon grease with ramps or wild onions, pinto beans, and corn bread. Propagate by dividing plants in early spring. Miner s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) This annual is widespread and considered a weed in some areas. Grows in full shade to full sun. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. Grows easily from seed and will readily self seed. Nettles (Urtica dioica) Like moist sites, thickets, and disturbed areas. Is a perennial. They sting! Are highly nutritious. Eat stems and leaves, steamed as a vegetable side dish. Makes a medicinal tea; good for anemia. Grow from seeds. 3
Poke sallet, poke, pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) Likes edges of the forests and roadsides. Perennial. Pick leaves and shoots in early spring (only) when very young and under 8 inches tall. Is toxic!!! Don t eat roots. Must be boiled and drained at least three times. Traditional Southern spring vegetable. Weedy and invasive. Upland cress, creasy greens (Barbarea verna) Prefers to grow on the edge of the forest in a moist site. It is a perennial, but grown as an annual. The young leaves are usually cooked, but increasingly are being used raw in salads. Seeds are usually sown during the fall for harvest in late winter and early spring. At harvest, leaves may be cut for a cut-and-comeagain crop or the entire plant may be cut. Photos by Zen Sutherland Wild Fruits Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) Grows in moist areas, along roadsides, often in dense stands. Fruit ripen in late summer to early fall. Flowers and fruit are used. Medicinal, makes good wine, good fruitalthough should be cooked. Grow from seed or cuttings. Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) Likes moist low lying areas. Often grows in thickets. Custard like fruit. Makes great ice cream. Local delicacy. Fruit too delicate to ship. Grow from seed. Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus ) Similar to the cultivated type. Likes moist, open woods and along roadsides. Fruits in August. Propagate by cuttings. Photos by Zen Sutherland 4
Blackberry (Rubus argutus ) Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Photos from USDA and Zen Sutherland Likes border areas and meadows where it gets sun. Thorny thickets. Fruits in July- August. Market for fresh fruit and value added products. Can be very invasive. Photo by Zen Sutherland Shrub. Likes boggy, wet areas and acidic soil. Fruits in late summer and early fall. Propagate from cuttings. Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Grow along roadsides, dry woods, old fields. Are male and female trees. Ripen in late fall. Must be completely ripe or very astringent. Ripe fruit are very soft. Propagate by seeds (very slow) or try softwood cuttings. Wild Nuts Acorns (Quercus species) Collect acorns in fall. Some species are more bitter than others. Cook before eating to leach out tannins. Can be ground into flour. Beechnut (Fagus species) Collect burrs in autumn, preferably before they fall. Triangular nutmeat is difficult to extract, but tasty. Can be ground and made into a coffee substitute. Beechnut oil is used in cooking. 5
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) Harvest in fall. Used for food and dye. Remove the outer husk when green; difficult. Then cure at room temperature for several weeks before storing or cracking shell and eating. Hickory (Carya species) Not all species produce palatable nuts. Shagbark are a favorite. Husk breaks open naturally. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) Harvest in autumn. Very nutritious. Mushrooms There are many mushrooms that can be wild-harvested or cultivated. Always exercise extreme caution with mushrooms!!!!! Get an expert to identify all wild mushrooms. Photos from David Fischer Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) Easily cultivated on logs. Not native; from Asia. Best grown on oak. Cook before eating. Can be dried. Morels Yellow morels often found in old apple orchards. Springtime fruiting only. Cook before eating. Photos by Jeanine Davis Photos by David Fischer Yellow and black morels 6
Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) Wood decay fungus. Is native. Can be cultivated. Most commonly found in autumn, but can fruit anytime. Reishi Mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum ) Is a medicinal mushroom. Is native (I think), but rarely found growing wild. Most people cultivate it on logs. Reishi cures just about everything. Hen of the Woods (Maitake) (Grifola frondosa) Photo by David Fischer One of the most common edible mushrooms. Found on oaks. A late summer to fall mushroom. Giant Puffballs (Langermannia gigantea or Calvatia gigantea) Photo by David Fischer Very popular edible mushroom. Grows in the woods and in lawns. They feed on decaying organic matter. Some information on cultivation or enhancing wild populations Seed and Planting Stock Obtain high quality seed and planting stock. This can be difficult. This can be expensive! Bloodroot Site selection is important. Photo by Jeanine Davis Photo by Jeanine Davis 7
Mash the fruit. Ginseng Add water and ferment for a few days. Seed Collection: Start by gathering ripe fruit. Photos by Jeanine Davis and Karen Hardy Rinse and decant. Photos by Jeanine Davis and Agatha Grimsley Fresh clean seed Add the fresh, moist seed. Seal. Make screen pouches Bury in shaded area with good moisture. Add clean, moist sand. Wait. Sow at proper time Photos by Jeanine Davis and Agatha Grimsley Photos by Agatha Grimsley and George Cox Cultivating in the Woods Harvest methods Photos by Jeanine Davis Photos by Jeanine Davis and Karen Hardy 8
Mushroom Production Inoculating logs with Shiitake spawn. Photos by Omon Isikhuemhen Photo by Omon Isikhuemhen Discussion Books Photo by Jeanine Davis Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs- Cultivation, Conservation and Ecology by Richo Cech. Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal, and Other Woodland Medicinals by W. Scott Persons and Jeanine M. Davis (updated for 2008) More Books Ncspecialtycrops.org/medherbs Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, 3rd Edition By Paul Stamets. Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants by Wildman Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean. 9
Ncherb.org Americanmushrooms.com www.main.nc.us/naturenotebook/index.html Picture Credits Zen's WNC Nature Notebook-Zen Sutherland AmericanMushrooms.com-David Fischer USDA Jeanine Davis Jackie Greenfield Joe-Ann McCoy Karen Hardy Agatha Grimsley Omon Isikhuemhen Questions? Picture of the Smokies courtesy of Jim Corbin. 10