Forest Grown Verification Program

The PCO Forest Grown Verification Program was established in 2014 with the purpose of creating a voluntary, third-party verification for non-timber forest grown products that are produced and harvested in a sustainable and legal manner.

This program benefits producers by building consumer confidence, demand, and premium pricing; protecting forest “crop” in the event of theft, land development and legal matters through documentation; and may provide exemptions around wild stewarding plants. The program standards currently apply to producers, harvesters, processors, and handlers of eleven forest botanical products from private forestland in the United States.

In the summer of 2019, PCO transferred the Forest Grown Verification program to United Plant Savers. A new logo was developed and the transfer of the program completed.

We are blessed in Appalachia with a diverse forest ecology when you compare the region to other temperate forests.  BUT we are losing healthy forests at an unprecedented rate due to development and resource extraction. United Plant Savers Forest Grown Verification program is not just any label; it’s a compelling story.

Each verified forest farmer has a dynamic story of land stewardship that takes decades of dedication to grow forest botanicals. As United Plant Savers looks to expand the Forest Grown Verification Program, we will also document and share these stories so that we can bring transparency, ethics, and conservation into the herbal market place. The heart of this program is creating awareness for the value of the forest while nurturing the next generation of forest stewards.

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HerbalGram Publishes Article Highlighting the FGV program

HerbalGram just published the article “Investing in Forest Communities” (linked below) highlighting the FGV program. This article details the importance of forest farming botanicals as a path forward for the future of Appalachian native plants in the herbal market place. DOWNLOAD PDF Investing in Forests & Communities: A Pathway to a Sustainable Supply of Forest Herbs in the Eastern United States “In an herbal marketplace that depends on medicinal forest plants, the triple bottom line ...
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Mountain Rose Herbs First to Offer Forest Grown Verified Ginseng Root

Mountain Rose is the first company to offer FGV ginseng root, leaf, and whole plant tincture as well as black cohosh root and tincture. Here is a wonderful blog and video on the FGV program and forest farmers. A Forest Grown Future for Pennsylvania’s Precious Ginseng (FULL POST) “Forest farming represents a promising economic and ecological path forward for Pennsylvania’s wild areas, and businesses and herb-lovers are essential to supporting it. When customers purchase Forest ...
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To learn more about the process of verification, please contact John Stock, John@unitedplantsavers.org.  We generally look to organize inspections during the summer months. We are fortunate to have funding options to cover the FGV inspection and enrollment costs for 2020, especially to residents of West Virginia.

If you are interested in forest farming, please consider joining the Beginners Forest Farming Coalition

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE