Forest Grown Verified Program

The Forest Grown Verified program was established to create a voluntary, third-party verification process for non-timber forest-grown products that are produced and harvested in a sustainable and legal manner.

Forest grown verification will benefit producers by:

• Building consumer confidence, demand, and premium pricing
• Protecting forest “crops” in the event of theft, land development, and legal matters through documentation
• Making a difference in the conservation of forest botanicals

The program standards currently apply to producers, harvesters, processors, and handlers of select forest botanical products on forestland in the United States.

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 Verified program is not just any label – it is a compelling story.

The Forest Grown Verified program was established in 2014 by PCO with the support of UpS. In the summer of 2019, PCO passed control of the program to United Plant Savers. A new logo was developed and the transfer of the program completed.

Each verified forest farmer has a dynamic story of land stewardship, often taking decades of dedication to grow the forest botanicals in their care.

We will document and share these stories as we expand the program to bring transparency, ethics, and conservation into the herbal marketplace. At its heart, this program is about creating awareness for the value of the forest while nurturing the next generation of forest stewards.

Sign up for our newsletter and check back here for further details about the program, info on its participants, and how you can purchase FGV products.

Program News & Announcements

We are pleased to announce that this year we have grant funding to cover enrollment and inspection fees, so we encourage folks to take advantage of this limited opportunity to enroll. Contact Information: Susan Leopold, Susan@unitedplantsavers.org for details.

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

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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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