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.

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