About

A group of people standing around a raised bed in the woods learning about how to plant native woodland plants on a forest farm.

A group of beginning forest farmers learning about planting native woodland botanicals in our demonstration area.

The NC Alternative Crops and Organics Program is led by Dr. Jeanine Davis in the Department of Horticultural Science. She explores new crops and tests new varieties and production practices to help farmers improve the sustainability and profitability of their farms. The projects are for conventional and organic/regenerative vegetable and herb growers. Forest farming, the agroforestry practice of producing plants and fungi in the understory, is a major project in this program. This is a statewide program but focuses on the needs of the small and medium size farms that make up the agricultural landscape of western North Carolina.