There are now THREE NC Extension-led Medicinal Herb Grower Groups. These groups are focused on commercial herb production (i.e., growing for sale) and are led by extension agents. Read below about the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers, the Piedmont Herb Growers, and the Sandhills Cutflower and Herb Growers.

Western NC Medicinal Herb Growers Group

The Western North Carolina Medicinal Herb Growers is a group of NC Extension educators, herb farmers, and serious herb gardeners interested in gaining experience in growing medicinal herbs and learning more about them. The group first organized in the fall of 2013 and has met under the names of the WNC Herb Club, the WNC Medicinal Herb Club, the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers Club, and most recently, the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers. They are an active group that meets every month or so on herb farms in the western third of the state to get hands-on experience with all aspects of medicinal herb growing, post-harvest handling, and marketing. It is a very social group, so a pot-luck lunch is often part of the event. Experienced herb growers mentor beginning herb farmers; this can be a casual or more structured relationship.

This is a wonderful time to be involved with the experienced and growing network of medicinal herb growers in North Carolina. Please mark your calendars and join the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers group for these great events! To join the NC Extension WNC Medicinal Herb growers email list to receive newsletters and more, by emailing Meghan_Baker@ncsu.edu and put “WNC Medicinal Herb Growers” in the subject line.

Woodland Stewards is a group within the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers who are beginning and advanced forest farmers that meet monthly for hands-on programming at the demonstration woods of the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, Mills River, NC. Under the leadership of Margaret Bloomquist, research associate, and the WNC Medicinal Herb Growers Captains, the Woodland Stewards are embarking on their 5th year of monthly gatherings and work parties. This includes participation in research and extension efforts of our native woodland botanicals; the maintenance, growth, and harvesting of woodland medicinals at the Mills River demonstration site; site visits, mentorship, and work parties at woodland stewards’ properties; plant rescues; and more! The Woodland Stewards projects are currently supported by, and very much a part of, the educational programming of the Appalachian Forest Farmers Coalition originally funded by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

2026 Western NC Medicinal Herb Growers Events

Woodland Stewards 2026 Programs

Monthly gatherings at the NC State research and demonstration forest farming site in Mills River, NC. We are a consistent group of beginning to highly experienced forest farmers that grow through the seasons together. In-person programming hours are offered on the following dates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 2026. Picnic lunch follows weather permitting.

Other opportunities on farms and access to the google group are also offered through this programming (see those in italics). Please request info about joining the WNC Woodland Stewards group and RSVP for each event below by emailing Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

Spring 2026
March 10th 2026 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Mills River
Welcome tour of Demonstration forest farm and late winter tasks.

April 13th 2026 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Agroforestry Farm Tour at Woodland Steward Greta’s nursery – Woodswise Botanicals in Mills River.
Part of the Agroforestry Regional Knowledge Exchange, Catalyzing Agroforestry.
Registration is free and required via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agroforestry-tour-woodswise-botanicals-tickets-1980717098160?aff=oddtdtcreator

April 14th 2026 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Mills River
Ephemeral emergence and spring propagation

May 5th 2026 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Mills River
Woodland botanical plot inventory and bed maintenance

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP for these spring events to Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

Summer 2026
June 9th 2026 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Mills River
Participatory plant physiology and summer tasks

August 4th 2026 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Mills River
Pests and disease of the forest farm, preparing for harvest

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP for these summer events to Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

Fall 2026
September 8th 2026 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (day after Labor Day) in Mills River
Ginseng harvesting, sustainability, and update on research

October 6th 2026 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Mills River
Annual Woodland Stewards root harvest ~ and medicine making (new this year)!

November 10th 2026 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Mills River
Putting beds to rest and annual Forest Farming Planting Stock distribution

November 12th 2026 2-6 p.m. in Mills River
11th Annual NC Medicinal Herb Grower and Buyer Event 
($12) More details and registration to come. Potential buyers and sponsors please contact Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP for the fall events to Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

The Piedmont Medicinal Herb Growers Group

Established in mid-2022, this group is organized by N.C. Cooperative Extension agents in the piedmont counties. To join, or for more information about the classes or the group, email Susan Hawkins at smhawkin@ncsu.edu

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Piedmont Medicinal Herb Growers 2026 Events

So You Want to Grow Medicinal Herbs?
Monday, February 16, 2026 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Catawba County Extension Center, 1175 S. Brady Ave., Newton, NC.
During this class, you will learn about the Medicinal Herb Steps for Commerce. This includes an introduction to medicinal herbs, how to evaluate resources, the planning process, steps on how to grow, and how to grow your success. The class is being held in person at the Catawba Extension Center. Cost is $12. Register through Eventbrite at https://go.ncsu.edu/growingmedicinalherbs 

Growing Roselle Hibiscus and St. John’s Wort
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Yadkin County Extension Center, 2051 Agricultural Way, Yadkinville, NC 
Join the Piedmont Medicinal Herb Growers to learn how to grow roselle hibiscus and St. John’s wort. We will discuss growing, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and more. Registration is $12. Register on Eventbrite at https://go.ncsu.edu/growingroselle-stjohnswort

Botanical Walk at Finch Park
Friday, April 10, 2026, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Finch Park, 15 Paul Beck Rd., Lexington, NC 27292
Join the Piedmont Medicinal Herb Growers for a spring botanical walk. We will meet at Finch Park to see spring flowers, a riparian area, and more. Registration is $10. Register on Eventbrite at https://go.ncsu.edu/botanicalwalk-finchpark

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Sandhills Cut Flower and Herb Growers

This is the newest group and is serving the counties of  Lee, Moore, Montgomery, Cumberland, Richmond, Hoke, Scotland, Anson, and Harnett. For more information, contact Amanda Bratcher, Extension agent at amwilkin@ncsu.edu

Sandhills Cut Flower and Herb Growers 2026 Events

January Meet-up
January 22, 2026 from 4-6 p.m.
N.C. Cooperative Extension – Moore County Center, 707 Pinehurst Avenue, Carthage, NC 28327
We have a meet-up planned for Thursday, January 22, from 4-6 p.m. We’ll be meeting with THE Dr. John Dole about woody cut flowers. Please RSVP (free!) https://sandhillscutflowergrowers.eventbrite.com, so we know how many folks are coming. We will also have time for networking and knowledge-sharing. There will be a Zoom option, too.

Small Farm Bootcamp on Cutflowers
Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Stay Tuned: Small Farm Bootcamp: Cutflower Module- Register here: https://go.ncsu.edu/scsfbc2026cutflowers.

Coming Soon!
Stay Tuned: Herb Producers/Producers interested in adding herbs to their production
Stay tuned for a Spring program about getting “into herbs” for producers. There are a lot of market opportunities opening up and these can be a ‘plant them and leave them” (maintenance still required!) for part of your production area.

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WNC Medicinal Herb Grower Videos:

How to Make a Plant Voucher – Meghan Baker, Margaret Bloomquist, and Craig Mauney, NC Extension. Meghan Baker also created these lists of field guides and other resources to help you with medicinal plant taxonomy and identification and a list of materials for making plant vouchers. (2/12/2021)

Tool Care for Small Farmers – Meghan Baker and Craig Mauney, NC Extension. (7/21/2021)

Plant and Seed Suppliers

Please see the  2022 WNC Medicinal Herb Growers Planting Stock Suppliers_9-2022 (this is a pdf). If you think your business should be on this list, please email Margaret_Bloomquist@ncsu.edu

The NC Alternative Crops & Organics Program also published this Horticulture Information Leaflet on Sources of Seeds and Planting Stock for Forest Farming in 2025.

APPALACHIAN FOREST FARMERS COALITION EVENTS

Be sure to follow the ABFFC calendar for events happening in our region and across the country.

STAY INFORMED

To stay informed about all the  WNC Medicinal Herb Growers and Woodland Stewards activities and more, sign up for the NC Alternative Crops & Organics, Sign up for our program’s newsletter

You can follow us on Facebook, too at: WNC Medicinal Herb Growers FB page

See More News for WNC Medicinal Herb Growers

Updated by Jeanine Davis on 1/28/2026.