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Point-of-Harvest (PoH) Program
Check back here for more information about upcoming
2023 trainings in southwest VA!
We are creating a new PoH program that will offer free training to wild harvesters and buyers of woodland roots, barks, etc. Training topics may include: plant identification, safety, sustainable harvest, post-harvest handling, and more. POH will be designed to offer access to premium priced markets.
Take our quick online survey and/or get in touch to help shape the program! Keep scrolling down to learn more. Thank you for your interested in the Point of Harvest (PoH) Program!
PoH Program
Update November 2022
We are excited to announce the launch of our first round of PoH program trainings in southwest Virginia!
In September 2022, the first PoH training was held in Buchannan County, VA with 9 trainees. Morning classroom discussion covered safety, land access, regulations, sustained yields, marketing, and record keeping. The afternoon field session included hands-on learning for plant identification, sustainable harvest practices, and post-harvest handling and storage methods. PoH certified harvesters now have access to premium-priced markets for high quality, sustainably sourced forest botanicals!
Check back here for more information about upcoming 2023 trainings in southwest VA coming soon!
For questions regarding the PoH Program or upcoming trainings, please get in touch with the ABFFC team.
The PoH motto is Keep It Wild! Please help us spread the word with other wild harvesters and buyers in your community, and take our quick survey below. Thank you for your input!
More Information about the PoH Program
The ABFFC is in the process of developing a Point-of-Harvest (PoH) training and market development program for wild harvesters. The PoH program will focus on supporting environmentally responsible and economically viable wild NTFP enterprises.
Our goal is to offer PoH harvester training that is free of charge and recognized by the industry and large landholders such as the US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy.
Potential PoH training topics include, among others:
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safety
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technology
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harvesting & propagation
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plant identification & botany
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raw material storage & processing
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marketing & bookkeeping
Local instructors will lead the way helping PoH participants become more competitive in the marketplace and make the most with their products in the supply chain.
The PoH program is a workforce development project and will depend on support from the companies that buy these materials. If you are a harvester or buyer of raw or value-added material, we need to hear from you about how the PoH program should be designed. Click here to provide your input today.
For questions regarding the Point of Harvest Program or the upcoming input meetings, please get in touch with the ABFFC team.
Thank you from the Point of Harvest team!
