Point-of-Harvest (PoH) Program
Over the past year, ASD and Virginia Tech partnered on a pilot project, currently called Point of Harvest (PoH), to provide free education to 74 wild harvesters and dealers of forest roots, herbs, and barks. Training topics included plant identification, sustainable harvest practices, post-harvest handling methods, safety, regulations, marketing and more. To date, 74 people have been certified through the PoH program!
ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub is working with participants to sell PoH certified botanicals to premium priced markets seeking high quality, sustainable supply. We are in the process of developing an official brand for the certification. We need your input on a brand name to ensure it resonates with both consumers and harvesters alike! By completing this short two question survey below, you'll help us choose a new, permanent brand name for this PoH pilot. 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.
For more information about PoH standards, see the PDF below.
Thank you from the Point of Harvest team!
