04/18/2008

Workshop to Focus on Forest Medicinal Plants, Mushrooms

AUBURN, Ala. — Ginseng, black cohosh, oyster mushroom, false unicorn, bloodroot and other medicinal plants and mushrooms will be the focus of the first-ever Economic Opportunities in Forest Medicinal Plants and Mushrooms Workshop to be held Friday-Saturday, May 2-3, at the North Shelby Library Environmental Training Center in Birmingham.

During the workshop, experienced farmers, researchers, dealers and medicinal plant processors will cover such topics as cropping systems, species selection and value-added products. Vendor booths also will be set up for participants to visit during both days.

The workshop is an outgrowth of research projects the Alabama Agricultural Land Grant Alliance funded in 2006, enabling faculty at Alabama A&M, Auburn and Tuskegee universities to collaborate on medicinal plant research and is aimed at promoting the development of a medicinal plant industry in Alabama.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. May 2, with the program officially beginning at 9 a.m. Scheduled to speak that day are farmers, scientists and medicinal plant industry representatives. Edward Fletcher, chief operating officer of the botanical division of Strategic Sourcing Inc., will discuss the economic potential, current market and future trends of medicinal plants during his keynote address.

The speaker at a 6:30 p.m. dinner will be James E. Simon, director of the Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program at Rutgers University. His presentation will be “The Tabloid Herbals: Miracle Drugs from the Supermarket.”

The May 3 agenda features information on organic certification and product standards, a discussion of how extension and research can support growers and a panel discussion. An herb walk from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will be led by Darryl Patton, a well-known herbalist, author and educator from Clayton College of Natural Health.

Following the medicinal plants workshop, an organic certification workshop will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Registration fees are $75 per person and $25 for each additional family or business member.

The workshop is cosponsored by Auburn, Tuskegee, Alabama A&M and Tennessee State universities; the National Agroforestry Center; and the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network. More information on the conference can be found online at myspace.aamu.edu/users/catherine.sabota/ForestMedicinalPlants.html, or by contacting Karen Wynn at 256-751-3925 or info@asanonline.org, or Rao Mentreddy at 256-372-4250 or rmentreddy@gmail.com.

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For immediate release

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849

Contact: Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu