Appalachian Medicinal Herb Consortium

This spring, while we’re all out in the garden planting peas and lettuce, some of our neighbors will be planting zhi mu, jie geng, and huang qi instead. That’s because eleven local farms have signed on to be part of a new initiative to expand the Chinese medicinal herb-growing program at The Blue Ridge Center for Chinese Medicine (BRCCM). Our area has the same latitude and altitude as most herb-growing regions in China, and the demand for safe, reliable sources of Chinese medicinal herbs is booming. Traditional doctors have used Chinese herbs for centuries to treat ailments ranging from chronic pain and fatigue to digestive and respiratory complaints, and they’re increasingly used in modern integrative medicine at institutes such as Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Duke, and Columbia. With over five years in Chinese medicinal herb production, BRCCM is dedicated to applying their experience to fostering new growth for local farms and the community at large. They hope to help build a more sustainable, economically and environmentally sound foundation for the future by supporting effective cultivation and marketing of high-value plants. That’s good news for Floyd County, where eighty-six percent of farmers are unable to make a living wage through farming alone. Participating farms include Deer Park Farm, Riverstone Farm, Seven Springs Farm, Ojai Farm, Fertile Crescent Farm, Eagles Nest Farm, Merry Peas, Left Bank Farm, Black Sheep Family Farm, Patchwork Farm, and the farm of Deb and Noah Byler. Farmers will have the support of an advisory committee, a processing facility, and an established national herb-buying consortium. That way they won’t have to worry about processing and sales and can instead focus on what they do best: farming. Project leaders Nate Sloan and David Grimsley are excited about directing the next phase of the program. They both bring passion, experience, and deep local roots to their new roles. Nate grew up on an area farm, and as a chef and organic farmer has helped build Roanoke’s thriving local food culture. David’s love of farming has taken him to Northern Italy as a vineyard manager. He’s also worked with The Farm Prosperity Project and Medicinal Herbs for Commerce, and raises pigs, chickens, and cows on his family farm in Floyd County. They make a good team. While Nate researches cultivation techniques, David is out in the field working with local farmers. For this first year of the expansion, they’re focusing intently on production methods, as well as developing demonstration gardens and community education programs. The project will add a second group of farms in 2015 and continue until fifty area farmers are making a solid profit growing Chinese medicinal herbs. June 13-15, the Medicinal Herb gardens and Chinese Medicine Center are participating in the Floyd Artisan Trail-June Tour.  Project managers, Nate and David, will be conducting tours and information sessions of the gardens.  Additionally visitors will be invited to participate in movement for health classes that include internal martial arts such as Bagua, Xingyi, Taiji and Qigong plus Yoga.  Our clinical practitioners will be available to speak about Chinese medicine and offering mini-sessions. Details will be listed on our website closer to the event. BRCCM, a non-profit health center established in 2006, is just 12 minutes from downtown Floyd. Their experienced practitioners offer a wide range of treatment options such as acupuncture, herbs, and massage, complemented by classes in tai chi, qi gong, and yoga. This year the center is also offering workshops in fermenting foods, addiction and stress release walk-in clinics, Chinese food therapy, and pre- and post-natal wellness. For more information, see the BRCCM website (www.BRCCM.org) or Facebook page (Blue Ridge Center for Chinese Medicine) or call (540)651.2682.