Training Description

This was the announcement used to recruit students

for this training session:

Do you have clients or students who are interested in farming medicinal herbs, wild-harvesting herbs from their property for extra income, adding woodland botanicals to their forest management plan, or making medicinal herb products (tinctures, soaps, lotions, etc.)? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you should attend this "train-the-trainer" program we are offering on November 3rd near Asheville, NC. This training is designed with extension agents, NRCS personnel, marketing specialists, forest service employees, and community college instructors in mind but will be useful to anyone who advises farmers, forest landowners, wanna-be herb growers, and new business start-ups in the natural products/medicinal herb arena.

This training is being offered as part of a large grant project entitled "The WNC Natural Products Project" funded by the GoldenLeaf Foundation and administered through AdvantageWest. This project brings together a unique group of partners to help develop the natural products industry in western NC. The partners include NC State, Western Carolina University, Bent Creek Institute, the Biobusiness Network at AB -Tech, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, and AdvantageWest. Hopefully you've seen the promotional materials for the WNC Naturally Events we are offering (http://ncnaturalproducts.org ) and have encouraged your growers and other clients interested in natural products to attend. (Here's a little info on AdvantageWest and their

involvement:

http://www.advantagegreen.org/clusters/natural-products/)

This "train-the-trainer" session is designed to help you help your clients and growers. You will learn

* the trends in the industry in the region, nation, and world

* the efforts underway in western NC to grow this industry

* the federal and state rules and regulations affecting growers,

wild-harvesters, and manufacturers

* the programs, services, people, and other resources available to

help your clients

* who and where you can turn to for answers

* you will visit the Natural Products Testing Laboratory and the

Natural Products Manufacturing Facility at the AB Tech Enka Campus

* you will network with other educators and share experiences

* other issues you identify as important will also be addressed

The training session will be offered Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Haynes Conference Center at the AB-Tech Enka Campus in Candler, NC (near Asheville). It will probably run from 9 or 10 am till 4 or 5 pm. That will be firmed up as we develop the final agenda for the day (based on your feedback).

You may have seen a similar notice from me in July about trainings being offered on November 3 and 17 in Bryson City and Boone. Because of budget realities, we have had to change that to this one single time and more central (to WNC) location.

This training is free and lunch will be served, but transportation and lodging (if needed) will be your responsibility. We do not have funds to pay for that.

What do you need to do?

1. Send Jeanine_Davis@ncsu.edu an email if you want to attend this

training or if you have questions about it.

2. Explain what you specifically would like to learn (e.g., how to help

growers produce herbs, safety issues).

3. Share this email with other educators who would benefit from this

training.

4. Share what would make this really worth your while (we have some

plans already, but want to hear it from you).