The Mountain Medicine Trail is an Appalachian Agritourism Route. Explore the map to find retail locations offering herbal and local West Virginia products, unique lodging destinations, and places to immerse yourself in forest botanicals in their natural ecosystems. When you shop or stay along the Mountain Medicine Trail you are supporting Appalachian farmers who are sustainably cultivating forest botanicals and reducing the harvesting pressure on vulnerable wild plant populations. Destinations on the MMT offer visitors an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the cultural relevance and the economic and historical significance of Appalachian forest botanicals, and rich ecology of our forest ecosystems. View the map in full screen to toggle layers to view types of members separately. |
Preserving Appalachian Forest Botanicals
As global consumer demand for herbal products grows, so does the demand for medicinal herbs from our West Virginia forests. According to the medicinal plant conservation organization, United Plant Savers, greater demand, combined with declining native forest habitat area, has resulted in many of our most valuable forest medicinals being classified as "at-risk."
The Mountain Medicine Trail supports local forest farmers who are cultivating forest medicinals as a way to reduce harvesting from wild populations. We are committed to advocating for responsibly sourced native medicinal plants as part of a future-focused effort to continue to meet global demand for these products in a manner that encourages the healthy growth and maintenance of our forest ecosystems. We also believe the cultivation of forest medicinals by West Virginia landowners can support a renewable economy centered around the production of NTFPs that provides meaningful income opportunities to rural landowners.
The Mountain Medicine Trail supports local forest farmers who are cultivating forest medicinals as a way to reduce harvesting from wild populations. We are committed to advocating for responsibly sourced native medicinal plants as part of a future-focused effort to continue to meet global demand for these products in a manner that encourages the healthy growth and maintenance of our forest ecosystems. We also believe the cultivation of forest medicinals by West Virginia landowners can support a renewable economy centered around the production of NTFPs that provides meaningful income opportunities to rural landowners.
What is Mountain Medicine? |
What are NTFPs? |
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Mountain medicine refers to the herbal and folk traditions of our region, an important component of our state’s history and our future. The forests of Appalachia have long been a resource for plants prepared as food and medicine - plants including ramps, ginseng, goldenseal, and black cohosh, among many others. For centuries, people have collected and used medicinal plants from the Appalachian forests. It is a practice that continues to this day in West Virginia, and we want to acknowledge the immense value of our forest pharmacy to those who call these mountains home. We also believe it’s important to recognize West Virginia's contributions supplying forest medicinals to meet the global demand for herbal products.
In addition to the above definition of mountain medicine, we also think of the mountains themselves as medicine. Healthy forest ecosystems provide immense ecological benefits and offer opportunities for us to enjoy connection, relaxation, and recreation. |
Non-Timber Forest Products, or NTFPs, are crops that are harvested from forests. In addition to medicinal plants, these crops include edible and decorative plants, mushrooms, tree saps, and honey from bees that forage on trees. NTFPs are also the raw materials for a number of value added products including teas, tinctures, salves, oils, wreaths, syrups, and baskets.
What is Forest Farming?Forest Farming refers to the practice of intentionally and sustainably cultivating edible, medicinal, and other NTFPs under a forest canopy. Forest farming is an opportunity for landowners to generate income opportunities on forested property without logging. Forest farming is also a land stewardship practice that enhances the ability of the forest to perform essential environmental services such as regulating the watershed and sequestering carbon.
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