The NFFC is a partnership of individuals, farms, universities, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations with the shared goal of growing forest farming opportunities and education within the Northeast region.

The aim of the NFFC is to catalyze a grassroots forest farming industry in the region that is grounded in promoting both economic resiliency within local communities and the health of forest ecosystems. At the center of the project is a network of Research & Demonstration Forests – these are active research sites generating important ecological, financial, and production data on five understory plant species with significant profit potential. These sites also serve as locations for hands-on educational opportunities.

The project is funded through a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant.

  • Applied Research

    Active research sites strategically located across the Northeast region provide important ecological, financial, and production data on key understory species that can be forest farmed in the region.

  • Outreach & Education

    Through a combination of place-based workshops, online events, and the distribution of educational materials, the NFFC works to empower individuals to grow their own forest farming operations that produce sustainably-sourced forest botanical products.

  • Coalition Building

    The NFFC aims to build a network made up of a diverse mix of herb growers, small businesses, land stewards, and other stakeholders who share a vision of a forest farming industry in the Northeast that supports sustainable livelihoods centered around a reciprocal relationship with local ecosystems.

Become a member for free today!

Whether you are already forest farming, aspire to forest farm or just want to learn more about the practice, consider joining the Coalition.

Membership benefits:

  • Join free workshops and educational opportunities near you

  • Be a forest farming workshop teacher (for experienced forest farmers - paid) 

  • Be a forest farming mentor (for experienced forest farmers - paid)

  • Host a workshop at your site (paid) 

  • Access online forest farming resources and materials

  • Access technical assistance and forest farming extension programming

  • Connect with regional forest farmers, distributors, researchers, and other stakeholders

  • Sell your seed or root stock through the NFFC network 

  • Stay up to date on current affairs around forest farming in the Northeast