[MPWG] farm-based research project seeks research assistant

[cafesombra at aol.com]

Hello,
Herbalists Without Borders seeks a?graduate student researcher to assist Missouri farmers and wild collectors in targeting their funding search and?completing research?necessary to support them in their business ventures and conservation work.? Below please find a basic outline of the research in question.? Interested parties please contact Penny Frasier,?penny at pinenut.com?or visit ??http://www.pinenut.com/contact.htm
Thank you for your kind attention
Jennifer Chesworth, HWB




Utilizing USDA Wild Crop Certification in the Development of a profitable model for Non-timber forest products harvest and management. 




Contact:? Penny Frasier? penny at pinenut.com 
?

significant need for the research project

Bio-diversify conservation must be profitable if private land owners are to engage in the management of wild species. Wild relatives of both food and medicine plants such as plums and Echinacea are at risk and many wild plant species are at risk of extinction. Human land use has create a threat to the valuable source of wild genes that are necessary to boost the ability of cultivated crops to resist pests and tolerate disease together with climate change. Absent genetic reservoirs in the hands private landowners the burden and integrity of conservation of wild genetics rests in governments, industry and academia. It is exceedingly important that wild crop genetic diversity for food and medicine remain widely disbursed in both ownership and geographical region. There is an urgent need to value, restore, collect and utilize the native/wild foods and medicine of our regions. In order to successfully protect wild gene plasm and wild lands, multiple repositories with diverse ownerships interests is a necessity. This projects seeks to demonstrate the profit viability of utilizing certified wild land for harvesting 4 species of plants, native to our region. The project will focus its demonstration of USDA Wild Organic Certification as the significant value added component for profitability in the marketing and conservation of bio-diversity. 



. 


OBJECTIVES: A successful outcome to this project would provide a model for organic producers to assess their native biodiversity for utilization under the wild crops certification. It will encourage the development wild crops as part of an overall organic farm management plan and enhance the awareness of native biodiversity on small farms for both human income needs and environmental integrity. It would also demonstrate the importance of USDA Wild Crop Certification to non-certified forest land-owners who are considering opportunities in non-timber products management. 
?

APPROACH:
The project will utilize four species of native wild vegetation, Echinacea Pallida, Monarda Fistulosa , yarrow flowers, Wild Plum flowers and Wild Plum Fruits. Goods From The Woods, will harvest and process these species, having helped the other farms obtained certified status. The project will document production of wild crops per manhour, acre, yield and dollar value. Harvests shall be for both direct sales and for value added processing by Goods From The Woods. The species studied will be plum flowers for essence distillation, Echinacea . Pallida for direct marketing in health and beauty market, together with harvest and distillation of Monarda Fistulosa flowers and yarrow flowers for the production of essential oils and wild floral essences. 
. 

The items will be marketed under the Goods From The Woods website, 
www.wildcrops.com , e-bay, and through various internet green directories to firms engaged in the manufacturing and production of health and beauty products with an emphasis on highlighting the USDA Certified Wild nature of the products. Through the execution of the research plan, this project proposes to fill information gaps and develop a model wild crops marketing plan which could be implemented by organic farmers in phases as knowledge, experience, and production capabilities increase in the area of certified wild crops management, together with promoting an awareness of USDA Wild Crops Certification as an option in land management 


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