Published Summer 2022
By: Teagan Moran, Oregon State University, Small Farms Program
Interest by small scale producers in adding medicinal herb crops into their production systems is ever growing. When we talk about medicinal herbs, this encompasses an extremely large and diverse group of species. In addition, what is sold and used for medicine can include different parts of the plant, requiring very specific harvest and processing, and the species vary in country of origin or medicinal practice.
I have been working with a small group of farmers in my region who meet monthly to explore; how to grow more medicinal herbs, share what they know, explore ways to incorporate them into their farm plan (from livestock farms to diverse vegetable production), and look for opportunities for collaboration. Meanwhile, OSU Extension Specialist for Vegetable and Specialty Seed Crops, Kristie Buckland, has been a part of a team working to support producers interested in adopting new herb crops. With an ongoing research project their group seeks to identify what crop species are suited to our production areas, what opportunities exist in current and future markets, and what obstacles exist that may be addressed with either research or Extension projects. Both their effort and our group of farmers recognize that there are a lot of gaps in resources for small scale producers, and resources specific to the Northwest.
Our Small Farms Program hears the call for more locally produced medicinal herbs from consumers and know that there is a need for more resources for our farmers. If you have experience or expertise that you would like to share let us know. You can email me at [email protected] On the evening of April 21st, 2022 Kristie Buckland presented on her research and answered questions from a group of farmers across the Northwest.
A new OSU Extension publication titled Medicinal Herb Production in the Pacific Northwest (EM 9349), was published in April 2022.
You can find the publication here: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9349-medicinal-herb-production-pacific-northwest