NC State Forest Farming Demonstration Site
Mills River, NC
The NC State Forest Farming Demonstration Site provides growers, forest landowners, and service providers with opportunities to learn about valuable native woodland botanical species and non-timber forest products suitable for production in our region. Visitors learn about identification, habitat requirements, and management of forest farmed species including woodland botanicals like ramps, goldenseal, bloodroot, and black cohosh, as well as paw paws and wild mushrooms. This demonstration site is a component of the NC Alternative Crops & Organics Program in NC State University’s Horticultural Science Department.
Location:
Mills River, NC
Total Acres:
Agroforestry Acres:
3 acres
Year Agroforestry Established:
1990
Contact Information
Main Contact:
Margaret Bloomquist
Email:
Website:
Social Link
N/A
Social Link
N/A
Site Visitors
Main Agroforestry Species
Nursery or Planting Stock Provider Information
Agroforestry System Design
The NC State Forest Farming Demonstration Site is primarily for educational and training purposes, although through maintenance of this site, we are also stewarding native woodland botanical populations and serving as a genetic reservoir for selected species.
Personal or Collective Experiences
The forest farming methods practiced at this site are a mix of wild-stewarded, wild-simulated, and woods-grown techniques for understory species. These species include goldenseal, ramps, Solomon's seal, fairy wand, stone root, mayapple, trilliums, wild yam, and bloodroot, as well as elderberry, paw paw, american spikenard, and more.
November 4, 2025 at 11:32:37 PM