Native plant species are those that naturally occur in an area, and they are becoming more and more popular in landscape projects as homeowners look for plants that are easy to care for, are hardy and can withstand weather extremes, promote conservation of natural resources, and provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Currently, the supply does not meet demand for many of the native plants used in landscaping and stream restoration. Landscapers and garden centers in our area must purchase plant “liners” of many of our native species from nurseries in the northwest US to provide native plant planting stock to their customers—yet these liners can be easily grown in WNC, and those that are produced here are already well-adapted to the climate. There is good potential for supplemental income or more with production of native plant nursery products. All that is needed once seed or cuttings have been collected is land, time, and a small amount of capital to invest in pots and media.

Yancey County Cooperative Extension conducted a summer workshop series in 2006 to demonstrate to area farmers that native plant material can be easily grown from seed and cuttings from plant material that is readily available in Yancey and surrounding WNC counties. Two of the workshops were conducted onsite at Carolina Native Nursery, established on a former tobacco farm and utilizing a tobacco transplant house for native plant propagation. A marketing workshop aimed to teach farmers how to develop, write, and implement a simple marketing plan for marketing all types of agricultural products. To demonstrate what marketing opportunities are available by exhibiting at nursery trade shows, we also coordinated a trip to the Summer Green Trade Show in Greensboro.
The classes were very popular and well-attended. Between 20 and 25 tobacco farmers, nursery owners, and county agents from 8 WNC counties attended the workshops in which they received hands-on training for seed and cutting propagation, instruction on how to develop a marketing plan, and resource notebooks containing native plant production and marketing worksheets. Ten students visited the Summer Green Trade Show. Two of the “graduates” of the workshop series, encouraged by what they had learned at our marketing workshop, became exhibitors themselves at the trade show!

The prospect of producing native plants appeals to area farmers, as the plants are easy to grow in the WNC environment, require little inputs in terms of pest management, and can provide a supplemental source of income for the family similar to that provided by a crop of burley tobacco. And many growers have proven that going into the business can be a lucrative means of making a living. We hope that as more and more growers become involved in native plant production, the native plant industry will grow and develop into a mainstay of the economy in Yancey County.

In addition to the 2006 summer workshop series, a native plant propagation training was conducted at the Alternative Agricultural Enterprises Career Camp offered by NC Cooperative Extension at the Swannanoa 4-H Center for youth ages 12-17 in July 2006.  Campers learned to propagate Rhododendron maximum (white laurel) from seed, and took their seed pot home to continue cultivation.  We hope to continue to provide these types of trainings for youth alongside of our farmer education classes.  Only through horticultural education classes directed at the youth can we ensure the growth and sustainability of the native plant production industry in WNC.          

                                                        Alternative Agricultural Enterprises Career Camp                                                                         Swannanoa 4-H Center, July 2006