| Yellow Creek
Botanical Institute looks to a sustainable future
by Evelyn Leigh
All over the world, populations of wild medicinal plants are
feeling the pressures of over-collection for commercial use. North
Carolina's Graham County, one of America's most botanically rich
but economically disadvantaged regions, is no exception. Here,
in the heart of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains, depletion
of wild plant populations threatens not only the plants, but also
the traditional lifestyles of rural people who have collected
herbs from the forests for generations.
Now, forward-looking residents of Graham County have joined forces
in a unique sustainable development project that will benefit
both the plants and the people of this rugged rural area. The
nonprofit Yellow Creek Botanical Institute of Robbinsville, NC
is working with the community to develop medicinal plants native
to the area into viable commercial crops. "We are essentially
looking at recreating agriculture in our region," said Yellow
Creek founder and executive director Robin Suggs. Heavily forested
and mountainous, Graham County is home to many of North America's
favorite native medicinal plants, including American ginseng,
goldenseal, and black cohosh. Successful cultivation of these
extremely popular herbs will protect local ecosystems and provide
new economic opportunities for Graham County's rural population,
at the same time preserving the county's cultural identity and
local agricultural traditions.
By focusing on plants native to the area, growers working with
Yellow Creek will be able to produce high quality botanicals that
are naturally suited to cultivation in this steep, wooded terrain,
setting Graham County apart from other agricultural communities.
Suggs, who has a strong background in both agriculture and economic
development, hopes that the work of Yellow Creek will ultimately
serve as a model for similar sustainable development ventures
in other parts of North Carolina and the rest of the county.
Sustainable development has become a central concept for those
striving to build socially and environmentally responsible businesses.
For Graham County residents, sustainable economic and agricultural
development will mean improved long-term opportunity, income,
and quality of life. It will also provide incentives for future
generations to remain in the county instead of leaving to pursue
more promising opportunities elsewhere. Cultivation of threatened
plants with established markets will help ensure a continued supply
of valuable herbs, and if plants are collected from the wild,
sustainable harvesting practices will ensure that local plant
populations are not harmed.
Yellow Creek Botanical Institute collaborates closely with a
network of like-minded organizations, including the Center for
Participatory Change (a local citizen's group), North Carolina
State University, the Graham County Department of Planning and
Economic Development, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Service, the US Forest Service, HRF, and others. A primary Yellow
Creek goal is to foster the development of partnerships and cooperatives
that will work independently to achieve the institute's overall
mission.
Recently, Yellow Creek helped to found the Smoky Mountain Native
Plants Association, a group of producers working towards sustainable
commercial plant production through cultivation efforts as well
as the development of ethical wild harvesting standards. "This
is the kind of growers' network we envisioned when we started
the project," said Suggs. "On a very basic level, some
of our original ideas are coming to fruition." While Yellow
Creek will continue to assist and guide the new group, it will
operate autonomously to further the institute's goals.
Other current projects supported by the institute include a 50-acre
research and demonstration farm, cultivation trials, educational
events, and market and feasibility studies that will be shared
with participating producer's groups. HRF is helping Yellow Creek
assess the market potential for selected native plants and secure
continued funding for the next phases of the project. "The
combination of conservation and economic development priorities
make this a really exciting and worthwhile project," remarked
HRF president Rob McCaleb.
For more information about the mission and work of Yellow Creek
Botanical Institute, visit the organization's website at www.yellowcreek.org
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