In the summer of 2025, Mountain Rose Herbs had the honor of sponsoring and participating in a training seminar hosted by Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) at the beautiful Oshala Farm in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. It was a small, focused gathering of wild harvesters who came together to learn, connect, and share their commitment to ethical wildcrafting. This seminar was part of ASD’s Wild Stewards Program, a vital initiative that supports wild harvesters in Central Appalachia and beyond by improving livelihoods through sustainable practices, fair pricing, and access to new markets. We’ve long admired their dedication to stewarding both people and plants, and we were thrilled to help bring their expertise to the Pacific Northwest.
Robbin Suggs from ASD led a powerful session on the Wild Stewards Program, which equips wildcrafters with the tools they need to succeed while protecting the ecosystems they depend on. Dr. John Munsell of Virginia Tech added a rich layer of insight, sharing his work in agroforestry and demonstrating how landowners and harvesters can manage forest systems in ways that support both conservation and economic resilience. His research helps reframe the forest as not just a place to gather, but a living system to partner with, an idea that deeply resonates with our values.
Our own team contributed to the training as well. Steven Yeager, our Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, walked attendees through Mountain Rose Herbs’ quality assurance protocols, emphasizing the importance of integrity and transparency in wild-harvested materials. Meghan Barr, our Senior Procurement Officer, spoke about our sourcing practices and how we build long-term, trust-based relationships with the wild harvesters who supply our herbs. We ended the day with a plant walk through Oshala Farm, reconnecting with the land and each other. It was a reminder that supporting wild harvesters is not just about business, it’s about honoring tradition, investing in people, and protecting the future of herbalism.
Building a New Foundation for Ethical Wildcrafting
Wild harvesting is the ancient practice of gathering plants from their natural habitats, a tradition that has sustained communities and cultures for generations. Today, plants like American ginseng, Oregon grape root, and Yerba Santa are still ethically wild-harvested across the U.S., playing an essential role in both herbal commerce and ecosystem health. But wild harvesters are becoming increasingly rare, as economic pressures, aging populations, and lack of access to training push many out of this traditional livelihood. We’re seeing a generational gap in the transmission of knowledge, skills once passed down through families and communities are now at risk of being lost.
Events and meetups like the Wild Stewards Seminar are critical in reversing that trend. By providing education, resources, and market access, we’re helping to build a new foundation for ethical wildcrafting, one that supports both the ecological health of our landscapes and the economic vitality of the people who care for them. At Mountain Rose Herbs, we believe that by investing in wild harvesters, we are investing in the very roots of herbalism itself.
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