Appalachian Consortium for Sustainable Cultivation of Native Plants

ACES is forming a Consortium for the Sustainable Cultivation of Medicinal Plants among regional stakeholders from academia, government and the private sector. The goal of this Consortium is to address the technical, economic and social barriers to increased profitability from the sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants as specialty crops in rural Appalachia. Our interest is to integrate research in field and laboratory science to advance our understanding of medicinal plant ecology, habitat, cultivation and reproduction, as well as natural product biosynthesis, analysis and characterization to develop best practices that address the needs of our stakeholders for the production and marketing of reliable products with improved quality. We envision that these efforts will strengthen and enhance the use of medicinal plants as specialty crops, and will lead to increased preservation of indigenous plants.

We are seeking additional partners to join an Organizing Committee that would support the Consortium and its activities, and to enhance connections among our stakeholders in an effort to develop a regional plan for increasing the economic potential of medicinal plants. We would be grateful for your input and comments by contacting our outreach coordinator Mimi Hernandez.

The Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies (ACES) is situated at Frostburg State University in the Appalachian Mountains of Maryland.  ACES is a partnership between Frostburg State University, West Virginia University, the University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, and the Tai Sophia Institute.  This is a collaborative, inter-institutional effort devoted to the multidisciplinary study and conservation of native plants of Appalachia.  Click here to view the latest news and community events!

A primary focus of ACES is to foster economic growth in the region through promoting networking opportunities for growers, retailers, and consumers in the area.  ACES works with existing businesses and seeks to facilitate the development of new local enterprises to explore the use of regional plants for health-related purposes and to inform landowners about the sustainable cultivation and harvest of non timber forest products.

ACES also is interested in the cultural heritage of Appalachia helping to document and preserve Appalachian culture as it relates to wild plant harvesting, artisan materials, non timber forest products, and herbal medicine through community outreach and education programs.

Currently a "virtual center," the goal of ACES is to develop a physical facility within the next five years that will be located in Western Maryland and house a conference center, a museum/education center, and a research center.

For more information, contact:

Mimi Hernandez
Outreach Coordinator
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland 21532-2303

Telephone: 301-687-4120
Fax: 301-687-3084
E-mail: mhernandez@frostburg.edu
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