Its time Appalachia became abundant- will you join us?

Hello, I am a millennial working on turning my newly acquired Appalachia property into an abundant food forest system. I have always loved the Appalachian mountains and after I finally bought some property, this time last year (November 2016), I have had a burning desire to connect with the diverse and endearing people of this great region. For too long, I believe the continents' most diverse and unique landscape has been overlooked and forgotten. Poverty, drugs, depression, and more have plagued our homes but through our community network and using permaculture principles, I believe we can bring prosperity to this diverse place. Instead of communities filled with crime, addictions, and joblessness, we can bring hope, peace, and fulfillment one food forest at a time. Although I know food forests alone will not solve all the problems facing this forgotten area of the nation, just as Diego Footer says, I must start somewhere and do the work.

So I call out to anyone and those specifically with a burning desire and passion for the people and places of Appalachia for your partnership in reviving our Nation's treasure. This is our Country's and the continents most diverse ecosystems. Instead of destroying it for a few, why not work together in our own local communities throughout this region to begin building our futures and investing in our lives. For the other millennials out there, I hope to reach you and form a network of driven men and women that want to work hard for themselves and work together to make a future for all of us!

Let's get growing and I would love to hear from you on your amazing work, food forests, tiny houses, community work, and more.
Check out my channel to see what I have begun. I do want to make a positive impact so I've begun. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FPrppGlEV_py3U0Q8CMZw[/youtube]

Hi Christopher,
My name is Kat Vernon. As fellow milleniels, my husband and I have been looking for permaculture opportunities for a while, and what you posted looks perfect for us. My husband is proficient with any kind of construction, including primitive technology. I have previous experience with working on a permaculture farm, and i can produce references. We both have experience working with animals including cows, horses, goats, sheep and alpacas. We prefer manual labor, but we have other skills, such as accounting and project management. If you would like any other details about our resumes, please email me at moxopolis@gmail.com.
We are in northern California right now, and we won't be heading east until spring, but we would love to help you bring your vision into reality. We may even be able to put together a self-sustaining subculture that thrives off the earth alone.
Thank you for your time and good luck with everything.
Sincerely,
K. Vernon

Instead of destroying it for a few, why not work together in our own local communities throughout this region to begin building our futures and investing in our lives. For the other millennials out there, I hope to reach you and form a network of driven men and women that want to work hard for themselves and work together to make a future for all of us!

Well said Christopher.  Fellow millennials, My wife and I just relocated back to my hometown in Ohio and share a similar vision. I look forward to keeping up with your progress.

NOAH

i have been thinking along the same lines as a homesteader in east tn.  driving through east ky , inc harlan, cumberland, whiesburg the other day,  thinking how absolutely beautiful the area is but it so very economically depressed. I offered some local kids opportunities to make money and I even offered to teach them skills I went to school for including welding, metal fab and engine rebuilding and they are too lazy to even come over and take advantage of what I offered them. Too many young people want to sit around drink pop, eat chips and play video games all day every day. Stuck in a coma of complacency

Hey guys and gals, thanks for your encouragement! I am right there with you Bruce with how tragic it is. In my opinion the next 20 years will look very different than the previous 20 we have known. I want to start now building friendships and networks throughout this region and neighboring places so that we can help each other learn, grow, and adapt. Recently I have been thinking about Youtube and how I love watching people in warmer climate zones showcase their food forests but hardly anything is shown about our incredibly diverse region. A number of delicious foods we can grow and create is staggering. That is why I want to draw attention to our areas and educate/set an example of what can be done. Plus, as Bruce has mentioned the amount of poverty in such a biologically wealthy area is perplexing. I wish I had you as a neighbor because I would love to learn how to do those things!

Noah, thanks, I will definitely keep up with posting. How has the move been with your goals back in Ohio?

christopher Sommers wrote:I want to start now building friendships and networks throughout this region and neighboring places so that we can help each other learn, grow, and adapt. Recently I have been thinking about Youtube and how I love watching people in warmer climate zones showcase their food forests but hardly anything is shown about our incredibly diverse region..... I wish I had you as a neighbor because I would love to learn how to do those things!

Hello friend, I have been looking for the same for some time! My homeland is a particular(-ly rural) region where VA meets NC at the edge of the mountains. Think Floyd VA, most folks in these communities have heard of that. Anyway I started traveling to Florida 3 years ago for love (I'm now 22, her 47) and took it as the opportunity of a lifetime to ingrain myself deeply into the network and activities there in permaculture; and found my love of herbalism. What drives me now is mixing the two to the fullest possible extent, and making the most of every resource we have from plants and ecosystems, to technological materials/systems, but most importantly communities. If we as this more "cooperative" mind and culture are going to continue to grow and influence as we have we need to get our act together and organize to support one another.
What I'm facilitating, like many others are, is a transference of knowledge and highly localized/specialized goods such as medicine, food, technological manufacturing/scavenging, as well as old-fashioned honest support; across broad yet particular areas. Growing and living are very different in the mountains than they are in Florida, yet the experience I gained there and through those connections is fueling creativity here at home even more.
I agree that Appalachia has, perhaps, the highest to rise of anywhere in the country. (I own literature on the subject)
Personally I have spent the last ~5 years studying several properties in my region of the mountains. Fall and late summer this year we've begun ramping up activities such as sowing and maintaining endangered, wild-simulated forest medicinals, starting trees from seed and bare roots, improving garden beds and installing key perennials to maintain it while providing "something for nothing", importing organic matter, working with water, maintaining existing forest. I have lists of plants native and introduced to each area, something I like to do where-ever I visit.
Something I don't see here is businesses, there are next to no permaculture installation services, not enough consultants OR herbalists/medicine-makers. All are up-and-coming, and I think in time we'll find more like myself who used one or two of these businesses to fuel others. I find that embracing the full breadth of passions is what keeps them alive and helps them grow.

Hey Wyatt, dang you seem to be on the right track. Having the knowledge and experience of traveling also helps our understanding of various places in order to take the best lessons from them and apply them to your area. I am right there with you on the medicinals. Being unable to afford healthcare, I've turned to medicinal plants. Although I have a ton more to learn about them, they have saved my butt many times since I started 3 years ago. Stephan Buhner's books have been a valuable resource on growing this passion. I also see it as my responsibility to look after myself now being in my late 20's. My dad died of kidney disease and not once did he take steps to further his health through medicinals, exercise, organic foods etc. This is not who I am nor do I want to become. I want to take action when and where I can and not just throw up my hands. Have you been able to rent/buy property in your area? I'm up by western MD, there seems to be a growing subculture of organic-back to the land movements here but we have A LOT more to go. My major concern is the economy sinking into an abyss where the forests will be cut, again and again, more mining, more devastating resource extraction destroys any future for us Millennials and generations after us. Having a small piece of property in the mountains now, I do feel a calling to start organizing and making networks with you guys and gals in order to help this beautiful region of the world. In my part, overgrazing is a huge issue. So many farmers put way too many cows on their poorly performing hillsides only to have the grass snipped all the way to the ground and not once does anyone question this system. I am going to be growing thornless honeylocust to get them started to use as a test planting so I can offer the pods to these local farmers in hopes of showing them first hand the benefits of silvopasture. Chestnuts are a major food source for us humans as well as animals. I reference J. Russell Smith's book "Tree Crops" on this when he talks about the European chestnut forests on Corsica and Sicily. Do you have any experience with chestnuts in the Appalachian region? I am trying Euro/Japanese hybrids from Burnt Ridge Nursery due to their blight resistance and their growing habits.

I learned a lot about what I don't want from my parents as well, which I am grateful for. I have not bought land myself, but my parents still live (separated) in the area; I'm fortunate enough to have something to inherit. My expectation is to spend this next ~year to continue building and gaining exposure for my herbal business, using it to fund modifications to the properties. It is good to see a resurgence in homesteading, organics, herbalism etc. The more mass culture screws up, the more people that will see through it. I share your concern for the region, however; it has been raped some thoroughly for so long I have COMPLETE faith that it will continue to serve us. All we have to do is decide to make us of it.
In time as we help each other to get projects at home and in our communities fulfilled we can begin to focus on larger tasks. (Forest restoration, farm-scale designs, community programs, etc.) I'm seeing firsthand how permaculture communities in states such as Florida and California are maturing, since it's been there longer; and it's the real deal! You could live solely within those communities, never needed to deal with the "common folk." Better yet, the numbers of "normal people" joining the cause grows by the day. It turns out people love the idea of self-reliance, they have just forgotten what that means beyond providing themselves a big enough paycheck to live on.
We do have enormous issues that, as you say, most folks never question. From overgrazing to building codes designed for the lowest common denominator, to a medical system that provides just enough service to keep people from taking health into their own hands. (hospital in my hometown closed recently, many of us were thrilled to loose it..... that bad) You've got some good resources between "Tree Crops" and Buhner's books, if there is anything in health or herbalism you could use a hand with let me know; I just finished a certification course in Clinical Western Herbalism and work diligently daily to add to my medica. I'll never know it all, but if I don't know I'll find out where to learn.
I do have some experience working around chestnuts, though I haven't planted one myself. The full Chinese do well, though the folks at the Chestnut Hill Tree Farm have a cross 15/16ths being American Chestnut that will cost you more but may be worth it for somewhat local genetics. I've only just recently heard of Burnt Ridge, I'd love to hear how they do; you may agree that it's very possible that nothing would mean more to this region than the successful repopulation of the Chestnut.

High five to you Wyatt for starting your own Herbalist business! I do have some questions concerning pokeberry. With your schooling, has this herb been something that has been brought up for fighting viruses or other hard to kill bacteria? For the Appalachian region, is there a herb(s) that are particularly well suited for Lymes? I finally found siberian ginseng for sale through Strictly Medicinals for $20 and has been doing ok in a pot outside all summer long. Even stood up well to west facing sun against a wall with less than ideal watering. Ill be planting it in the ground though so I look forward to it's progress. I also have been trying to find Panex Ginseng seed or roots but seems kinda touch in the plant trade on this continent anyway.
Ironic you say that about starting local bc I just saw a video by geoff lawton where he said- nail it, then scale it! That is exactly what you are saying and I couldnt agree more!
I do enjoy the chinese chestnuts as they are the most common ones here, however according to Univ. Michigan their test plots have found that the chinese pollen when fertilizing euro/jap chestnut hybrids produce some sort of nut rot in the bur so I have made my chinese chestnuts for sale on ebay in order to preserve the euro/jap hybrid trees. Looks like I will be growing them and staying away from the chinese.
That is unfortunate about the parent situation and I am glad to hear you are rising above it to make a life/livelyhood for yourself and following your own passions. That is really tough as mine never could understand why I was drawn to loving plants so much. They would have rather seen me do something in corporate which would crush me. I am currently unemployed but very strongly want to start my own plant nursery business. I have a few plants on ebay but would like to have my own website that is similar to Rolling River Nursery and Burnt Ridge.
This is just based on my personal experience, Rolling River is WAY better than even Burnt Ridge. The customer service is fantastic at RRN. They get back to me quickly, settle any possible issues and are just great down to earth people. Burnt Ridge plants do not overwinter well at all here both in zone 7 and zone 6. I have had many chestnuts, english walnuts, and apples die over winter despite proper care on my part. For the price that you pay, you want them to make it and be replaced if they die which Rolling river is much better at doing in my opinion
Even though you have inherited the land yet, are you still able to have areas to plant any medicinals or make them yourself? What are some that are your favorite to grow if you do, and make yourself? I am a huge fan of making my own tinctures. The Everclear will kill most things if the herbs do not HAHAHA!

After listening to Diego on Permaculture voices, I have been really inspired to start a permaculture plant nursery. I am now working towards making my purpose in life my source of income. Being unemployed, and needing to pay for my phone, food, and car insurance has really put the pressure on me to look for employment. I have been filling out many job applications and I have to laugh at some of these places. I know what I am capable of and for anyone else who has built their own house will know, you have more experience than most. This one persnickety human resource woman who interviewed me for a job has almost zero experience other than getting a degree. It amazes me how someone can say to me that I am not experienced enough for what they want. So I laugh and now I am starting my own nursery. Truthfully I have zero idea how this is going to work out and that is not really my job, my job now is to work towards making myself useful in regards to my talents and enriching myself as well as others through plant propagation.
I shudder at the thought of working for someone or a business. Spending your time investing in someone or something, that bottom line does not really care or invest in you. So here it goes, I'm launching Appalachia Tree Crops. This is not limited to tree crops, or the Appalachia region but really takes up the torch from J. Russell Smith and will offer permaculture grown plants of all sorts. Medicinals will be available too and in time I will diversity my inventory. To quote Geoff Lawton "nail it then scale it". Lets do this!

Hello everyone! Happy Early Thanksgiving to you all and hope it is an amazing time for you. There really is a lot to be thankful for. On a personal level, I have kept my word to myself and created my permaculture food forest nursery and have begun to sell seeds and plants. I am truly honored to be able to make this dream of mine a reality and wanted to share this with you. Each of us has a vital role to play in life and since we are only here for a short amount of time, I encourage you to explore your passions in whatever area brings you to life. Listening to PermacultureVoices with Diego has inspired me to cultivate my passions in plant exploration, propagation, and making available high-quality food crops for people to purchase. This is more than a simple business for me. My goals are about education, food sovereignty, and self-reliance for as many people as I can reach. Although this is just the beginning, this is a marathon so its one foot in front of the other until it is my time to leave. Here is the beautiful Appalachia Tree Crops site that I encourage you to explore! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Appalachia Tree Crops

Good to hear you're moving forward with your passion!
Let me start from the start:
Poke: it is an effective antimicrobial, however, it's narrow band of safe dosage makes it something ONLY to be used by professionals. We use it more to move lymphatic fluid, context is a MUST to ensure its safety. For example there are times where a proper dosage is less than a drop, down to a quarter drop. That being said there are well respected medicine makers that put a tiny amount of it in almost every formula. In short, yes it can be highly useful for infections but only with the most careful administration. (cyanide poisoning aside, it can move lymph so fast the body can't handle it)
Lyme: something of a specialty of mine. The Appalachians have almost everything you need to treat those with Lyme. Teasel root as you may know is incredibly useful, Japanese Knotweed is an edible (young shoots) invasive and strong medicine that has a mild effect to actually kill spirochetes but is more used to quell inflammation and other symptoms. Fortifying herbs such as Solomon's Seal, Thistles etc can help to rebuild the tissues that Lyme consumes. (bone broths are incredibly useful for this as well) Bidens and Sida species can be used as well, tops and nourishment and roots tinctured as antimicrobial. (THE most effective of any combo to directly kill Lyme) Mushrooms and Astragalus (or the related native Milk Vetch) can both be used to nourish and build the immune system WITHOUT aggravating autoimmune. Sida may not make it as far north as you, but I'm pretty sure Bidens does. (I can supply both in bulk, if you like, with notice) Of course there are many others to use depending on how and in what tissues it manifests.
Ginseng: it can be hard to source native, wild, seed. I'm a member of the United Plant Savers so I get it through their yearly seed sales, however Ginseng groups on facebook or something tend to have them available occasionally as well. Cultivated seed (far inferior as far as medicine and survivability are concerned) are always available through Hsu's Ginseng out of Wisconsin. Without our help the native population WILL be extinct, our solution is to simulate wild growth just as mountain folk have for hundreds of years. (maybe with some more permaculture principles and research in mind)
Chestnut: thanks for the info regarding Chinese infecting the Hybrids, I'll have to remove a couple trees on my mother's property if I ever plant Hybrids there.
Nurseries: I can think of a few you'll like as well, you already know of Strictly Medicinal Seeds, other favorites are Sow True Seeds and Joe Hollis at Mountain Gardens. (looking forward to an apprenticeship with him next year)
Land: I am famous for treating my parents land as my own, have my entire life. I have been working with them to propagate whatever we can get our hands on. So far - Echinacea purpurea, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Balm, Solomon's Seal, Rhubarb, Ginseng, Goldenseal, Black Cohosh, Yarrow, and about a week ago we put in Witch Hazel, Serviceberry, and a ton of Blueberries. The rest of the fall/winter is starting tree seeds, (elderberry and paw paw), digging natives like paw paw from the woods,  building soil and compost tea solutions including "Effective Organisms." Things I hope to get ahold of next year are Oregon Graperoot, Giant Solomons Seal, Calamus, Horsetail, more Comfrey, Sea Buckthorn etc. But of course I'm open to what comes around.
Medicine: seems to be my true specialty. I earned my certification in Florida over 2 years of study and started making medicine there (here, actually, in FL the next couple weeks) and nearly everytime I sold/gave it to someone including my teacher they were thrilled with the quality. Now I have about 20 gallons of herb tincturing, almost all of which I collected myself from the wild; everything I'm growing goes to propagation. Some of these herbs need diluted more, for example I harvested Lion's Mane and stuffed a gallon jar FULL with it to preserve it being that I couldnt afford enough alcohol; in the end it will take another 4+ gallons of alcohol. THEN it will be decocted to make a dual extract. In the end it will be 10+ gallons of medicine.
I'm stoked to hear about you committing to Appalachia Tree Crops! You seem to be a good voice and advocate for the industry.

Some info regarding Poke at an antibacterial, from the crazy yet very astute Susan Weed:
"... When there is a deeply entrenched infection in the pelvic area, for example, I add one dropperful of Poke root to my one ounce bottle of Echinacea. Poke is an especially effective ally for men with prostatitis, women with chronic bacterial vaginal infections or PID, or anyone dealing with an STD/STI or urinary tract infection (UTI)."

For some perspective, at about 600 drops per ounce that dropperful of Poke dilutes to just over a drop worth per dropperful of the combination.
I have also read of it being useful for breast infections. Other than being reproductive systems, what these issues have in common is the stagnation of lymph, which is Pokes primary use. Other lymph movers (from strong to mild) include Red Root, Burdock, Cleavers and Chickweed. All found in the Appalachians.
As far as antibacterial/microbial we have the "yellows", berberine containing roots such as Burdock, Yellow Dock,   and Goldenseal. There is also Usnea, a lichen common across forest globally, inner barks of some trees especially pine and other conifers (as well as needles in their case), Uva-Ursi, Barberry and Bearberry are all microbial. Most of these are safe in most circumstances, but few are safe in every circumstance.

christopher Sommers wrote:High five to you Wyatt for starting your own Herbalist business! I do have some questions concerning pokeberry. With your schooling, has this herb been something that has been brought up for fighting viruses or other hard to kill bacteria? For the Appalachian region, is there a herb(s) that are particularly well suited for Lymes?

Hi, Christopher, I know I'm not Wyatt but this question caught my attention. I came up allergic to chemicals 7 years ago, and started researching herbal healing in 2008 when I met Susun Weed at a healing retreat. I contracted Lyme disease in July 2017 and I've been researching how to fight it. So far it seems that holistic health involves supporting the body's own ability to heal itself, rather than finding one solution for a problem, the more the body is nurtured and nourished, the healthier it grows.

One of my special interests involves looking at wise use of invasive herbs to help control their growth. Kudzu is one of those: the roots and leaves are edible and medicinal. The plant soothes inflammation. It's easily found if you live in southern Appalachia.

I've taken panax ginseng for swollen lymph and found it hot and irritating. Ginger, garlic, and raw honey are my must-haves, and I intend to cultivate as much healing food and herbage as possible, once I get to the land I seek, and hopefully keep bees.

Pokeberry and pokeroot I know treat inflammation as well, and therefore boost immunity, and are generally safe (they can raise blood pressure in some who are sensitive, in large amounts). I took pokeroot tincture during the last weeks of my first pregnancy, to get lymph moving. I would look at planting echinacea and elder, for microbial infections. Echinacea boosts immunity from bacteria and elder helps the body fight viruses.

If stinging nettle grows on your property, it's rich in many things the body needs, including calcium and b vitamins, plus perihistidine, a naturally occurring antihistamine, so it helps alleviate allergic reactions.

Hope you find this helpful. If you're interested in hiring on a residential herbalist for work-trade, please PM me.

Echinacea and Elder are great go-tos, and so easy to grow. Echinacea if used right is important for many different grades of infection, but I find that Elder's effectiveness drops off at Lyme level dis-eases; you likely caught it early enough in your case but most people with Lyme's have had it for years and decades. Which is where the most potent tools we have for actually killing it are Sida (acute, spinosa, rhombifolia, etc) and Bidens (alba, bipinatta and likely others).
You couldn't be more correct in that supporting the body is even more important than going on the attack, especially with Lyme. The more you fight (beyond initial infection)  the deeper it digs in. I had a client who's had it since the 80s and everyone she ever went to just tried to kill it...  She is in rough shape these days and I don't think anything I could do for her made her feel better fast enough.

Also, I don't think I ever got around to mentioning Kudzu in earlier replies, definitely an oversight. It has a myriad of uses, so much so I have a whole book on it.

Reading all the replies and posts of all you young folk is invigorating and encouraging.
Since before your age I’ve wanted to live a self-sufficient life style, but life, family and obligations got in the way.
The following is a bit self serving but I’m laying it out...
So I find myself a 64 y/o disabled widow, retired/retiring RN, in 2.5 acres of wooded mountain side in NW North Carolina where everything is either very steep, boggy or both. Living in an old and badly aged mobile home, leaky in many ways ;)
I started raising chicken this last spring.
I’m living on social security and knowing it will never be enough. Trying to establish sustainable self-sufficient living environment but let mired by my disability.  Trying to learn more and willing for anyone to use my site for building and demonstrating (and I’ll learn) sustainable shelter, food, energy, and land management that can maintain and be maintained by someone my age or older with moderate disability.

This too is a significant need in these mountains. The aging community has no where to go but to their kids in Florida because they were told social security would be enough and it’s not, not by a very long shot. Many of us could easily be called disabled but can still manage a BTE garden and small live stock if helped with creating the proper environment.

@Kathy,

Bless your heart Kathy, and good for you starting to get it going.

If you are interested in more self sufficiency or learning about it and/or taking on people to help, start another thread in the "homestead" or "volunteer" category.
Perhaps the moderators here can guide you if necessary.

I think there are quite a few out there that would like an opportunity to do something of this nature, and/or help build up your "homestead".

Hi Wyatt, sorry for the delayed reply to all your amazing advice! I'm excited for you to be growing so many medicinal plants and making some kick butt medicines. Tinctures are my favorite bc for me they are "fairly" straightforward and simple. Thank you so much for all of the great information you gave. I am taking your advice and will start growing those plants out come spring. The seeds might be a good idea for a stocking stuffer come Christmas! Speaking of ginseng, I did buy a bunch of seed from a farm in maryland near me which germinated and planted out this fall. I am looking for panex seeds and amazon has some but good luck on the quality of those seeds right! LOL Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing bidens growing so we will track them down and grow them along with sida. There is probably a native sida to grow up here so we can always try.
Your property sounds like a total eden with all those herbs and edibles! Are you able to plant things in florida to have the best of both worlds for medicine production? Really neat you are doing that and such a valuable practice to get into and excel at. Keep it up.
In regards to poke, your in-depth breakdown is much appreciated. I have read that it is so evil and potent that just the mention of it would bring death to you but your words brought much-needed clarity. It grows abundantly around the tiny house so knowing what can be done with it is a bonus.
How is your time in florida going? Cold up here so enjoy!

@Faye thank you for all the amazing info too! Having insight that you and wyatt bring to this discussion is great! Like you, I will be growing out the plants you mention to have and make tinctures from. There are so many ticks around that its just common sense to know ahead of time what to be taking. Speaking of invasives, have you found any use for oriental bittersweet or japanese honeysuckle? Do you know of any work into japanese stiltgrass? Those are some big invasives in western pa so I was just wondering. Your advice on poke was very helpful for that hands on experience of taking it. Thank you for that. Nettles are excellent, I wil have to source some seeds- hopefully, I can source some local types for added toughness. Thanks again for all your advice!

@Kathy,
your story really hits home at your dedication and encouragement to keep on going! Like others mentioned, I bet that if you put your wonderful story out there, that there would be young people more than happy to work on some land and help you out by default. Please post your story again and make a thread for it so your story can get out. I really admire you for following your dreams at a more self-sufficient life. Having a widowed mother, I understand where you are coming from. I wonder if you could reach out to bigger named permaculture/ regenerative land designers in the Asheville area to talk with them on the possibilities. I mention big named permaculturalists like Justin Rhodes so that the chances of someone showing up and possibly taking advantage of your property and goals doesn't happen. I hope you find some good people to help and want to encourage you to keep at doing what you love, one step at a time!

Just a general post, but I have been working on my edible plant website- appalachiatreecrops.com diligently. Posting my progress on here helps keep me in check to make sure I am accomplishing what I set out to do LOL! After listening to Rob Avis Javan B. on their youtube channels I was able to really get the site narrowed down to what my niche and goals are. If you want feel free to check it out and let me know what you all think about and what ways could I improve? My story of growing up in a mentally abusive household is never meant to be for a "pitty-party", my goal is to bring light to it and help inspire you all who may have had similar circumstances to get back up and keep on growing in your passions and goals. Javan said if you do not have a plan for your life, someone else will plan it for you, and NOT have your best interest in mind. That is so simple yet profound in its truth. Stay warm everyone and talk to you soon!

@ Wyatt & Faye,
I am searching online for native species of bidens and sida. Right now I have 6 tabs open for native bidens HAHA! Prairie Moon Nursery has a nice variety of seeds available. Now sida is not as easy although I did find a native side-Sida hermaphrodita that is endangered (more incentive to grow it) so my question is this. For these two species would it be irresponsible to say that they all can be used for lymes or can I suspect that most of these species will work, it's just that certain ones have been tested for their medicinal qualities while others have not? It does appear I can grow the traditional sida here for the summer in PA and just make tincture come fall. Bidens is annual anyway so I would do the same for it once I can narrow down to the proper species that have shown the most potency for lymes. Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated!

Awesome!!! This native plant info is going to help me & some chickens immensely. Only been here in Appalachia a couple years but it's about to get pretty darn hillbilly. By choice.

1. This pokeberry & pokeroot being referred to ... is that same plant as used in poke salad? Or something entirely different? (great song Poke Salad Annie) A decent salad & chickens will probably eat it 'cuz they eat almost anything. Must go find some wild or plant some. Forgot all about poke.

2. No promises but I might be able to share some native ginseng seeds this fall. Just learning about that but know where to look & know it's there. Good chance on some native chestnuts too. Stay tuned.

3. Seminole pumpkins. They are native-ish to the region & do very well in a permaculture environment. Going to try to establish some at higher altitudes this year. It's a Sasquatch thing.

4. Sassafras. Grows wild here. Good stuff. Especially for a misplaced Texan who loves authentic cajun gumbo!!! Was reading about why it's mostly illegal to buy/sell nowdays & why root beer tastes like crap for longer than you millenials have been alive. Big biz & big bro interference. Some lab rats they overdosed about 1000 times over normal amounts died. Now it's made with more profitable chemicals. Forget that insanity & just go find a tree. Then cultivate it & spread the love with your friends & neighbors. That's how to get 'er done. One piece at a time one step at a time. You can bet your sweet bippy (really dating myself with that one) once you taste real sarsaparilla  ... well ... YUM.

and another thing ... MULLEIN ... aka cowboy toilet paper. Grows wild in these beautiful hills. Cultivate in really good soil & it grows huge. Way better than corncobs. Just saying. Can also make a medicinal tea with it. Clears up congested lungs.

Wow! I've certainly come to the right place for more permaculture information.
This is my first post, from the great regional Confluence city of Pittsburgh.
As another millennial, I find the mine runoff and fracking that's plaguing our region quite disturbing. It's "use it or lose it" with our land.
Permaculture and green infrastructure is the solution to these problems.
Can't grow good food on contaminated land, so I intend to start a company that builds urban and sub-urban green infrastructure, initially to control and decontaminate acid mine runoff, manage storm water and full permaculture and food-forest infrastructure to decontaminate the soil while maintaining the existing ecosystem, with the intention of converting that land into a low-density residential food-forest, with some areas made abundant and maintained for wildlife and game.
I've actually found a mine runoff problem that the EPA believes is serious. Lined channels, constructed wetlands, natural retaining walls, and Native hillside stabilizeing trees would remedy the emergency aspect of this situation. Permaculture commercially viable super-accumulator crops (like hemp) could make the start-up phase of this process economically viable.
I even heard talk about abandoned coal mines getting repurposed for mushroom growing. I wonder what else those underground hollows could be good for if they can be safely accessed and stabilized?
I also love the amount of ambition that I've read in this thread!
Let's work together and collaborate to make all of these dreams happen!

This thread is really old so I am curious if you are still searching and what the update is.  

yeah whats going on in your neck of the woods.  I thought I was going to move, someone offered to buy my place, but I'm still here. it seems as though lots of new people coming from other more populated places. many new magnificent homes being built on large tracts of land. not sure what they do, maybe retired, but some of the homes seem very expensive built among the older much less costly homes that have been here for generations.