Herb Hub Orientation Guide
We are actively looking for growers!
If you are ready to increase profitability and ramp up your sales volume by working with our Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub™, you are in the right place. We have an established buyer network that pays premium prices, and they are ready to connect with growers for the 2025 season.
The Herb Hub also provides shared-use herb processing equipment as well as training and technical assistance. Why? Because as a nonprofit dedicated to creating a viable herb economy in Appalachia, we are 100% here to help you grow your business, sustainably.
To learn more about selling for this year, follow the step-by-step guide below. If you have questions about any of it, contact us.
And keep in mind, we need to know by February 28 if you are interested in being part of this growing season! Please don’t wait that long, though, as orders will be filling up and we don’t want you to miss out on this opportunity.
Who to contact if you have questions:
- Robin Suggs, Procurement Manager, rsuggs@asdevelop.org
- Shannon Joyce, Herb Hub Associate, sjoyce@asdevelop.org
Step-by-step guide
Download the 2025 Current Herb Hub Seller Opportunities sheet. We’ve tried to simplify the sheet, but we know it still looks confusing! That’s why we strongly encourage you to thoroughly read through the rest of the guide below, and reach out if you have questions.
Review the sheet carefully. As you go through the list and consider your commitments, you may notice there are several line listings for the same crop in some instances. That’s because they represent requests from different buyers most of which need material produced to their specific needs. With that in mind, pay close attention to the form (whole, C&S, cut, etc.) that each buyer is looking for along with any required certifications (Certified Organic, Forest Grown Verified, etc.) and whether they are looking for fresh or dried material. This information along with any other buyer specifications are noted in Columns K, L, and M.
You will also notice that some buyers have supplied a suggested price and others have given no price. In the case of there being no price listed, make sure you provide us with the price you need based on your production and profitability and we will ask the buyer for at least that amount. Also know that the closer we come to providing the quantities desired by each buyer the more likely we are to get that bid. In other words, if we can supply only 5# of a requested 60# we are not as likely to secure the bid as we would by supplying all or most of the requested 60#.
Understand the processing requirements for fresh material. If you are considering supplying fresh material, please realize that all fresh material needs to be processed and readied for shipment the same day. Fresh material is shipped overnight generally on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at the latest so you will need to schedule your processing trips to Duffield, VA accordingly (usually on a Monday) unless other arrangements have been mutually agreed upon by all parties.
We generally require that all material be processed through our GAP certified facility in Duffield, VA unless you have a comparable processing capability at or near your farm subject to our approval. For more information about processing at the Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub, please go to the Herb Hub Farmer Training Manual. Afterwards, please watch the Root Intake and Processing video to get a better understanding of what it’s like to process your crops at the AH Herb Hub.
Understand our fee structure. We charge a 10% commission and a $5-$10 packing supply fee that is deducted from your payment that is sent to you when payment is received from the customer. Please spend some time familiarizing yourself with the Appalachian Harvest (AH) Herb Hub Producer Agreement so that you will have a better understanding of what is required of you in working with the Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub. Another good resource is the list of FAQs under the Events, FAQs, & Resources tab.
Consider your skill level and the amount of commercial production experience you have before making your commitments. If we are unable to fill an order, we wind up with unfulfilled commitments and unhappy customers. If you are a novice grower or are just getting started, you will want to consider learning more about production and then getting a season or two of experience under your belt especially before committing to larger quantities.
For those who have little or no experience in Horticulture, we would recommend that you begin with ASD’s Grow Your Own program to gain some basic cultivation knowledge. For those who have grown as a hobby or as a backyard gardener but have no commercial scale production experience, we recommend that you enroll in our FARM or Field School programs. Finally, we encourage you to check out ASD’s Resources page for a wealth of information for the beginner.
Email your completed 2025 Seller Opportunities sheet. Send it as an attachment to Robin Suggs at rsuggs@asdevelop.org. Robin will then review your sheet and contact you to discuss your commitments in more detail.
Remember, we need to know by February 28 if you are interested in being part of this growing season! Please don’t wait that long, though, as orders will be filling up and we don’t want you to miss out on this opportunity.
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