Wallace E. Souther III, Hoopers Creek Botanicals
Plants Production Upgrade
Grant Award: $6,000
Wallace has boosted Hoopers Creek Botanicals’ production capacity by securing a dependable water source and planting more seeds and transplants. A large expense of the project was drilling a well for irrigation water.
Wallace cultivates medicinal herbs in both field and forest settings. His forest crops include Black Cohosh, Giant Solomon’s Seal, Ginseng, Goldenseal, Ramps and St. John’s Wort, and field crops include catnip, hops, mint and calendula.
In 2008, Wallace started renovating his property, which was filled with invasive vegetation. He replaced these with in-demand Appalachian medicinal herbs. “We believe that a sustainable future means whole farm health, maintaining and putting into production the entire property from the forest to the bottom lands,” Wallace said. “We support conservation by managing the forest, field and riparian zones, replacing pest and invasive plant species with beneficial natives.”
Hoopers Creek Botanicals sells to individuals, markets, producers and restaurants through direct marketing. They have an Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project online listing, flyers and marketing cards.
Contact the Local Extension Agent