Dr. Jeanine Davis: artful horticulturist and herbal activist

During Dr. Jeanine Davis's creative college years, she developed quite a green thumb and began growing houseplants and trying out different propagation techniques of her own artistry. As a result, her course of study soon changed from art to agriculture, her interest in organic agriculture and medicinal herbs grew, and she obtained a position as an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University, working with commercial vegetables in WNC and herbs across the state. During her first summer on the job in 1988, she met big names in herbs, including Mark Blumenthal and Lyle Craker, who helped her get her herb research and extension programs started. The rest is a twenty-year history.

What are some of the main goals of your position at NC State University and of the many projects in which you're Involved?

The overall objective of my research and extension program is to increase the sustainability of agriculture in Western North Carolina. I use the word sustainability" in a very broad sense. To me, it means we have to preserve farmland, use environmentally safe production methods, and we have to ensure the profitability of the farms.

In your work to date, what are some accomplishments of which you're most proud?

I am most proud that my program has directly helped people be more successful on their farms. I am also proud that I am part of a movement that pushes the University and the extension service beyond their traditional "comfort zone." Nineteen years ago, I was called into a meeting with a few of my administrators, and they expressed great concern that I was spending time working with organic growers. They didn't go so far as to tell me to stop, but they were worried about what the conventional growers would think. I like to think that I had a little to do with helping improve the climate between conventional and organic agriculture.

The award I am most proud of receiving is the Carolina Farm Stewardship Activist of the Year Award. I was so excited when I got the award that I called my mother to tell her. It was so cute, she said, "Activist award? Is that a good thing?" I told her I felt honored to be considered an activist.

Please share a bit with readers about the Medicinal Herbs for Commerce Project with which you're involved.

The Medicinal Herbs for Commerce Project is a five-year project funded initially by the Goldenleaf Foundation, the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with an objective to determine if medicinal herb production can be a profitable crop for NC growers. After an analysis of the industry, we realized that NC growers could not compete on the global market in terms of price or volume, so we focused on producing for buyers who pay a premium for high quality, organic herbs. We selected 44 farmers to grow a variety of medicinal herbs. We also coordinated the buying and selling of the herbs, working closely with six buyers.

What is your favorite medicinal herb?

My favorite medicinal herb to grow is goldenseal, and my favorite herb to use is echinacea.

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Do you have any predictions about what the local agricultural landscape will look like in the future?

Being an optimist who likes to dream big, my prediction is that our region will evolve into a highly diversified community of farms, homes and businesses that support each other. Restaurants, food markets, institutions, and individual consumers will buy local food; homeowners will be proud to live next door to a farms, and our community leaders will provide farms with the same support they do other industries.

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Believe you or someone you know would be a great Life's Leader? Tell us more at www.newlifejournal.com/lifesleader.shtml.> For more information on the above projects, visit http://ncherb.org, http://ncspeciaRycrops.org, http://ncorganic.org or http://ncmedicinalherbs.org.