Using a NRCS Grant-Funded High Tunnel Gardening System to Grow my Herbal Business

Kendra Payne is the founder and operator of The Herbal Scoop and graduate of several Herbal Academy courses. She is an herbalist entrepreneur to the core, and in this vlog, Kendra shares how she is expanding her herbal business, a discovery-based herbal botanical shop and herb farm, by installing a High Tunnel Gardening System, commonly called a hoop house.

High Tunnel Systems are an increasingly popular conservation practice for farmers, and are available with financial assistance via the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) through the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Kendra details her experience getting set up with this program and an update on how it’s working out for her herbal business.

You can learn all about the EQIP High Tunnel System Initiative here:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-high-tunnel-initiative

Video Outline: 

• My Herbal Business & High Tunnel Gardening Project with Kendra Payne – 0:00
  • Advice getting started 
  • What I love about being an Herbal Farmer 
• NRCS EQIP Program Information and Application Process – 9:09
• NRCS Recap – 23:11
• High Tunnel Kit Explanation – 25:11
• High Tunnel Installation Information – 26:18
  • Outside Mistakes
  • Outside Plans for this year
• Closing – 29:06 

Watch the video: Growing My Herbal Business with a High Tunnel Gardening System

Kendra is the founder and operator of The Herbal Scoop, a brick and mortar space for her herbal company, The Herbal Scoop LLC. “I want everyone who walks into my shop to feel like they are in the driver’s seat of their own wellness. My goal is to have customers and clients dig in, discover, ask questions, and leave empowered.” She has been in the process of expanding her herbal business via her initiatives as an herbal farmer in the Catskills area of New York. She shares, “Growing my own food and herbs is a dream come true and directly connects me to nature in a really beautiful way.” 

Follow along with Kendra’s continued journey on her website at https://www.theherbalscoop.com/ and on Instagram @the.herbal.scoop.

Kendra has completed several of the Herbal Academy’s online programs including the Introductory Herbalism Course, Intermediate Herbal Course, Natural Perfumery Course, and Mastering Herbal Formulations Course. View the Herbal Academy’s online herbal course catalog here: https://theherbalacademy.com/herbalism-courses 

Kendra is also a blog contributor at the Herbal Academy. Find her articles here:
https://theherbalacademy.com/author/kpayne/?post_type=post