NRCS has foundation stock of shrub dogwood, sericea lespedeza, and Maximillian sunflower for sale. Other species will require more effort and creativity to obtain. NRCS can give some assistance in marketing these plants. They are often contacted by local project sponsors looking for plant materials, and they will forward the name of growers to prospective buyers. There also might be possibilities of growing certain plants on consignment for an existing nursery.
Native plants are an unusual enterprise.
However, for a grower looking for a unique niche of a product in high demand, which doesn't require a large initial capital investment, this may be for you. This past winter, the burley world was shocked by a dramatic cut in purchase intentions, resulting in a 45 percent basic quota reduction. Coupled with this was the announcement by Philip Morris USA that they would begin to contract directly with growers for a significant portion of their burley leaf this year, bypassing the traditional auction system. Though companies have not committed to how much poundage they are planning to buy on contract this year, estimates by observers of the burley world estimate that one third of the leaf will never make it to the warehouse floor. The Tobacco Communities Project has obtained a copy of the contract that Philip Morris USA is offering Kentucky growers.