Appalachian Native Plants Inc (ANP) is a 501c (3) non-profit corporation that has entered into collaboration with, Johnson County TN, Appalachian State University and the University of Tennessee, with the intent of starting a regional horticultural Native Plant Initiative. Johnson County Tennessee has been on the ARC list of most distressed communities for years. The Johnson County government has granted ANP a twenty two year lease on the thirty nine acre landfill site which has been “capped” and closed for twelve years.   On this site ANP will demonstrate the commercial viability of producing native plants. The University of Tennessee is conducting the energy studies on this energy efficient greenhouse. ANP is developing a WEB based marketing plan. A Co-op style marketing system will help the growers find outlets for their products.  There are plans for both display and trial gardens to demonstrate the use and suitability of the chosen crops.  The hope is that jobs will be created in nursery, food growing and landscaping trades in the county and region.   The purpose of this project is to provide commercially viable horticultural crops and technical assistance to interested farmers in the region.  The “Native” plants of Southern Appalachia are one of the most important economic and cultural assets of this region.  Collecting these plants from the wild has long been the predominate means of production of many of these plants.  ANP has been mapping “superior” forms of the native azaleas with GPS.   Several seedling crops have been produced and the best plants have been kept for stock plants to be used in this project.  This is a viable method of plant preservation. By producing these plants from seed the impact from collecting from the wild is greatly reduced.  Plant preservation is the end result.  The ANP will produce native plant “liners” for other farmers and nurseries to “grow on”, Liners are small “unfinished plants” that are purchased and grown on to larger size for added value and later sale. ANP hopes to start a “Native Plant Initiative” by generating interest in growing native ornamental horticultural crops and by demonstrating methods of production of many of the commercially viable native woody plant species.