Ginseng news and comment
As I am sitting here it is nearing the end of February and I am thinking about the coming spring. This time of year you kind of look forward to the fresh start of spring. I was out planting seeds today and yes you can plant seeds in the spring with good success if you do not wait too late into March. Once the seeds begin to sprout they have to be in the ground quickly or they will go bad. I was checking prices here the other day and wild ginseng was running around $335.00 a dried pound. Goldenseal was around $18.00 to $20.00 a pound with Black Cohosh coming in at $3.40 a pound. Black Cohosh is getting alot more attention these days because of the estrogen properties in the roots. It looks like the prices for field grown roots have rebounded somewhat this past year. A friend of mine in Kentucky saw a nice jump in the price he would be getting for his roots this past year. Still it seems like the price may not be enough to save some in the field grown business. Wild simulated growing seems to have the best profit margin for the investment. You just don't have the enormous outlay for shade and equipment that you have for the field grown business. Seed prices have pretty much taken off this year due to the shortage of available seed. Alot of bigger outfits were buying seed to replace what they lost in production the previous year. If you are planning on planting this fall you might want to get your order in early to avoid the rush just in case seeds are still a little tight this year. Keep in mind there is a land owners conference in Ohio this year and you can get info by emailing Forestry@ruralaction.org. The ginseng business can be profitable but it can also be very tricky so don't quit your day job and start planting ginseng. Take some time to get experience growing this plant and also diversify into some other types of herbs to expand your markets. Remember this is not a get rich quick thing. If anyone has questions just give us a call and we will try to answer you as best we can. If you live in West Virginia don't forget to join the West Virginia Ginseng Growers Association (WVGGA). If you need info on doing this just give us a call at 1-888-304-5638 and we will put you in touch with the powers that be. Have a great year.