Here's a little about it:
The sudden popularity in wild-harvesting ginseng has
increased interest in how to find, grow, and profit from native woodland
botanicals. Whereas widespread harvesting of these native plants from our
forests can threaten their very existence, the authors of this book promote
conservation through cultivation. While there is a great deal of material
available -- both in print and on the internet -- that discusses growing ginseng
and other woodland botanicals, almost none of it forthrightly assesses
profitability and the challenges that may be encountered trying to produce and
sell these plants. Forest landowners, if they follow this book and use patience
and common sense, can grow many of these native medicinals profitably while
preserving and even enhancing their woodlands.
Aspiring herb growers are often attracted first to American
ginseng, because it is the most valuable medicinal botanical and because it has
a broad, well-established market, which has persisted for over 275 years.
Indeed, in the southern part of its range, ginseng has long been referred to as
“green gold.” The first half of this book is devoted entirely to this one
native plant. An individual can cultivate a forest garden of this
fascinating and subtle herb just for his (or her) own consumption, but ginseng
also has great potential as a small-scale cash crop with a ready market. With
little capital investment, the small farmer can net a greater profit growing
ginseng on a rugged, otherwise idle, woodlot than he can net raising just about
any other legal crop on an equal area of cleared land. Of course, you have to
be willing to take a risk, bend your back, get your hands dirty and persevere when the payoff is years in the
future.
And new to this edition is a section just for home gardeners, information on wild-harvesting, and rules and regulations pertaining to the buying and selling of these plants. It is hoped that this book will help the herb grower to diversify and enjoy a greater variety of woodland medicinal herbs and/or to reduce risk and increase long-term profit potential.
Jeanine Davis is
an associate professor and extension specialist with NC State University. Her
focus is helping farmers diversify into medicinal herbs, new crops and organic
agriculture.
W. Scott Persons is
the author of American Ginseng: Green
Gold and an expert in growing and marketing wild-simulated and
woods-cultivated ginseng.
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