Growing Native Ginseng for Conservation and Profit

View the project final report

• 2005 annual report

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage
• Crop Production: conservation tillage
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study, market study
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, grass waterways, soil stabilization, wildlife
• Pest Management: cultural control, economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, physical control, precision herbicide use, soil solarization, weed ecology
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Soil Management: soil analysis, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, employment opportunities

Wild ginseng may be being overexploited, since it is becoming difficult to find. To develop a ginseng seed operation that preserves the genetic characteristics of wild plants, the farmer will set aside a conservation area where he will plant wild ginseng in conditions that support seed production. There is an added benefit in making use of wooded land that is otherwise marginal. Guidelines for growing, income and expenses, and other business aspects of the seed operation will be tracked, and the project will be publicized through farm workshops, extension, and the local media.