Sustainable Cultivation of Medicinal Herbs as a Cash Crop Alternative to Tobacco

Sustainable Cultivation of Medicinal Herbs as a Cash Crop Alternative to Tobacco

Summary

This grower’s small farm in Hawkins County in Northeast Tennessee is typical of many small farms throughout the southern appalachian region. This is particularly true with respect to the problems it faces in achieving and maintaining economic viability. These problems include:
* small tillable acreage
* marginal soils damaged by erosion and past management practices
* soils deficient in organic matter and available mineral nutrients
* declining revenue from, and uncertainty about future of, burley tobacco
* inability to make sufficient wages from farm income, requiring off-farm employment.
The majority of farmers in Tennessee rely on a small number of crops: tobacco, soybeans and corn as well as cattle. Many small farmers are looking for crops that can be grown as alternatives or additions to tobacco. The Tennessee Farm Bureau has informed growers that if they intend to grow alternative crops to tobacco they must consider the following challenges:
* Demand for some crops is limited
* Established producers are likely to resent new competition.
* Some crops are more apt to fail and more likely to experience wide price swings than others.
* Some crops won’t grow well in particular soils or geographic regions.
* Local institutions may lack expertise with the crop, making advice and research scarce.
* There may be no way to effectively market the crop.

This producer plans to investigate the feasibility of growing Echinacea purpurea, purple coneflower as a cash crop in northeast Tennessee. He chose this herb for this project because:
* It has a high market value (sells for $7-$12 per pound.
* It has high expected crop yields. Estimates of up to 1200 pounds of dried root per acre have been obtained.
* There is a growing U.S. market and a very strong European market for E. purpurea.
* E. purpurea is a native plant species that is adapted to local conditions.
* It is adaptable to existing equipment and facilities of the region, e.g., tobacco barns, setters, cultivators, etc.
* It is highly adaptable to organic/sustainable growing methods.

Objectives
Determine the practicality and economic feasibility of producing organically grown Echinacea purpurea, a high-value cash crop, as an alternative to tobacco in northeast Tennessee.

Approach
The grower will keep detailed records on the amounts and types of compost, manures and cover crops used in the project. He will also determine the acreage harvested, average yield per acre, total crop production, marketing year average, and the total value of the production for E. purpurea and other medicinal herbs that show promise.
The grower will compile yield and production data on E. purpurea grown in east Tennessee. The grower will also compile tobacco production data from east Tennessee. This information, along with the tobacco cultivation results from the grower’s farm, will be used as a control for the research to determine if growing E. purpurea can offer a practical and cost-effective alternative to tobacco in east Tennessee.
The project crop will be undersown with white dutch clover/ladino clover/native short grasses to keep down weeds and to serve as refugia for beneficial insects. The grower will monitor the crop for insects, both harmful and beneficial, disease, weeds, and response to climate and cultural practices.

Outreach
The grower will work with extension faculty to develop a handout on the cultivation of E. purpureaand other medicinal herbs. The handout will also cover pest and disease management and marketing. He will hold a field day in conjunction with the NRCS in Hawkins County and the Hawkins County Agricultural Extension agent. When the project is completed the grower and cooperators will submit papers to Organic Gardening, Herb Quarterly, HerbalGram, Common Ground, Southern Sustainable Farming, and Tennessee Farm Bureau News.