APPALACHIAN GINSENG FOUNDATION

                   A project of Appalachia -- Science in the Public Interest       
            #7 Spring, 2001                       AGF Newsletter

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   March 2001 Ginseng Consultations --  We have concluded formal and
informal meetings in Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee involving over
sixty participants.  In February Syl Yunker conducted a workshop for about
110 persons in southwestern Virginia and some participants added ideas as
well.  We have listed below some of the comments made at these gatherings.
Our goal is to get feedback on some long-term anti-poaching and marketing
strategies; this, in turn, will lead to ginseng marketing protection for
future ginseng growers.  Please send additional feedback preferably by
letter. The Lexington Herald-Leader ran an article on the gathering.        
                           
   Growers Manual --  Al Fritsch has completed the first draft of a Ginseng
Growers Manual which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year
through a timetable worked out with the Educational Foundation of America.
We intend to include practical marketing suggestions along with grower
information for the starting ginseng grower.  Through circulation of the
draft edition on our web site we hope to invite your input as well.

   Tobacco Alternatives -- Through direct encouragement from the Kentucky
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy we have sent letters to agricultural
officials and committees in all fifteen of the most impacted tobacco counties
in Kentucky.  Syl Yunker is in the process of visiting each of the counties
and talking to clusters of county farm committees on the possibilities of
growing Ginseng as a tobacco alternative.  Hopefully, we will hold training
sessions in a number of additional sites before the end of the year.
 
            General Observation on Poaching Problems  

   The problem of ginseng poaching is well known in the Appalachian region.
It is a major barrier to the promotion of this medicinal herb as a livelihood
for Appalachian woodland owners.  Many recognize that poaching is a broadly
used term that covers both traditional sangers and "Saturday nite" poachers.
The Appalachian culture perceives of "sanging" as a legitimate form of making
Christmas money and that ginseng root belongs to the one who harvests it, not
the one who holds title to the land where grown.  The culturally conditioned
concept of "commons" should be understood by all who work with ginseng.  Like
water and wildlife, ginseng is regarded by many Appalachians as part of the
"commons."  The differences in manner of acting with regard to it are similar
to the conflicts among North Carolina's long-term and new residents over
blockage of commonly used trails and old roadways.  Conflicts result from
different concepts of ownership.  

   Watchdogs are the major deterring agents to poachers.  Some prefer to
allow their own dogs to run loose, but that involves risks both for dog
owners and wanderers on the property.  Growers prefer to work with neighbors
in a community ginseng watch program with dogs allowed to roam freely over
the various properties.  Others have found that smaller more compact ginseng
patches near residences can be protected by surrounding the patrol boundaries
with a buried wire that is activated to restrain collared watchdogs.  The
wire could prove expensive if routed over thousands of feet.

   Determined legal actions can be taken by landholders on property which is
posted as a "no trespassing" zone.  This presumes cooperation with local
enforcement authorities (who can be reported for failure in doing their
duties).  As Beth and Gary Anderson have stated at the March 17th
Consultation, it is quite difficult to prove that poached roots were derived
from the specific property in question.

   Publishing "no poaching" notices in the local newspaper could be one part
of the program but some shun away from such publicity, falling back on the
wall of secrecy so well known among ginseng growers.  Others admit that
poachers already know the local growing areas and that the public notice is
legal protection in our society.  Make your ginseng crop known to be both
tended and intentional.  With little additional paperwork woodlands can be
certified as "organic" and known to the state officials.  Notice of
certification should be posted and published in the local newspaper.

   Licensing of traditional sangers on state or national lands has been in
practice for some time.  However, a number of parks and national forest
systems are canceling such practices as wild ginseng becomes more threatened.

   Tagging wild ginseng has proved to be a means of catching poachers on
public lands, and the publicity has served as a deterrent for possible
poachers.  Jim Corbin of the North Carolina state park system has developed
methods of marking "sentinel" ginseng plants with either dye (some of which
is detected by ultraviolet lamps) or by use of microchips (with the specific
GPS location recorded on the chip).  This is done after following computer
models of which plants will be most likely poached in a given patch.  Finding
the marked plants and tracing them through marketers reporting methods have
led to over 80 arrests in the Southeastern states and have slowed poaching on
public lands.  It is quite problematic as to whether this method could give
similar results when applied to private lands, or whether growers would want
to be burdened by enforcement procedures.

   Conservation efforts to keep Panax Quinquefolium from becoming an
endangered species should be stated as goals by regional governmental and
non-profit environmental organizations.  In part, this requires scientific
surveys and information gathering procedures not yet undertaken.  It is good
for growers to encourage the involvement of state departments of fish and
game for closer regulation.  State and local law enforcing groups could play
a major role in protecting the ginseng crop in much the same manner as
current protection of threatened or endangered wildlife.

   Education efforts are time consuming and require patient encouragement on
the part of ginseng advocates.  The media could serve a purpose in changing
attitudes about virtually wild ginseng as belonging to the ones who are
growing it either by license or by landowner protective measures.  In-depth
articles would be of immense help, for the knowledge of ginseng growing
categories would begin to spread.  The public would become aware of the need
to protect small landholders and their crops.  Making known the fact that
Native Americans support preservation of species and that this applies to
prized ginseng could change the commonly held perception that all traditional
residents regard ginseng as part of the "commons."  

   Regulatory efforts may have the best long-term effects for the private
ginseng grower, namely, in the form of a marketing card.  This system would
not be so much for regulating a limited amount grown as with tobacco
production, but for verification of where grown.  The AGF has advocated
moving to a comprehensive marketing card for all growers and legitimate
wildcrafters.  This is further described by remarks made concerning marketing
in the next section.  Verifying crop is coupled with a public registered
grading and marketing in the manner of the tobacco cooperative program.  Here
we could perhaps utilize the extensive existing tobacco marketing system.

   Objections were raised to this approach (especially in Tennessee) but
more from a devil's advocate stance.  The major objection is that this
mechanism will not be as well received as was the tobacco program during the
time of the Tobacco Wars of the last century.  Ginseng growers and marketers
object in having their ginseng "income" reported to the Federal Government.
They may be more libertarian and "mountain" in approach to government regs.

           General Observations on Ginseng Market
 
   Ginseng poaching and marketing problems are closely connected -- and some
think solutions should be coupled as well.  Ginseng and tobacco have been
considered as joint controlled commodities in Asia for many years.  Both are
non-perishable items when properly dried and stored;  both have high market
price per amount -- though ginseng is vastly more prized per given amount.
The tobacco growing and marketing system is regarded as one of the most
socially just system devised for tens of thousands of small growers -- only
the product was harmful.  Differences besides toxicity exist between tobacco
and ginseng.  The former had a limited market; the latter is too vast to
quantify and could grow still more as health effects are appreciated in North
America.  Furthermore, while the tobacco marketing system is well known and
carefully regulated, the vast network of ginseng sales is unknown to most
growers.  Instead, these put faith in the condition of their crop and the
price offered by accessible marketing agents.  The lack of cooperative
efforts among growers was likened to disorganized laborers who have not yet
understood the power in unionizing and collective efforts.    
   
   The importance of educational efforts has been mentioned quite often
though such efforts require resources which are scarce.  Some note that it is
easier to say which groups should be targeted for such education than to find
the persons and time to do the task.  A collective effort at engaging various
educators is top priority -- and is the reason for the year 2000-01 ginseng
training efforts by AGF.  Target groups suggested for further consideration
include: legislators at state and national levels; conservation groups at the
county and state levels;  Future Farmers of America and 4-Hers; agricultural
experts, eg. County Extension Agents; elementary school children & teachers;
medical professionals and health food advocates; herb growers and annual
festivals and gatherings; woodland owners and loggers; and growers of such
forest companion crops as black cohosh and various types of mushrooms.
                     
   Focal points for such education includes the "value added" by proper
harvesting and drying as well as grading the crop properly, so that the worth
of each root is obvious.  Furthermore, the public should learn the
differences between "cultivated," "woods-grown," "wild-simulated" and
"virtually wild" ginseng, as well as the concept of "organic ginseng" and
"sustainable practices."  Ginseng health effects should be discussed to some
degree but not necessarily become an AGF mission.  

   Secondary points should include other value-added practices such as the
gathering of leaves from ginseng for use in green and dried teas and for
extraction for scientific and medical research.  Sales of ginseng plants as
houseplants has a certain educational impact for the general public.  More
remotely, the sale of ginseng root as part of processed food could be
considered.  Little applied agricultural research on ginseng is currently
done by "Land Grant Institutions."  However, modification of growing methods
such as germination techniques and the separation of early harvested ginseng
seeds would be of value.  Interim market possibilities during the long
growing period of the ginseng crop could be worth further investigation.

   Private promoters are highly unlikely either within or outside the
ginseng growing belt as occurred during the tobacco cooperative days.  We
can't count on a "sugar daddy" who could be enlisted for promotion.  Thus we
will have to turn to public support at the state or at the national level,
and even beyond to North America.  Some doubt that states could handle the
problem even though a number of Kentucky legislators from both sides of the
aisle have offered to sponsor state ginseng regulations.  Differences are
voiced either by those who feel less or more comfortable with government
intervention.  Participants often spoke for their ginseng grower friends who
bask in the secrecy of their growing and sales procedures.  Fear of
identification for tax purposes of what growers often regard as "pin" money
is a barrier to a groundswell of support.  The U.S. government is already
involved in regulation (through the CITES treaty), licensing on public lands,
and conservation efforts through the federal endangered species laws.
   
   Mixed Public/Private efforts could be similar for what has occurred in
the tobacco marketing system.  Some objected to continuing the status quo
because the tobacco system will soon fade if not used for other crops.  The
current tobacco grading and privately owned warehouse structures could be
utilized along with the marketing card system already mentioned.  Added
opportunity exist to utilize the  Burley Tobacco cooperative and the
Commodity Growers Association resources.  
       
   The Right Time?  Wise people tell us the time is not quite right to make
major marketing decisions.  Rather, they say to extend the discussion to more
interested parties.  We will open our ginseng website
along with other cooperating sites to continue the dialogue started in the
Consultations.  Let's encourage more potential and actual growers to voice
opinions.  The suggestion to try the marketing system at the state level
first has some plausible support.  Others argue that Federal marketing
programs are simply beyond immediate consideration, and so focus on state
level marketing programs, all the while thinking big enough to include
potential North American as well as Asian markets in a decade or so.
                     -----------------
   An Appalachian Herb Gathering will take place at the National Center for
the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs at Rutland, Ohio on June 23rd and 24th.
Call Cynthia Brunty at (740)767-4938 for registration information.  Ginger
Shelby, who was featured at our March 17th consultation, will be having a
booth at this meeting in which the AGF grading system for ginseng will be
displayed along with her methods for ginseng marketing.