TOPIC: Ginseng Poaching Featuered on CBS This Morning Program

KYsang wrote:

I have been digging ginseng for about 30 years and since my start people have been predicting the extinction of ginseng in America. The book \"Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants\" by Harding was written in 1908 and it suggested that ginseng had been 'dug out' and the future was not bright.
Nearly everyone's opinion that is in print is that ginseng is decreasing at an alarming rate, especially governmental studies and officials who have a hand in the laws governing ginseng.

I find more ginseng now than 10, 20, or 30 years ago. It is true that there is not as much ginseng habitat as there used to be but that is not because of over digging, but the laws are all pointed to the digger or buyer and do not have an impact on habitat loss.

Ginseng populations can be reduced in a given area by over digging but it won't be eliminated. If you go to a woods a couple of times looking for sang and do not find any or very little you probably won't return, eventually everyone looses interest in that area and the few plants surviving reproduce and patches form again. Logged areas are another example, you can't get in them for several years and the increased sunlight makes a lot of berries and rapid growth.

Given any decent woods I would bet that I could find some ginseng in it 99% of the time, would it be worth going into for a couple of ounces, probably not, but that is what will keep ginseng surviving. It will never be as common as dandelions in your yard, but if it was it would be worth about as much as dandelion root.

It is my opinion that more government regulation would hurt, not help ginseng, right now Kentucky has laws that interfere and restrict the growing of ginseng. It makes no distinction between wild and cultivated, that's like telling a corn farmer when he can plant and harvest and sell his crop.

KYsang

What you stated coincided with what I dug Thurs and Fri. I went to a place that I had searched completely about 12 years ago and didn't hardly find anything. Later the timber had been cut selectively 14\" and up so there had still been some shade. I found some nice 3 prongs and a few 4s. but man I had to tear through some under brush and saw briers.
I found 12 ounces green. I looked as though I had fought a wild cat and lost.

rootman

After watching that video, I'm wondering if anyone will really even care about it. Sure, their information is not completely correct, particularly the dealer's opinions, but the poaching is pretty accurate in reality I suspect. But, for a short little story like this, and with CBS's failing ratings too, I'm thinking its not as bad as we initially suspected.

BCastle wrote:

After watching that video, I'm wondering if anyone will really even care about it. Sure, their information is not completely correct, particularly the dealer's opinions, but the poaching is pretty accurate in reality I suspect. But, for a short little story like this, and with CBS's failing ratings too, I'm thinking its not as bad as we initially suspected.

Brad,

Someone must care about the story as it has been on every major and minor news service across the country including U.S. World News. It has even been posted on Facebook and Twitter and the AHPA (American Herbal Products Association) Head even weighed in on it to debunk the story. The more that this story and probably numerous follow-up reports by other news services are aired, posted online and/or goes to press, the more that these can spell problems for the future of Wild Ginseng and Wild Ginseng harvesting, selling and buying and possibly for even for Ginseng Growers and their' crops. The longer that we, the diggers, the Ginseng Growers, the Ginseng Dealers and possibly the Ginseng Buyers continue to squabble over prices and unfairness and we do not organize to combat this, the more that the politicians and public are going to be mis-informed and form opinions and make decisions based on that bad information. Is everyone willing to just sit at their' computer screens and squabble and let our way of life become history or are there some that is willing to do something now before it is too late?


Frank

You hear no arguments from me at all on that Frank.

BCastle wrote:

You hear no arguments from me at all on that Frank.

Great! Then maybe we can get some ideas on how to do the start-up and organizing of an acssociation/organization from some of the folks at the links below. If we can bring the Diggers, Ginseng Growers, Ginseng Dealers and possibly again, the North American based Ginseng Buyers onboard. Then get the help and backing from some of the Scientists, Professors, Corporations and Organizations that also have interests in saving Wild Ginseng, we could build a powerful association/organization that can not only affect change in the minds of the politicians, the public and some government agencies but can also affect change in respect to Legislation and Laws! Since any adverse Legislation or Laws towards the harvesting of Wild Ginseng could adversely effect Wild-Simulated and Woodsgrown Ginseng crops, we need the growers of these crops onboard as well! Although we may be able garner support from many of these, we may find the most backing and support from AHPA (American Herbal Products Association) President Michael McGuffin.

www.ahpa.org/

wildginsengconservation.com/index.html

www.ginsengboard.com/index.cfm

www.shadyoaksginseng.net/index.html

www.agriguide.ca/organization/ontario-gi...-growers-association

www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Bulletins/M...-Appalachian-Economy

www.guidestar.org/organizations/39-16375...stitute-america.aspx

www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/14/2/172.pdf


Frank

I dont see how they would be able to stop people from growing/selling woodsgrown and wild simulated ginseng. It has nothing to do with wild ginseng and should be treated the same as the ginseng they grow in wisconsin. It sure would be bad for those of us who have bought and planted seeds over the years to not be able to harvest those roots.

Now with the wild ginseng, if they stop the harvest and export then I bet there will be a black market considering the value. This would probably be worse in the long run for the wild populations.

lenno wrote:

I dont see how they would be able to stop people from growing/selling woodsgrown and wild simulated ginseng. It has nothing to do with wild ginseng and should be treated the same as the ginseng they grow in wisconsin. It sure would be bad for those of us who have bought and planted seeds over the years to not be able to harvest those roots.

Now with the wild ginseng, if they stop the harvest and export then I bet there will be a black market considering the value. This would probably be worse in the long run for the wild populations.

Since quite a few Wild-Simulated and Woodsgrown Ginsegn Growers also dig Wild Ginseng, I believe that they also should be members of any association/organization that we may form to protect their' interests in both harvesting and selling Wild Ginseng and growing Wild-Simulated or Woodsgrown Ginseng. As we all know, politicians with bad information can and often make bad decisions and enact bad Legislation and/or Laws and some of that bad Legislation and/or Laws could also adversely effect their' livelihoods not only in harvesting and selling Wild Ginseng but also in growing and selling Wild-Simulated or Woodsgrown Ginseng.


Frank

Frank I agree we all need to stick together and speak up to protect our interests with ginseng

lenno wrote:

I dont see how they would be able to stop people from growing/selling woodsgrown and wild simulated ginseng. It has nothing to do with wild ginseng and should be treated the same as the ginseng they grow in wisconsin. It sure would be bad for those of us who have bought and planted seeds over the years to not be able to harvest those roots.

Now with the wild ginseng, if they stop the harvest and export then I bet there will be a black market considering the value. This would probably be worse in the long run for the wild populations.

Commerce clause. Need I say more?


Frank, I'm actively looking into the requirements to get a group off the ground. I think we need to start with the basics, which are the issues faced by small growers. The list you posted include some retailers also. Others have nothing to do with the issues faced by growers vs administrative action.

I'll post on this again once I have a decent handle of what will be required and what the next step would be.

Brad, drugs are illeagel to import and export also but they seem to find a way to move them.