Parkersburg, WV, US, South Atlantic --
A unique root has become a big industry in Ohio and West Virginia. But it's rapid rate of growth may prove to be a problem for the industry's survival.
Wild and cultivated ginseng root is exported outside of the United States where there are 16 states that have the wild root -- to Asian countries for use as a "cure-all," said
Sharon Ashley, a ginseng dealer in Mineral Wells.
"The Oriental culture regards ginseng as a cure-all for everything from heart problems to stress," she said. "It is even considered an aphrodisiac."
The root is primarily used for tea -- it is boiled down to make the beverage, she said.
"Some people will just chew on the root, but usually it is used for tea," Ms. Ashley said.
More and more people are touting the benefits of ginseng , she said, which is driving up the demand or the root in places like China, which imports about 90 percent of all American
wild ginseng .
The increased demand has in turn increased the price locals dealers are paying for the wild root, she said. According to Guy Denny, chief of the Division of Natural Areas and
Preserves of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, dealers are paying as much as $500 to $560 per pound.
While the plant grows relatively well in the soil of the Mid-Ohio Valley, new diggers who are not familiar with the growing and harvesting seasons may be digging up the plants too soon, Denny said.
In both Ohio and West Virginia, the harvesting season for ginseng begins Aug. 15. In the Mountain State, the season lasts until Nov. 30, while in Ohio it ends Dec. 31.
But Denny explained that while the season lasts for some time, the majority of old-time diggers or "sengers" as they are known, will cease harvesting at the end of October, which is when the plant tends to dive back into the ground. New diggers, however, are being driven to find the root based on the high price it's getting these days.
"It's a whole new ball ggame out there now," he said. "Greed is a strong thing, and that is making people concerned about the future of the plant."
While cultured ginseng can still be supplied from places like America and Korea, buyers in mainland China will not pay as much as they will for the wild root.
"The idea is that wild ginseng is better since it had to struggle to survive," Denny said.
There are no real restrictions on digging the root, Denny said, other than restrictions for digging in season. Penalties for digging out of season can range from a small fine to a
prison term, depending on the number of violations the person has.
Diggers are advised to leave the plants alone until they have at least four leaflets and the berries are red. After the plant has been dug up for the root, diggers are asked to plant a few berries back in the same spot, to ensure that the supply of the plant will continue.
If someone is digging ginseng on their own property, Ms. Ashley said, there are no rules. Anyone digging on someone else's property must get written permission before doing so.
Once the root is dug, she said, it must be taken to a local dealer to be sold, or to be certified if the digger is keeping the root.
Denny said that in Ohio, while there are restrictions on having ginseng out of season -- after March 31 in Ohio and West Virginia both -- it is difficult to enforce those federal
regulations.
Unscrupulous dealers, however, are sought out by authorities, Denny said.
"There are dealers who will pay a lower price for ginseng harvested out of season, and then will keep it until the next season rolls around," he said. "When you get these people and combine them with the fact that there are new diggers who will harvest ginseng that is too young and will do it out of season, then you have a whole new breed of outlaw."
For more information on harvesting ginseng , contact the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves in Ohio and the Division of Forestry in West V
...
eng diggers), according to Brent Bailey.
Bailey, a graduate student in forestry at West Virginia University, has been collecting information on sengers for his research project, titled "The Social and Economic Impact of
People Who Harvest Wild Products."
"For most of these people, this is just a part-time thing that has become a family tradition," he said.
Ginseng is a woodland plant that grows fairly shallow in soil and is scattered throughout this region of the United States.
Sengers normally gather the root during the harvesting season of Aug. 15 through Nov. 30 in West Virginia and through Dec. 31 in Ohio. They will then dry the root over a number of days and then normally sell it to a local dealer, he said. There are certain understood rules about harvesting ginseng that sengers follow, said Guy Denny, chief of the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Sengers dig only during the harvesting season and will only dig mature plants, he said. They will always make sure they either sell what they have gathered to a local dealer or make sure what they keep has been weighed and certified.
A local boom in the ginseng industry has brought with it a new breed of diggers, Denny said. Many of those people are not interested in the plant, but only in making a quick buck.
Denny's office in Ohio and the Division of Forestry in West Virginia handle regulating of the root, making sure that people harvest only during the season and have all of the
ginseng certified.
"Many of the complaints that I get about people illegally harvesting or dealers buying the root out of season are from long- time sengers," Denny said. "These are people who harvest
ginseng for the 'sport' of it, and who want to make sure that the plant is there for some time to come so their children and grandchildren can learn the art of harvesting ginseng ."
- BY : Sherri L Shaulis
- SOURCE : Parkersburrg News1995.12.21
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