Hi everyone,
I can now let everyone know that we will be opening the 2011 digging season on September 1 with prices right around $350 / dry pound (which will be about $85-90 / green pound).
I don't expect prices to reach as high as they did last year for a couple reasons. First, ginseng is a cyclical market to some degree. When we have a year with high prices, the next year most generally sees higher production and therefore lower prices. Its that whole supply and demand thing.
Remember, in Ohio, you MUST keep records of your digging activity as specified in the Ohio Administrative Code which reads in part:
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-40-01 Ginseng harvest season, reseeding, collection records.(E) Any person collecting ginseng is required to keep accurate records showing the number of pounds and ounces of ginseng, both green and/or dry weight, collected in each Ohio county by date of collection.
This means you must keep track of how much ginseng you dig EACH DAY and in EACH COUNTY. I tell my diggers to follow this simple proceedure as soon as they get home with their ginseng. First, drop them into a tub of water and let them soak for about five minutes. Then shake the roots gently to remove any loose dirt. Take them out and let them dry completely. Get a paper grocery bag and write the date, the county of harvest, the number of roots, and the green weight of the lot. Then, put them in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before drying them.
By conditioning them before drying, the roots go dormant and it changes the relationship of the sugars and startches in the root. This causes the skin to darken slightly, which is desirable, and the roots will dry out corky rather than dense and boney which reduces the value by half.
Be sure to have the harvest information with you when you sell your roots as dealers must gather this information and you must attest that the information you provide is correct.
I hope you all have a very safe and productive season. I am buying quality ginseng and can be reached by phone at 419.651.8158. I am particularly interested in North Carolina, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin root with proper state certification of legal harvest, and of course eastern Ohio root.
