This spring, Robert Eidus of Eagle Feather Farm is hosting a two-part series on the ins and outs of becoming a ginseng dealer. The first workshop, Intro to Becoming a Ginseng Dealer, is a prerequisite for Foundation of Becoming a Ginseng Dealer.

This virtual class will be led by Robert Eidus.

Course Outline:

• History of American Ginseng
• Harvesting, washing & drying techniques
• Differences in agricultural production methods
• Current marketing trends
• Laws & regulations to selling
• Financial startup needs

About Robert Eidus

Robert is an avid American ginseng grower and educator who owns and operates Eagle Feather Organic Farm. To cultivate the next generation of responsible forest farmers, he also hosts classes, workshops, been on radio shows, and is the founder and president of the North Carolina Ginseng Association. He specializes in “wild simulation ” cultivation-growing plants organically in their natural forest habitat and enjoys sharing that knowledge with others.

Register for the workshop at www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-becoming-a-ginseng-dealer-tickets-1978613842265.

Tickets are $25.31.

Highlights

• Export of this rare medicinal plant needs to be restricted due to declining populations in the wild.
• Ginseng populations in American forests have been decimated by the overharvesting, poaching, and out of season harvesting of this plant.
• Rumor has it that Hong Kong ginseng cartel have warehouses full of wild American ginseng root.
• In addition, the market price for American ginseng root is being controlled by China and does not produce a living wage for the wild American ginseng forest farmer.
• A US market needs to be built up and promoted for our wild American ginseng products, including fresh root material and leaves.

We request that US Fish and Wildlife Service reconsider the sustainability of wild American Ginseng at the CITES meeting in 2025.

The companies and organizations listed below request that the status of American ginseng be changed from Appendix II to the more restrictive Appendix I.

The four sponsors of the Ginseng Summit 2023 produced a video summarizing the current status of the ginseng industry.

The findings of that summit:

• Export of this rare medicinal plant needs to be restricted due to declining populations in the wild.
• Ginseng populations in American forests have been decimated by the overharvesting, poaching, and out of season harvesting of this plant.
• Rumor has it that Hong Kong ginseng cartel have warehouses full of wild American ginseng root.
• In addition, the market price for American ginseng root is being controlled by China and does not produce a living wage for the wild American ginseng forest farmer.
• A US market needs to be built up and promoted for our wild American ginseng products, including fresh root material and leaves.

Robert Eidus talks about ginseng with Lisa Almaraz.

Lisa Almaraz interviews Robert Eidus about the ginseng trade, history, regulations, and how a more sustainable system of practices could be achieved.

Sponsorship List

We support restricting the export of wild American ginseng with the purpose of letting the plant come back and creating a US market.

Herb Companies: Moon Maid Botanicals, Medicine Woods Botanicals, NC Ginseng and Goldenseal Company, Mountain Rose Herbs (to be confirmed), Red Moon Herbs, Pine’s Herbals

Nurseries and Farms: Living Web Farms, Mountain Gardens, Herb Mountain Farm, The Farm Connection, BellyFull Plants Nursery, Eagle Feather Nursery, Cedar Spring Farm, Peaceful Valley Nursery, Dancing Springs Farm, East Fork Farm and Vineyard, Sunrise Mountain Farm, White Oak Farm, Everland Cove Farm, Gardenlea Fine Gardens

Herb Schools: The Wander School, Southern Appalachian School for Growing Medicinal Plants, The Appalachian Center for Natural Health, The Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, No Place Like Home

Non-Profits: North Carolina Ginseng Association, United Plant Savers (to be confirmed)

If any additional herb companies, herb farms, or plant schools wish to join this list, please contact robert@ncgoldenseal.com, or (828) 649-3536.

Price included includes the forest cabin (the Hermitage) and the Nature Lodge (approx. 2,000 sq. ft). See photos at ncgoldenseal.com/cabin-rental.

The Nature Lodge is housed in a two-story structure. The top floor features two bedrooms with a shared kitchen, a large space for both eating and living with a potential office. There is a shared separate shower with on-demand hot water and a separate bathroom with a flush toilet, plus a compositing toilet all on one level.

Below the Nature Lodge is a potting shed and a storage room that could be a third bedroom in this structure. There is also a covered, open-sided storage area. The Lodge and Hermitage are three season buildings.

The Hermitage is a cabin in the woods with no electricity or water at present.

For more information, please contact Robert Eidus at (828) 649-3536 or eidusbiz@gmail.com.

Due to concerns of overharvesting wild ginseng roots for international trade, this species was included in Appendix II of the CITES in 1975. But, export availability has drastically declined in recent years.

The declining export highlights the growing challenges faced by the wild American ginseng industry, signaling the necessity for both domestic and international efforts to reverse this trend and revive the ginseng market.

The never-ending increasing demand for wild American ginseng in international markets has led to Out of Season Illegal Harvesting, threatening its survival and the biodiversity of the ecosystems it inhabits. By banning (even temporarily) the export of wild American ginseng, we protect this irreplaceable treasure from the brink of extinction, ensuring that future generations can continue to partake in the ecological and cultural benefits it provides.

Sign the Petition

The petition is open until the end of May 21, 2024.

Add Your Public Comment

Based on the Ginseng Summit 2023, the North Carolina Ginseng Association has voted to produce a Public Comment with the USFWS to urge the agency to request a reclassification of American Ginseng at the CITES 2025 Meeting.

“Request a reclassification of American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, from Appendix II to Appendix I.”

Share Your Comment Before May 21, 2O24

(1) Electronically: Using the QR Code above or Federal eRulemaking Portal Link: www.regulations.gov, docket number FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033.

(2) U.S. mail: Mail comments to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Learn More About Wild American Ginseng + Sign the Online Petition at www.change.org/p/save-wild-american-ginseng-ban-the-export-of-wild-ginseng-to-china.

The summit addressed some of the issues currently being seen in the harvesting and sales of ginseng from North Carolina.

Part 1

How we got here.

Part 2

How ginseng can thrive in America

Part 3

Creating an American ginseng market in America

Videos provided by the Mountain Stream TV YouTube Channel

Learn more about the 2023 North Carolina Ginseng Summit at ncgoldenseal.com/2023/ginseng-summit-2023.

How we got here.

How ginseng can thrive in America

Creating an American ginseng market in America

Saturday, July 8, 2023, from noon until 3 p.m.

Hosted at the Madison County Agricultural Extension, 258 Carolina Lane, Marshall, NC 28753.

This plant summit will address some of the issues currently being seen in the harvesting and sales of ginseng from North Carolina. Ginseng poundage reports are showing decreases wild populations and National Forests are not allowing harvesting.

>> Watch videos from the 2023 North Carolina Ginseng Summit at ncgoldenseal.com/2024/2023-north-carolina-ginseng-association-gathering-videos.

The summit will explore the reasons for this decline in wild populations and who is responsible and benefits from existing laws and policies. Experts in the field will discuss what can be done to reverse this decline of this important plant and medicine.

• How can State government and nonprofits work together to have this plant thrive?
• What is the best way to create a North Carolina organic ginseng market?
• Why create the incentives for growing and making medicine from Ginseng?

Guest Speakers will include:

• American Botanical Council
• United Plant Savers
• US Fish & Wildlife
• NC Ginseng Association

Sponsors include:

• Mountain Rose Herbs

Ginseng Summit 2023 is hosted by Dr. Blake Kovner of Naturopathic Health and Wellness.