BCastle wrote:
Think about it. We see that same thing here on the boards in the digging/selling season. Some folks don't care what you say or if you are correct. Instead, they just do or say anything to discredit any position or information which is contrary to their preferred position. It is a form of rationalization to allow them to justify their continued behavior. Such is life.
Such is life, indeed.
Kyjabber...please correct me if I'm wrong here. I think that is really where Kyjabber is headed with this project. Trying to get the why into the hands of folks who currently have no reason to care about the how.
Yes, this would be a main target
When KY did their ginseng sting, and then Ohio did ours, both states found a lot of illegal ginseng trade in places they really didn't expect. While it was targeted at dealers (at least here in Ohio), it turned up some diggers who were digging during the closed season. In my job as a cop, I see criminals who by definition do not care about the law or the reason behind it. Then again, I see people who sometimes run into the law unintentionally. I get lots of calls from folks relating information to me that they are or have done illegal things with ginseng. I do my best to explain first that I want no part of it, and that the activity is illegal. Secondly, I try to explain the reason it is important that they follow the law.
While I worked here, my duties were unrelated to the ginseng program, so I've played catch up. So many issues with ginseng harvesting gets you into areas that are such larger socioeconomic in nature - it's bigger than the ginseng programs (poverty, drugs, etc). If we can get the why out there that maybe we can make enough impact that my grand and great grandchildren will be able to see (and harvest) ginseng in the wild.
In my lifetime, ginseng has always been considered a vulnerable plant. I don't want that to go any further. I'm also not going to be bogged down with the bigger issues, but do our best to make ginseng harvest legally available for many more generations.
If I gave some of these folks that book, they still wouldn't read it.
exactly
I have talked to Tony Hayes in the past. I think he runs Ridge Runner down there if I'm not mistaken. Pretty decent guy if I remember correctly. He could surly point you to the program coordinator down there.
agreed
Kyjabber, another name I'm surprised to have not heard here yet is Bob Beyfuss out of New York. He was connected with Cornell but recently retired. He is a straight up ginseng expert and a great guy from whom you can get additional information.
I've seen the name, but that's it. Sounds like I need to rectify that. Do you have links to some of his materials?
