TOPIC: Business plan want some input please

I am a disabled veteran in California interested in farming Ginseng wild simulated 8 year crop rotation have experience growing many crop's so I am gonna hit the ground running California has many unique micro climates that are not 110 degrees hot all summer some places have weather similar to Washington and Oregon I have recently purchased a 5 acre parcel 90 percent treed with pines and oaks in one of these climate area's I am going to shred all leafs and compost them then till them in the soil gonna prep the ground for 2 years their is a laboratory in Virginia that will monitor 2 acres for $500.00 dollars a year so I will be using that for 4 acres to ensure perfection and the 5th acre I will get premium soil it will cost me $500 dollars per bed of soil I will plant 15- 6'x200' foot bed's with 19,200 seed's each grow them in these bed's for 2 year's then transplant them to the other 4 acres at 12 inch spacing on the whole property for 6 years these will set their to grow after 2 years already growing so they will be 8 years first pick I will be harvesting only a half acre at a time then will replant after I sell them in raised bed's the thing about California is it is not as wet here as it is in the North states or the East states so I don't think the fungus or the diseases here will be as much of a problem but regardless I will be getting rid of all old soil and be trucking new stuff in yearly I will also be selling a certain amounts of rootlets to the public to help pay my bills while waiting for the ginseng to grow their is nobody on the west coast that sells rootlets please let me know what you think I am looking for all the help I can get I am hoping for $300 dollars a pound at harvest for each half acre lot so if the dealer buys all he can make a good amount as well off of it this farm will be all organic minus the rat and mice traps lol

It sounds like you have a plan sort of worked out already...

Problem is... I sort of doubt genseng will grow in California.

Below is a map that shows the range of wild ginseng. It is does best along the eastern coast of the US.

Notice - not showing any growing anywhere close to California.



If you do try to grow some there. I would suggest you start very small, and try your hand at it for at least 3 years (3 growing seasons).

If in the 4th spring, you have some that have 3 prongs and are producing berries, and looking good, then go all at it with your big plan.

If not - that will save you some misery and $$$ if you had gone big and failed.

I would suggest that to anyone that is growing even on the east cost. You will know at the end of 3-4 years if it is going to do well at your location or not, and you will have learned a lot by then. Once you get past that point and know a lot more about how to make it successful going forward, then go big with the plan.

I would also suggest you purchase and read the book below. I think about all of us growing seng here on this form have this book and consider it to be very helpful in all things ginseng related. He even has business plans detailed in the book.

www.amazon.com/Growing-Marketing-Goldens...ywords=scott+persons

Good Luck

TNhunter

I have to agree with TNhunter. Ginseng is one of the hardest crops to grow.
Even with all the right conditions anything can happen. Disease, animals love to eat it and there is the theft issue.

rootman

Green Cure,
There are a couple of things that I can tell you that you have to have in order for ginseng to grow properly. One has been mentioned already. These are must.

1: You have got to be in an area that gets at least 600 hours of chilling , below 45 degrees during the winter months. Your Field Agent can give you this information. Ginseng will not break it's dormancy if the weather stays warm for too long during the Fall and winter. All of the best growing conditions in the world will not help if the seed or plants don't go through this cycle.

2: Since California is so dry, you better have plans to water the young plants or they will not grow. If the ground temperatures get too warm, growth will stop and finally death will happen. If you can give us a general idea of about what part of California you will be trying this, we can help more. I believe to have any chance at all, you will have to try this in the Northern most parts of the state. These are just my thoughts.
Hugh

Thanks Guy's very much appreciate all your input California has many different climates my average
low temperature from
October 49
November 41
December 36
January 34
February 37
march 37
April 38
may 44
I would say the area is Butte County California North east in snow country as far as theft goes I am surrounded by large scale Pot farms so I am safe from theft they like me for now lol love thy neighbor right lol

the weather to this area is identical to Junction city Oregon where Ginseng is grown and has more rain as well days with rain are 74 on average per year and it is 74 inches I get a minimum of 2 inches of rain every month except June ,July and August the highest per year average temp is 94 the average number of days above 90 degrees is 13.5 days annually average snowfall is 53.7 inches a year my elevation is 3600 feet their is wild Morel mushrooms that grow here as well as a few types of drug mushrooms

Rootlets please know that I am not mailing anything East I am targeting Washington and Oregon and California the shipping charge would be high and make it unlikely someone would order from me to buy down their also their is nobody here selling Rootlets so I am not competing with anyone if this works I will be buying more cheap forested land I am only selling rootlets to make a lil extra a year I am a full time fisherman and already have that headed somewhere for the most part from friends I met in the Asian community but I am looking to deal with a large distributor if someone is interested I plan on only growing rootlets for 6 years then no more cause I just want a small workable farm I have irrigation figured out by way of sprinkler if needed I have moisture meters I have alot of experience farming

IF you are able to get ginseng to grow and get a crop, what about the export laws? To my knowledge California does not have a ginseng program and there for it would be illegal to try to export it from the state. Just my 2 cents worth...

Well their are no rules saying I can or can not export but their are many dealers here in this state to sell my crop to legally so they can deal with that

Green cure,

It appears that you have done your research and leg work per see on this venture and as far as I can tell, your' plan should work! I noticed that you have not addressed the issue of shade and sunshine percentages that Ginseng needs to grow and not be hindered by too much shade and not burnt up by too much sunshine. I hope you will research this important factor not only here on Wildgrown but elsewhere. Also, have you researched the soil types and mineral contents along with the good pH values in the soil needed for good growth of Ginseng and the values that will not promote fungus or other diseases? Most of the States as well as Canada where wild North American Ginseng grows and where it is grown either via the Woodsgrown method or Wild-Simulated method and probably Cultivated Ginseng as well, fall under the Cites Treaty www.cites.org/ and each State here with the exception of maybe Mississippi and maybe a few others, have laws, rules and regulations that Digger/Harvesters, Buyers/Dealers and Exporters have to follow. All Ginseng dug within a state cannot leave a state until it is weighed, certified and recorded. You may need to check with the Department of Agriculture and some other agencies in California as to any licenses, records you may need and anything you may need to do or follow to ship out of state. Also, if at anytime, your' Ginseng is shipped out of the country, then you may need or the Exporter will likely need to have the correct licenses and follow the Cites Treaty to the \"T\". The only bad thing about getting any government agency in California involved with your undertaking, is that California Legislators have a tendency to over-think things, go off the deep end and come down with Laws and regulations that are highly restrictive for many ventures.

Good luck in your endeavor and last but now least, thank you for your' service to this country and it's people!


Frank

Yeah and they want and do try the best to suck your funds dry because of this crap our state might break up and we wont have a congress any more just county elected officials honestly what do congress women or men do any ways what ever side they are on they are corporate puppets ..


I am waiting on info from the soil laboratory and not to sure about the too much shade or not enough spots I gotta get a light tester as far as I can see the spots look nice I gotta pile up all the leafs and shred them and compost them they mostly cover all the soil then I will reapply and till it in the seed's will go in amended soil to start off then be replanted as for the fungus im not to sure whats their either I know from experience growing other crops that well balanced nutrients and bio activity will fight fungus and keep it at bay California soils grow more agriculture then most states but start up costs are ridiculous thank fully you don't need any permits unless you are changing the climate or adversely stripping pre existing conditions I am leaving everything the way it was just planting my property they try to push sustainable farming practices here

Am I the only one who thinks 300$ a lb seems like an unrealistic goal for 8 yr old plants? Hell they've gotta be at least ten yes old or have a one inch neck before I can even legally harvest em here. I'm lucky to get 300 a green lb at PREMIUM grade roots... Just saying.