TOPIC: International American Ginseng Expo, 12/7/12

To follow up on Hillhopper's questions.. this is brief report on the Expo this weekend. It's really more photos than journalism...

Below is the program from the Expo. You can read that there were several prominant 'Sang researchers and many others that were there.

International American Ginseng Expo
December 7th: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM; December 8th: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Mountain Horticultural Crops and Research Extension Center
455 Research Drive Mills River North Carolina 28759 United States


PROGRAM

Friday, December 7, 2012
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM - Registration
Buffet Breakfast
Sponsors and Vendors Setup and Networking;

Moderator for each session:
Chuck Blethen, President, NCNPA, Marshall NC [ www.JeweloftheBlueRidge.com ] unless otherwise noted.

10:00 AM to 10:50 AM - First Session

What are the medicinal and botanical aspects of American Ginseng versus Asian Ginseng or Jiaogulan?
· Joe Hollis, Mountain Gardens, Celo, NC [ www.MountainGardensHerbs.com ]
· Barry Thorne, Golden Needle Acupuncture, Herbal and Medical Supply Company, Asheville, NC
[ www.GoldenNeedleOnLine.com ]
· Corey Pine Shane, Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, Weaverville, NC. [ www.BlueRidgeSchool.org ]

11:00 AM to 11:50 AM -Second Session

What is the current situation with American Ginseng in our public and private forests? Will more production of wildsimulated
ginseng take pressure off of wild ginseng?
· Dr. Bob Beyfuss, Retired - Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County, past leader of the Agriculture and Natural
Resources Program and NY State specialist for American Ginseng Production [Dr. Bob Beyfuss Ginseng Specialist]
· Gary Kauffman, Forest Botanical Specialist, US Forest Service, Asheville NC [ www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc ]
· Nora Murdock, Appalachian Highlands Inventory & Monitoring Network, National Park Service
[ www.Science.Nature.nps.gov/im/units/aphn ]
· Dr. Jeanine Davis, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Dept. of Horticultural Science, NC State University,
Mills River, NC [ www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher ]
· Jim Corbin, NCDA Plant Protection Specialist, Sylva, NC [ www.ncagr.gov/PlantIndustry/Plant/Nursery/fswa19.htm ]

11:50 AM to 1:00 PM - Buffet Lunch
Networking with Sponsors and Vendors

1:00 PM to 1:50 PM - Third Session

What are the existing laws as they relate to American Ginseng conservation, wild harvesting, production and selling?
· Rob Evans, Plant Ecologist, NCSA&CS-Plant Conservation Program
[ www.ncagr.gov/PlantIndustry/Plant/PlantConserve/ginseng.htm ]
· Jim Corbin, NCDA Plant Protection Specialist, Sylva, NC [ www.ncagr.gov/PlantIndustry/Plant/Nursery/fswa19.htm ]
· Greg Daniels, Captain, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Asheville, NC [ www.ncwildlife.org ]
· John Veremis, CITES Coordinator, USDA-APHIS/US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D.C.
[ www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/...angered_plants.shtml ]

2:00 PM to 2:50 PM - Fourth Session - Ed Fletcher, moderator
[ www.StrategicSourcingInc.net ]

What are the opportunities to export more wild simulated American Ginseng to Asia and past trends for ginseng trade
(cultivated, wild, and wild-simulated) to Hong Kong?
· Susan Kostelecky, USDA APHIS PPQ, Export Certification Specialist, North & South Carolina
[ www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/...exports/ecs/sc.shtml ]
· Mary Romano, Counselor, International Business Development, U.S. Ex-Im Bank City/State Partner, SBTDC, Charlotte,
NC [ www.sbtdc.org/offices/uncc ]
· Greg Sizemore, Director, U.S. Commercial Service, Export Assistance Centers in NC [ www.export.gov/NorthCarolina ]

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Break & Voting on \"Ginseng Survey\" - Caroline Edwards & Jerry Page

4:00 PM to 4:50 PM - Fifth session

What are the barriers to American Ginseng becoming more of a farmed forest crop, including crop insurance and
alternative financing?
· Larry Harding, Harding Ginseng, Friendsville MD [ www.HardingsGinsengFarm.com ]
· Dr. Jeanine Davis, NCSU, MHCREC, Mills River, NC [ www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher ]
· Robert Eidus, NC Ginseng & Goldenseal Co., Marshall, NC [ www.ncGoldenseal.com ]
· Ed Fletcher, Strategic Sourcing, Inc., AHPA board member, Boone NC [ www.StrategicSourcingInc.net ]

5:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Local Foods & Products Reception

Invited Guests and Doug Elliott, storyteller, herbalist and author;
Sponsors and Vendors Networking;

Online Ginseng Auction
************


Saturday, December 8, 2012
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: Registration;
Buffet Breakfast
Sponsors and Vendors Networking

9:00 AM to 9:50 AM - First Session

Introducing the sponsors for the International American Ginseng Expo

10:00 AM to 10:50 AM - Second Session

What are the Value-added opportunities for wild-simulated American ginseng?
· Ceara Foley, Demonstration of the properties and benefits of wild honey and wild ginseng, West Asheville, NC
[ www.AdvantageWest.com ]
· Teresa Green, Ulimana, Asheville, NC [ www.Ulimana.com ]
· Larry Harding, Harding Ginseng, Maryland [ www.HardingsGinsengFarm.com ]

11:00 AM to 11:50 AM - Third Session

Wild-simulated American Ginseng Production: Issues and Opportunities.
· Dr. Bob Beyfuss, American Ginseng Specialist for Cornell University Cooperative Extension (Retired)
[Dr. Bob Beyfuss Ginseng Specialist]
· Gary Kauffman, Forest Botanical Specialist, US Forest Service, Asheville NC [ www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc ]
· W. Scott Persons [Tuckasegee Valley Ginseng] , author of ‘American Ginseng: Green Gold’, and co-author with Dr.
Jeanine Davis of ‘Growing & Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal & Other Woodland Medicinals’, Tuckaseegee, NC
· Dr. Jeanine Davis, co-author as noted above; NC State University, Mills River, NC [ www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher ]
· Robert Eidus, Eagle Feather Organic Farm, NC Ginseng & Goldenseal Co., Marshall, NC [ www.ncGoldenseal.com ]

11:50 AM to 2:00 PM - Buffet Lunch

Networking with Sponsors and Vendors
Ginseng Auction Online via Internet Sites
Participants’ Survey Results on Ginseng Conservation Efforts

I met [I think} most everyone from the forum that were in attendance. I'll have to assume that they all met each other as well, as there was no designated meet-up station. I even met a forum 'Lurker\" who introduced herself to me. [COME OUT, COME OUT, WHERE-EVER YOU ARE!!! HAHAHA]

Anyway it was very nice to meet the forum particpants that were in attendance, Tanner [Rural Action}, Matt [VaFiddler], Michael, Anna [KYJabber], Alison [Maypop]. and theres'. well, the very nice ladyLurker who shall remain un-named.... [COME OUT, COME OUT, WHERE-EVER YOU ARE!!!]

that's me there in the photo.

You can see from the program that there are many of grower's concerns that were addressed. In addition to the prominent 'sang researchers, there were NC Dept of Ag, Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Importer Regulators, and successful growers. Our announcers were from the NC Natural Products Asso.... which I didn't know about at all.

BTW- photos of folks are there working/presenting... and I'm thinking that since they stood up in front of all of us, they won't mind me posting this here.

Below photo is of the large classroom where the event was largely held. that's Dr Davis [ co-author of the book many of us own and refer to] seated at the table, with one of the guys from NCNPA, and a very nice gal also from NCNPA. The association personell there there were instrumental in the logistics to produce this event.

Amongst the topics there were two real-time computerized surveys covering many questions that concern those of us who take the business seriously. These were sorta like the surveys you can take after visiting a website... however were only about the business of 'sang. I found it pretty interesting to see that.

the tow guys in the left on the photos were our emcees, and the other person there is a educator.

Here's a photo of Dr W. Scott Persons [co-author of the book many of us refer to]. While I didn't really get to speak to him much in person, I did get to ask Q's during the panels he was on. that's a Federal [translate: Washington DC type] Regulator for import/export he's talking with.

Not all of my photos are crystal clear... oh, well.

Below photos is of the panel where Dr's Davis, Persons, and Beyfuss spoke. The other fella on the end is a prominent NC Grower with a successful operation, Robert Eidus.

This session was actually the most interesting one for me. We got to pose Q's on many aspects of 'sang growing in this one... kind of a Ginseng 202 [or 302] college level class.

All these speakers were interesting, and Dr Bob Beyfuss came out and spoofed all of us in a large way, then went on to discuss \"Why Gensing Plantings Fail.\" He seems quite a character. You can go to the www. and get that as a free download from his website.

In the program I posted at the start of this, there are in there the websites for the seminar presenters. For the interested parties that are reading here... I'm not going into the content of each section, as I don't want to leave anything out of what were very well presented sessions.

I mentioned that we participants were treated like welcomed guests, with meals provided. All of them... B-fast, Lunch, Dinner on Friday; and B-fast and Lunch on Sat. This was included as a part of the fee paid. INMO there was really great cooking going on by two different chefs. My only complaint is there wasn't coffee on Sat.. however this is pretty minor since I may have been the only caffeine junkie there.

Photo below is of B-fast on Sat.. Many of the folks there partied back at the hotel as well, after the event site closed for the evening.

I really don't know what else to add here.. and invite the others that attended to post their thoughts...

Here's a couple of my most notable quotes from the various panels.:::

\" \"It is estimated that [in NC] 80 -90% of ginseng sold as wild to dealers is poached 'sang.\"

\"We are perched on the pinnacle of our world in this business\"
[translation: Everyone wants our product, and there isn't enough of it}

\"We need to be the Price-makers, not just the price-takers\"

Oh, yeah, HIllhopper, there was quite a discussion on how to become your own exporter of your own product.

Thanks for the info whitjr. I hate i missed it. I will be sure to attend the next one. I leftout at 4:15am and was in route and figured i would roll in about nine to nine thirty friday morning when while heading up I-40 i crossed over into eastern time......Eastern Time!!! I never took that into consideration and new that registration would be over by the time i arrived. How many would you say were in attendance and did they give any insights about exportation or that it was just a better avenue to pursue?

Hillhopper