The posting format has changed my spacing on the post ehre, i can't seem to controll it. Please bear with me...
Will, thank you further defining the \"differentation\" question I raised. I thought I knew what you meant, however a close definition allows for great discussion,
and I actually really like long answers.
And I thank our Canadian brother, Guy, for the succinct and informative discussion of the ramifications of the CITES work. Sounds like you have been involved with 'sang for a very long time.
Now, the rest of this post is long, I have been thinking.....
Will- When you were on the livestock farm, did you band together as association of sorts
to further this business of differentation? Are you still farming in this manner?
I must agree with you that our wild-sim 'sang is in many ways better than wild. I think this
is key, however, overcomeing the perception that a 'Man-root\" shape has something to do with
elevated levels of effect; this might be difficult, if not impossible. More on this later.
Identification of a market is not too hard, actually. If such a market exists, then why not
target sales to it directly? Actually this is a retorical question... that market presently exists, has existed for many hundreds of years, and it's name is \"China.\" They buy all we grow, and are shrewd in their business dealings. There are other previously defined markets as well,
called Vietnam, Tiawan, Cambodia, Korea....
Since these countries have been dealing in 'sang for literally hundreds of years, there has
been quite the culture developed around ginseng. I think it's ginseng culture is steeped
in traditions that few westerners really understand well.
If we growers were to band together in the differentations, forming a American Ginseng
Growers Association, then IMHO it's entirely possible for the differentations to produce higher profits. Some of the aspects of this that are needed are:
1] a charter to have an organization with.
2] a physical location to store roots in until actual export
3] capital to purchase roots, pay operating costs with
4] international export license
5] staff to prepare roots for actual export
6] code of ethics so the association does not have a poor rep as \"bad buyers\"
7] international contacts
8] I'm sure there are other facets I can't think of right now...
I think it's entirely possible with the right group of people. there are business models
out there for this sort of thing... someone wouldn't have to re-invent the wheel in order to
accomplish it.
Your thoughts?