TOPIC: I believe it's time to say Good Bye

I don't really know where to begin fellas. I will start by posting a few pics from the past. I have looked back over my old posts and all my photos aren't there anymore. I have uploaded hundreds over the past 8 years but now they are gone.

I joined the forum around 8 or more years ago before I had ever planted ginseng. When first searching the archives I can remember seeing posts from fellas who at one time seemed to be active in the forum and extremely interested in Ginseng. But all at once, it was like they fell off the earth, never to be heard of again. I often wondered if they had lost interest, gotten discouraged and gave up or maybe they even could have passed away. Never the less, they weren't around anymore and it did make me wonder.
It has been a long, long time since I have posted here and while reorganizing my laptop I decided to click on the shortcut from my home screen. The shortcut isn't used anymore and before I remove it, I thought I would make one last post.
Since I have last been here, I have married a couple years ago and am now a daddy to a bouncing baby boy since last fall.

My primary business has grown and after I see to it, care for my ginseng, entertain this little guy until bedtime... I just don't seem to have the time to visit the forum as I once did. If things one day loosen up I may visit back again. But, if not, I will say this here, rather than just disappearing.
I am in my 8th year of growing now. I currently have a little over 3 1/2 acres of fairly dense plantings and I just put this years in about a month ago. It seems there hasn't been anything new to post from me that I haven't posted before and I have noticed in the past while that the forum has lulled and others aren't visiting as well. I hope their situation is good and It isn't due to discouragement, bad luck or god forbid, they have passed away.
Pretty much my whole journey in growing ginseng is in this forum and were once with pictures as well but they seem to have been lost or removed from my posts. I have literally grown and learned throughout this process with several of you fellas.
I had a tough time just picking a quick few to upload now due to the hundreds that I have taken over the years. It seems to cheapen it by just throwing out several photos to represent it all because it doesn't even begin to cover it.
A lot of ups and downs have been encountered along the way. I have spent more time in the woods in the last decade than I have my entire life combined before growing. The whole way has been filled with senses of accomplishment and triumph, along with failure and disgust. Certain things could have been helped and was learned and improved, but many things cant be prepared for and will always work against you. So one should just expect things to go south sometimes because it occasionally will.
If I could go back and do those 8 years over then I would do them just the same, its been very enjoyable and a great learning process.
Truly, the learning and discovering of all the things involved in the process has always been exciting. Soil composition,light,disease, predation, germination, potential growth, poachers, planting methods, maintenance, potential profit, all these things were to be learned and figured out.... And we tried to do it together.
At one time, I was consistently checking into this forum several times a day to share what I had learned and to maybe grab on to what others had to share. I can remember spending many of my lunch breaks under a shade tree and checking in to the forum, after work being in the woods in my Ginseng until dark and coming home to hop back on the forum while eating supper until time to go to bed. It once was a really happening place. I get tickled when thinking about some of the arguments that took place here and what they were actually about.. I have made many friends here along the way that I would have never known without it. Some of those men I am still in contact with today and some I am not.
Fellas, if your reading this, boy wasn't it fun?!
I won't name anyone but you all know who are. I enjoyed your experiences you had to share, be it hunting and growing ginseng, growing peaches, apples,your garden,deer hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting and everything else I can't think of at the moment. Heck, I mean I feel like iv been in the woods of Ohio hunting Morels, catching smallies in the streams of southern TN, a North East Honeycrisp orchard, peach orchards of eastern TN and been hunting ginseng all over the Appalachian mountain chain and been in the woods of many states. I truly appreciate it all, thank you for the good times and comradery we all had. Even though our time here may be through, I surely won't forget what all took place.

So.. if you ever are wondering about me, I'm still here in TN hopping from one hill to the other. I'm still growing, planning to continue and will be digging my first that I planted way back when, this fall... I surely haven't fell of the face of the earth. I haven't given up or lost interest and I have most definitely not passed away.


I wish all my old buddies here happy trails.
Good bye guys and good luck.

HillHopper

I have always enjoyed your post's Hopper...good luck to you and yours......

Thxs hill for all your info , wonderful pics. May your hills of ginseng grow n grow. Congratulations on the handsome baby boy.

Hill..

I can sure relate to getting married, having kids and finding more important things to do... Back when I was big into Archery competition... I was really focused on that... practiced and competed all the time (all year round)... I tend to do things like that... when I find something that really interest me (and is fun too)... I hit it really hard and for quite a while... At 17 I got into archery competition, shooting local tournaments (middle tn)... and 2-3 years later I was winning big time all over my area... got a sponsorship from a PSE dealer for 4 years, then High Country Archery signed me up as a National Staff Shooter for the next 4 years. Literally won thousands of tournaments, including 11 Tenn State championships.

In year 3 of my HCA run I got married... and that slowly started to change things. I had a new focus... and the archery eventually slipped away. 1992 was the last year I signed a contract with HCA.

Priorities and to some extent interest change over time.... something new and better comes along.

I do want to say that Hill ... of all the folks that have posted here over the last several years, you are the one that I would say "really made it" happen Ginseng wise. I have been impressed at how hard you worked at it, and the results you got. Much better than any others have shown and definitely much better than I have done. I think I had the drive to do it well early on.. but am somewhat handicapped by my location (it is just so so). It will grow here, but not like what you have. You had the drive to get it done and an excellent location too. Absolutely beautiful Seng.

I do hope that you will make your way back here now and then and give us an update.

I would love to know when you do start selling some of your wild sim and how it does price wise.

Last I saw root pics, they were looking great, just needed a bit more age and root neck to them.

God bless you man !

TNhunter