For those of you who are contemplating holding your ginseng over until next year, just be sure you follow your state laws regarding doing so. Here is Ohio law on the subject:
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-40-02 Ginseng registration permit; dealer record requirements.
(
No person shall buy or otherwise acquire or
possess Ohio dry uncertified wild or dry uncertified cultivated ginseng from April first through September fifteenth of each year, or green uncertified wild or green uncertified cultivated ginseng from April first through August thirty-first without written authorization from the chief of the division of wildlife. Live immature cultivated ginseng plants and seeds from cultivated ginseng plants sold by commercial growers for propagation purposed within the United States are no regarded as harvested and are exempt from the certification requirement and may be possessed at any time provided any person possessing such cultivated ginseng supplies proof of purchase, upon demand, to any law enforcement office having jurisdiction.
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-40-03 Ginseng certification for exportation.
(I) Dealers, buyers or
any other person shall submit for weighting all uncertified wild and/or cultivated ginseng on hand as of March thirty-first of each year. The chief of the division of wildlife or his agent shall weigh and receipt the number of pounds and ounces of uncertified ginseng on hand. Such uncertified stock is to be documented as to the source, the date harvested, the weight and date of transaction, as is required in the regular certification process. These records as well as the accompanying ginseng shall be open to inspection by any authorized agent of hte division of wildlife at all reasonable hours. Future export certification will be based upon these weight receipts in a drawdown process until all documented stock has been certified. Any uncertified stock acquired from April first through August thirty-first of each year requires prior written approval of the chief of the division of wildlife
I too hope the price gets to $600 a pound this year, however, anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay, and, right now no one is willing to pay that much for our Ohio sang. Remember guys, if they decide they don't want it any more, it is worth nothing.