To reach their conclusions, the researchers utilized a confidential, annual survey sent to ginseng sellers over eight years in Pennsylvania to examine the extent to which forest farming and planting of commercially acquired seeds may contribute to wild ginseng harvest amounts.
Pennsylvania has exporting about 1,000 pounds of dried ginseng roots like this one in most years during the past decade, and researchers are trying to better understand where it all is coming from, since most forestlands in Pennsylvania are privately owned, and harvesting from public lands is not permissible
Forest farmers in Pennsylvania often are planting seeds acquired in online purchases from places outside the state. That germplasm threatens to weaken the gene pool of the plant, which is well adapted to thrive in Appalachian forests.
A forest farmer digs out a ginseng plant in a private forest plot. The researchers found a geographic overlap between study participants who planted seeds and the top wild ginseng harvest counties, suggesting planting activities are contributing to higher harvest amounts.
A ginseng "garden" in a private forest plot is shown, growing in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Forest farming of the endangered forest herb, valued for its medicinal qualities, is becoming much more common.
Guests at the 2019 Penn State Beaver wine and ale event, In Good Taste, are served in the Brodhead Bistro on campus. The annual fundraiser benefits Penn State Beaver scholarships.
Maria Slater, left, and her mother Benita Slater, show off a copy of their new children's book "Triple T: A Pet Love Story." Maria, a senior IST major at Penn State Beaver, co-authored the book with her mother.
