Glacial Ginseng Company's Marketing Co-Operative 
The Purpose Of This Co-Operative Is To Provide A Reliable Market Place For Our 2800 Plus Ginseng Grower's And Harvester's Of Wild And Wild Simulated Woods Grown Ginseng Roots
"Wild, Wild Simulated And
Woods Grown Ginseng Roots"
  Please pass it along to your fellow harvester. 
Dealer inquires Welcome.
Here's some pictures of some nice looking, Fresh Picked, Green Woods Grown Ginseng, 

 Season Opens In Most States August 15th
Michigan and North Carolina Licensed Dealer

"Editor's Note" Ginseng Roots Must 5 Years Old For Export. 
On Today's Market That Would Make These Roots
Worth About $4.50 Each, In 2 Years. 
You Would Also Get 2 Seed Crops Of About 70 Seeds Per Year. The Older They Get The More Valuable They Become. 
10 Year Old "Woods Grown" Ginseng Will Bring The Same Kind Of Prices As True Wild Ginseng. 
It's All About The Soil That They Are Grown In, That's What Determines The Potency Of The Ginseng Roots. 

Our preferred method for buying roots is green, fresh roots.  Do not wash them, just brush off the dirt a little with a small whisk type brush or broom.  Pack them in double plastic bags such as garbage or small trash bags with a little peat moss.  

The reason for shipping green is to avoid necks (growth rings/scars) getting broke off. Export laws are quite strict about plants having to be 5 years old or older and the growth scars on the neck of plant are looked at.  A single immature root can stop an entire 100 pound shipment. A root with out a neck can have same the same effect.

The drying of ginseng roots requires special care.  We will buy dried roots from experienced growers, harvesters and dealers.  They need to be packed in layers inside of plastic tubs.  You can pick these up inexpensively at Wal-Mart or K Mart.  Easiest ones are the ones that are about 6-8 inches deep, rectangle shape, like the ones the size for under bed storage.  The dried roots need to be packed in layers with paper towel so they don't slide around.  Pack some crumpled up newspaper, shredded paper, or the like on top so there is as little room as possible for them to be shifted around in shipment.  Before you put tub into box, seal it shut with duct tape, or shipping tape. Remember, with dried roots you are trying to insure those necks don't get knocked off the root, if one does and you know which root it goes to,  carefully scotch tape the neck to its root. Ship UPS, FedEx  or US priority mail, mark them fragile insurance would be good also, it's not expensive. The market price is based on dried root, an old growers rule of thumb is to divide weight of fresh root by 3 and that will tell you how many pounds it will weigh when dry.

There are 40 grades of ginseng root, the age of the root is very important, the older the plants the higher the value.  The roots known as "figurines"  (roots shaped like a man) and  animal shapes bring higher prices.

We will be buying against a letter of credit.  We have become a direct exporter of wild and woods grown roots.

We have to establish a reliable and steady market for our roots.  I will be attending a very special grading seminar in the later part of July to establish a uniform grading system.

The important point to me, is to be sure we are fair to the harvesters, growers, and fair to the buyers.

This will allow me, upon receiving your roots, to be able to grade your roots, weigh your roots and call you back with a price for your roots.

Current market prices are posted on the web site.  Since they are subject to change, you can call me the day y our going to ship and I'll quote you the  market prices on that day.  My cell number is 989-387-3495.

I will quote you what we call a "woods run" average.  When roots are received here we will promptly get back to you with price for your roots, and cut you a check with in 2 working days.   If the price is not agreeable to you we will promptly return your roots, carefully and safely packed and insured.

The harvesting season opens anywhere between Aug 1 to around Sept. 15, depending on the individual state regulations.  It usually runs up to about Thanksgiving, again depending on your particular states laws. Please be sure to check with the appropriate office in your state as these dates do vary from state to state.  Also months during which you can sell and purchase ginseng is information you will need. Also a note, be sure to inquire about where to obtain permits for gathering on National Forests with in your state, as the rules maybe different and some National Forests permit harvesting while some don't.

We would like to see, as you are harvesting your ginseng, send it up in 25 to 30 pound green weight at a time. Yes, you will need a certificate of origin for each shipment. This will give us a chance to get to know each other and establish a good working relationship.

Harvesters Tip: Try to be there around last of August, please take care to replant seeds off any plants you harvest, just pinch the berry to break skin and plant about 1 inch deep.

Take along some slug pellets and throw some down around where you plant. you could also take along some of our seed to plant.  Go back in the early spring throw down some more slug pellets for those hungry slugs as the emerge, they will eat them and leave seeds and plants alone.  you could find 25 or 30 new little plants where you last harvested.

If you would like to bring your roots up personally, and you give me a call as to when you'll be here I can probably handle it in one working day.

Folks, we have to get used to getting Certificates of origin for these roots.  We are going to have the information for you  (addresses and phone numbers) of the folks in your state that will give you all the help you need to have your roots verified and paper work in order.  It is not a lot of trouble or real complicated stuff.  It can most always be handled by a phone call and through the mail.  Makes things go faster and smoother for everyone- harvesters, growers, and dealers.

If you want to take some or all of your payment in seeds, that's fine with me.

This is not a "flash in the pan" as our long time gatherers and growers know, this business has been around since the Indians began trading it.

American Indians have long used the ginseng root in ceremonies  and as medicine. It is credited with boosting the immune system and mental clarity, it's forever commanded a nice price- as George Washington knew well.

"The war effort needs money- bring ginseng," he wrote to Daniel Boon.  According to the book "Woodland Nuggets of Gold"

My life long goal has always been, to see ginseng brought back to the place where it is well established in our woods, both private and public lands, so future generations can know of its value and if something is valued, it is usually protected and preserved.  This is a plant that is native to North American and the chance to have it back in the woods and thriving is definitely a  goal that is doable. 

Like so many things, the folks who make a profit on it, whether large or small, will be the ones who are key to getting the job done.

Glacial Ginseng Company's Marketing Co-Operative 
The Purpose Of This Co-Operative Is To Provide A Reliable Market Place For Our 2800 Plus Ginseng Grower's And Harvester's Of Wild And Wild Simulated Woods Grown Ginseng Roots

The Chinese Government Is The Largest Buyer Of Ginseng In The World And They Want To Buy Our Crop's Of Woods Grown Ginseng, This Season. Plus All Of The Wild Ginseng (5 Years And Older) That We Harvest.
We Are Going To Be Harvesting From Own Patches.
 
The government is allocating 70,000 pounds as an acceptable harvest from the United States. At $360  a pound we’re still talking about $25,200,000.00. We do not want to lose that market, the ginseng business needs it.

We have to understand more about our Chinese market place and the Chinese’s way of doing things. This is a communist government that  we are dealing with. We have to understand this, and be willing to accept that their ways and culture are much different from ours. The government there has a tendency to grant concessions for the importation of things like ginseng roots to a limited number of people.  The computer age is changing some of that. The rest we’re just going to have to learn.  When one is in Rome one does as the Romans do.

We here at Glacial Ginseng are learning to adapt. At this time we are in the process of having a Chinese translation being added to our website. This should go far in opening a new portal to that market.

Having live roots where they can be seen and selected by buyers is a distinct advantage.   

 We have been associated with excellent markets in New York as well as other places around the world. We are able to connect buyers and sellers.

Presently we have 2,887 grower's  here at Glacial Ginseng Co; making our family one of, if not the largest, growers of woods grown ginseng in the world.

We have access to an additional  3-500 plus people who are harvesters of wild ginseng. At this time we personally have access to a safe 50% of that 70,000 pounds anticipated harvest.

What we are starting to see here is a Strong Acceptance of the woods grown ginseng roots by the export market.  The export market looks at the appearance of the Ginseng root first.    Small roots are much more desired, plant your ginseng seeds close, this will encourage small roots and intertwined roots.

We will except shipments in 5 pound lot  You will need a Certificate of Origin for shipments, but not for samples.  You can get that from your states Department of Agriculture.  Just need to lightly brush them and pack them in peat moss.  We recommend those flat plastic tubs, about 3"x 18"x 30" you can get at Wal-Mart, samples may be shipped zip lock type baggies in peat moss. Stems need to be trimmed to a 1/4 of a inch and the roots must be intact, no broken stem, necks and fibers attached.  They are paying top dollar for top quality, we are buying cost plus. They also buy Dried Roots and Field Grown Ginseng, but this is where we start.  Ship them, in a sturdy cardboard box, U.S. Priority Mail or UPS.