Chapter 1: The World of Ginseng
Ginseng is one of the most highly revered of ancient Chinese medicinal herbs. References to ginseng date back to 2600 B.C. The different ginseng species are grouped together under the genus Panax, referred to as ‘all healing’, ‘cure all’, and ‘panacea’. This truly ancient fossil plant, first discovered in the mountains of Manchuria, was first used by the Chinese as a food. James Duke, in his book: Ginseng: a Concise Handbook (see Chapter 19: Further References), reference is made to ginseng as a ‘crystallization of the essence of the earth’, and ‘unseen spirit of nature’ in the form of a man that dwells in the root. The Chinese name for ginseng, renshen, means ‘man-root’ for its resemblance to the shape of the human body, with trunk, arms, and legs. While not all of the roots are shaped like the body of a man, those that do are thought to have the power to cure diseases and strengthen both the body and mind.

A sense of balance
All of the earliest writings about ginseng refer to the herb’s ability to restore a ‘sense of balance’ The Chinese believe that the various types of ginseng can strengthen those that are weak, build blood in those that are anemic, build appetite, improve respiration, and calm the nerves. Chinese emergency room doctors are reported to give ginseng in high doses to patients that have suffered serious blood losses or are suffering from a chronic disease. Oriental medicine centers on the life-force known as chi. A traditional Chinese physician believes that chi is the driving force behind the organization of matter and energy in the human body.

Building chi
In American society we can see people building their own chi by practicing tai chi exercises, by eating Chinese foods that help build levels of chi, and by taking different forms of ginseng as tonics, tablets, teas, and so forth. When we visit the acupuncture clinic, a doctor or naturopath, will use needles to direct the flow of chi, or energy, to various organs in the body. If we have a deficiency of chi in a certain portion of the body we may have pain or tension in that area. If our lives are filled with stress, lack of exercise, improper diets our chi may be blocked. Physical expressions of chi deficiency include shallow breathing, poor digestion, fatigue, lack of endurance, feeling our minds being ‘dull’, depressed sexual functions, frequent colds, and frequent sweating.

Ginseng species and chi
Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a household staple in China. Asian ginseng is generally not given to the young. For people over 40 it will be taken to restore low energy levels, and to aid in the recovery after periods of fever. It will be taken in the winter months as it instills a warming effect on the body. Older people feel that taking Asian ginseng, in perhaps a steamed, thin slice, will increase wisdom. As mentioned earlier, emergency rooms use ginseng. In life-threatening emergencies, where blood loss has been high, a doctor will prescribe 30 grams of ginseng, mixed with 5 jujube dates.

American ginseng (Panax quenquefolium L.), has an entirely different set of uses. It is used to generate fluids in dehydrated patients, to break coughing episodes, to relieve thirst, to restore general body weakness. American ginseng is felt to have a cooling effect on the body, and thus is taken during the summer months on hot weather and bright sun.

When the terms yin and yang are mentioned, Asian ginseng is taken as a yin tonic to warm someone who has cold hands, slow pulse, and is suffering from poor digestion. It would be used primarily during the winter months. Conversely, American ginseng would be prescribed as yang tonic for someone with a flushed face, hot hands and feet, who is prone to night sweats, and has a fast pulse. The cooling effect of American ginseng, also known for it's ability to remove 'heatiness', makes it the preferred ginseng during the hot, humid weather during the summer in Southeast Asia. The best reference on the properties of ginseng and how to take the various forms of this root is: “The Healing Power of Ginseng & the Tonic Herbs, by Paul Bergner. Chapter 19: Further References will provide details on ordering this book.

Korean ginseng cultivation
Korea grows Panax ginseng, and calls it either Korean or Korea ginseng. Korea is one of the leading nations in ginseng cultivation world-wide. Ginseng grows naturally between 33 N latitude, north to approximately 43 N (on the west coast of North America this would be between Santa Barbara, California and Eugene, Oregon). Wild Korean ginseng grows naturally in hardwood forests, with dense shading and deep rich soils. Where it is cultivated in open fields, Korean farmers are known for very meticulous site preparation. They will incorporate as much as 4 tons per acre of dried hardwood leaves (oak leaves) and shape their planting beds 3’ wide by 12” high. They will then use 40-80 transplanted roots in one section of bed 3’ wide by 10’ long. For shade, farmers erect supports that hold straw mats or modern polyethylene mats. Harvest occurs in the fall, when the roots are 4-6 years old. In 1991, Korea had approximately 12,000 acres of white (unsteamed) and red (steamed) Panax ginseng under cultivation. Ginseng farms are family owned. The average size ginseng was only .83 acres (much like the Pacific Northwest).

As far as uses, ginseng tea is the most common product form used. In the last 20 years, ginseng has been made into tablets, capsules, beverages, candy, honey and of course medicine. Korean ginseng is reported to reduce stress, detoxify alcohol, fight cancer, reduce hypertension, improve sexual functions, and retard aging. The Koreans are big users of fresh ginseng (see Chapter 17: Postharvest Fresh). They use it in their salads, fry it, and very much enjoy it in baked chicken dishes. Other uses include its use in wines, coffee, chewing gum, body lotions, shampoo, and soap. The greatest demand for ginseng is for its use in beverages.

Ginseng and the Port of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the most important shipping and receiving port in the world for both North American, as well as Asian ginseng. Up to 90% of the world’s ginseng passes through this port. American ginseng from North America is delivered to Hong Kong in cardboard drums (see Chapter 16: Postharvest Handling Dried) on container ships. From there it is sent into mainland China and other Asian markets. Conversely, Asian ginseng is sold in Hong Kong markets and then shipped to Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, as well as the United States.

Root grading in Hong Kong
North American ginseng is typically not sorted prior to its shipment to Hong Kong. The Chinese prefer to grade the root themselves, subjectively based on root shape, external skin color, and surface texture. All of the root qualities for grading cultivated ginseng are based on the perceived nature of wild ginseng root: shape, color, and texture. Wild roots symbolize ‘naturalness’ and ‘wildness’, which are both important attributes of traditional Chinese medicine. Wild roots are known for their dark external skin color and numerous surface wrinkles.

Root grading procedures are subjective and complicated. Practices used in Hong Kong may not be applicable in other Asian ports dealing with ginseng. In Hong Kong ginseng roots can be graded into no less than 100 different categories based on the previously mentioned external attributes. The first step in grading begins with separating the fiber from the roots. This can done using bamboo or metal screens. Once separated the fiber is used for making tea or is ground up for use as powder in capsules, tablets, and other value-added products.

The second key step in grading is separating defibered roots based on their shape. Roots that have short, thick, rounded bodies are classed as “bullet” or “bubble” roots and are considered to have a higher value than roots having long, thin tapered bodies. Such “carrot” or “pencil” shaped roots have a lower perceived roots.

The third step in grading involves removing large lateral root branches. Root branches are cut off by hand, and then further graded into different classes based on size and length. The fourth step in grading deals with the remaining root bodies themselves. The roots will be separated out into 7 size groups. Ultra large roots each weigh more than 15 grams apiece. Extra large roots weigh between 10-15 grams each. Large roots weigh between 8-10 grams; medium roots weigh between 6-8 grams; small roots weigh less than 6 grams; and so forth until all that is left is fiber. The final, or fifth step, is to trim the size-sorted roots into shapes for retail sale.

Historical origins of North American ginseng
The history of ginseng in North America started when a French Jesuit priest, Father Jartoux, went to China in 1711 to observe the harvest of Asian ginseng. After observing the forests near Peking, he wrote in his diary that his home land, near the present day city of Montreal, Quebec, may also be a forest environment that would grow ginseng. Soon enough, in 1716 Father Joseph Francis Lafitau, who was working with Iroquois Indians, found a plant growing in the shaded portions of the deciduous forest that clearly resembled ginseng as described earlier by Father Jatoux. The ginseng found near Montreal was named North American ginseng and given the Latin name of Panax quinquefolium.

Once discovered, the French settlers started to pay the Indians to dig all the wild ginseng they could find. By the mid 1970’s a large amount of ginseng started on the long sea route south from the present day Port of New York city, around Cape Horn and then on to the Port of Canton in mainland China. Before long ginseng was also found throughout Appalachia. The legendary trapper Daniel Boone was involved in the ginseng trade as well. The practice of digging wild root continued unabated up until the late 1800’s.

After the Civil War, wild ginseng was becoming very scarce, as little attempt was made to ensure that seeds were pushed back into the ground after the roots were dug up. Many of the wooded sites that had served so well for shade were being lost to settlers needing to clear land for field crops. There were attempts made to domesticate the wild root. George Staton, is considered to be the father of ginseng cultivation in North America. George was able to understand the shade requirements and stratification needs for this wild plant. From 1880 to early in the next century cultivated ginseng trade flourished once again. A major setback occurred in 1904 when the fungal disease Alternaria blight (Alternaria panax, see Chapter 12: Foliar, seedling, and root diseases) for a complete description) wiped out many thriving gardens. A New York farmer was credited for discovery that the combination of hydrated lime and copper sulfate (referred to as bluestone), when mixed with water, would serve to protect the foliage in the spring as the plants first started to grow. This early chemical mixture, known as Bordeaux (first used in the Bordeaux region of France for powdery mildew on wine grapes) saved the ginseng industry from certain ruin. Today, modern ginseng farmers use a synthetic formulation of Bordeaux known as fixed copper, but that’s a story for Chapter 12.

During the Depression of the 30’s and World War II, ginseng trade with China all but ceased. While most ginseng farms were converted to other crops, only the growers in Marathon County (see Wisconsin map) in central Wisconsin, stayed the course. Interestingly, there were a few ginseng farms in the Pacific Northwest, near the tiny town or Molalla Oregon in the North Willamette River valley. It was not until the famous visit of President Richard Nixon to China in 1972 that ginseng trade was once again rebuilt.

Ginseng Production in Ontario
North American ginseng growers naturally in the southern portions of Ontario, but wild stands are very limited due to over-harvesting. The main area of production is centered around Waterford. With temperate conditions, due to Lake Ontario, ginseng grows very well. This area has long been a vegetable, fruit and tobacco producing region. In the mid-80’s growers started to diversify away from tobacco, due to pressures on the cigarette industry. In 1983 extension workers reported that there were approximately 150 acres of ginseng (60 growers), grown under polypropylene shade cloth.

The Ontario industry contends with light sandy soils, often very low in organic matter. Cow manure and green manure cover crops are used to improve the planting sites. The sandier soil generally requires fumigation before ginseng can be planted due to the presence of nematodes. Despite the fumigation, ginseng has yet to be grown on the same soils twice. As yet the exact causes of this “replant problem” have been determined.

As for yields, 2,500-3,000 lbs. of dried root per acre is considered the norm. The root is harvested in mid-October, using modified potato harvesters and dried in converted tobacco kilns. Approximately 90% of the root is shipped to the Port of Hong Kong. In early 1998, there were an estimated 4,000 acres of cultivated ginseng grown by approximatley 300 growers. For further information on the Ontario industry, contact Jan Schooley (jschoole@omafra.gov.on.ca), Ginseng and Medicinal Her Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Box 587, Simco, Ontario, N3Y 4N5.

Ginseng production in British Columbia
The arid portions of British Columbia, near the city of Kamloops, has become a significant world player in the cultivated ginseng industry. From a meager 5 acres of production in 1982, acreage climbed swiftly to no less than 3,000 acres (representing 130 growers) by 1996!

The rise of the industry is attributed to farming pioneer whose name was John Latta. John planted the first 5 acres on former sagebrush land near Lytton. He named his company Chai-Na-Ta Products Limited. After successfully learning how to produce ginseng in very hot climate, using sprinkler irrigation, John was able to convince others that his company was a worthwhile investment. By 1994 Chai-Na-Ta Limited had grown to 1,000 acres of cultivated ginseng. The best guess today is that there are approximately 2,400 acres of ginseng in all of British Columbia.

The BC industry has some of the same production techniques as outlined earlier for Wisconsin and Ontario. Specialized tractors, sprayers, and diggers have become the norm on the larger, corporate ginseng farms that comprise the bulk of the industry. The one unique feature however, is the need to irrigate. The Kamloops region may receive less than 6” or rain each year.

While setting up an irrigation system in cultivated ginseng is not difficult, the frequent watering does encourage the onset of leaf blights (see Chapter 12 for a discussion). With good attention to farming practices, a ginseng farmer in BC can achieve 3,000 lbs of dried root per acre. A certain percentage of the fields are harvested in year 3. In the last year the price for 3 year old dried root has fallen to as low as $15 US. Low root prices have put a damper of the expansion of the BC industry.