Growing & Marketing Medicinal Herbs in the Southeast Sunshine Dawson, Herbalist Maple Spring Gardens, LLC Cedar Grove, NC Things to Consider • Scale of Operation • SMALL - Complimentary to vege operation - local retail sales For value added products – tea blends, body products Plant Sales – retail • MEDIUM - Alongside vege production, local/regional retail or wholesale Plant Sales/Nursery – retail/wholesale • LARGE - Herb only production - retail/wholesale Contract growing wholesale • Fresh and/or Dried Material • Dried material requires extra facility, lower profit, but more demand • Environment • Soil type – well draining vs heavy clay Try growing 10-15 herbs in small patches - which ones thrive? which don’t? Choose 5 to expand to larger scale • Climate/Season extension – hoop houses Seeding & Planting • Botanical name (genus and species) is required for all Medicinal Herbs - ie: Skullcap - Scutellaria lateriflora You must use verified seed, root stock, or plugs • Saving seed – be 100% sure it has not crossed • Echinacea, Calendula, Mints • Check germination requirements • cold stratification, scarification, light dependent germinators • Annual vs Perennial • Reviving Perennials by chopping up & re-planting every 3 yrs • Mulches • Straw, Plastic, Landscape fabric • For all aerial parts harvested prevent soil splash back from rain. Harvesting • Medicinal Herbs have specific requirements: • Part of the plant – flower, leaf, aerial parts, seed, root, whole • Time of year • Time of day • High EO plants • Clean product • Only roots are washed – DO NOT wash flowers, aerial parts • Make sure the product is free of bugs, webs, debris, soil • Handling in harvest • Herbs are fragile – handle gently to avoid bruising • Get the herbs out of the field as soon as possible, so they are not collecting field heat in a bin or pile • Check in with your buyers • What exactly are they looking for in parts harvested ie: top 6-8in of Skullcap in early flower, little seed Tools of the Trade • Tractor with 3 point hitch & loader bucket • Bedder, Tiller, Plastic Layer, Bushhog Mower, Weed Wacker • Small clippers, Pruners, Hedge Shears • Chamomile Rake • Tarps • Small serrated harvest knife from Johnny’s - Sickle bar Mower, Mechanized Herb Harvester • Plastic lifter, Potato digger for Roots • Garble Screens - Garble Machines - Hammermill Pricing & Profitability • Fresh vs. Dried 1lb. Nettles FRESH $18 - DRIED $45 Dry down ratio 5:1 (garbled – taken off stem) Harvest -> Bagged for sale takes ½ hr per lb. (by hand) Dried sales – making $22.50/hr just for harvest -> sale • Retail vs. Wholesale • Retail - Higher profit, less demand • Wholesale - More demand, lower profit • Mechanized vs. Hand Harvest/Process • Track your working hours - are you making a profit? Pests, Diseases, Weeds • Japanese beetles • Root knot nematodes • Sclerotinia, Root rot fungus • Blights / Rust / Fungal disease • Mints (Aerial blight - Rhizoctonia sp./spp.) • Lemon balm • Asters Yellow – Aster family • Mulching pathways to avoid weed wacking spray on plants • Growing perennials as annuals Choosing Herbs to Grow • Considerations -Suitable for your climate/soil -What market are you appealing to -Supply & Demands in those markets -Labor of love or profit • Talk to prospective buyers -What herbs do they use regularly -What herbs are hard to find -What herbs do they want Herbs grown at Maple Spring Gardens Anise Hyssop Arnica Catnip Calendula Blue Vervain Coltsfoot Chamomile (German) Burdock Horseradish Chrysanthemum California Poppy Lemongrass* Echinacea Purpurea Clary Sage Lemon Verbena Gotu Kola* Comfrey leaf Marshmallow Lemon Balm Dandelion Root Motherwort* Milky Oats Elecampane Root Plantain Peppermint Elder Flower/Berry Rose Geranium* Red Clover Ginger* Skullcap Hibiscus* Spearmint Lavender* Stinging Nettles* Raspberry Leaf Tulsi (Kapoor & Turmeric* Krishna) Yarrow A Few High Demand Herbs for Field Production • Calendula: Calendula officinalis – annual, full sun, flowers, fresh/dry • Cannabis (CBD)*: Cannabis spp – annual, full sun, flowers/leaf, dry • Chamomile (German): Matricaria recutita – annual, full sun, flowers, fresh/dry • Echinacea Purpurea: Echinacea purpurea – full sun, 2-3yr root, leaf/flowers, fresh/dry • Elderberry: Sambucus nigra/canadensis – spreading perennial, full/part sun, flower/berry • Lemon Balm: Melissa officinalis – perennial, spreads by seed, full sun, aerial parts, fresh/dry • Milky Oats: Avena sativa – annual/cover crop, full sun, milky tops, fresh/dry • Oat Straw: Avena sativa – annual/cover crop, full sun, green stalk, dry • Peppermint: Mentha x piperita – spreading perennial, full/part sun, aerial parts, mostly dry • Red Clover: Trifolium pretense – perennial/cover crop, full sun, flower, fresh/dry • Skullcap: Scutellaria lateriflora – perennial, full/part sun, aerial parts, mostly fresh • Spearmint: Mentha spicata – spreading perennial, full/part sun, aerial parts, mostly dry • Stinging Nettles*: Urtica dioica – spreading perennial, part shade, aerial parts, fresh/dry • St John’s Wort: Hypericum perforatum – perennial, full sun, flowering tops, mostly fresh • Tulsi (many varieties): Ocimum spp – annual, full sun, flowering tops, fresh/dry Helpful Hints • Work with farmers of different scale operations • Research & visit facilities before building • Keep track of everything -Planting schedules -Harvest yields -Time spent per crop from seeding to sale -Drying Room data • Start small and grow into it! Resources • Cultivation Guidebooks • The Medicinal Herb Grower, Richo Cech – Strictly Medicinal • The Organic Medicinal Herb Farm – Jeff & Melanie Carpenter • Life in the Medicine – Leslie Gardner • The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm – Peg Schafer • Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and other Woodland Medicinals – Jeanine Davis & W. Scott Persons • Seeds and other information • Strictly Medicinal Seeds – Oregon – seeds, propagation details • Richters – Canada – seeds, propagation details • Johnny’s Selected Seeds • Sow True Seeds – North Carolina – seeds.