A: Most of the ginseng grown in B.C. is exported to buyers based in Hong Kong or China. Some is bought for resale in Chinese herbal shops found in the Chinatowns of larger North American cities such as Vancouver, Toronto and San Francisco. In addition, the following grower and associate members of TAGG have B.C.-grown ginseng for retail sale.
NAME
ADDRESS
CONTACT
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
B&B Ginseng
5495 Learmouth Rd, Coldstream, BC
250-457-7117
whole root
Chai-Na-Ta Corp
100 – 11300 No. 5 Rd, Richmond, BC
604-272-4118
800 406-7668
whole and graded root, ginseng slices, tea, capsules
Cresta Ginseng Ltd
5639 Learmouth Rd, Coldstream, BC
250-545-3437
powdered ginseng capsules
Fairwind Gardens
PO Box 126, Trans-Canada Hwy, Pritchard, BC
250-577-3466
fresh root and graded and ungraded whole dried root
Q: What form of ginseng is the healthiest to take?
A: Ginseng is available in health food stores as teas, capsules, tinctures (alcohol-based mixtures), beverages, chewing gum and candy. In Chinese herbal shops it is available as whole dried root. Consumers should be aware of the difference between “ginseng extracts” and “whole ginseng root”. Extraction of ginseng involves removing the compounds in the root that are soluble in the liquid used in the extraction process, usually hot water or a water/alcohol mix. The extract will primarily contain ginsenosides, compounds that are sometimes called the “active ingredients” in ginseng root. Some researchers into the pharmaceutical aspects of ginseng prefer to call the ginsenosides “marker compounds”, indicating that there are other compounds contained in the root that have health-promoting properties, other than the ginsenosides. In order to receive all the health benefits of ginseng, it may be beneficial to consume a product containing whole root, rather than an extract. Whole root can be found in teas and capsules. Buy ginseng products from a trustworthy supplier that you recognize. For more information on the quality of retail ginseng products, see Volume 52 (2001) of HerbalGram, the publication of the American Botanical Council.
The shadecloth panels have alternating light and dark bands, allowing the correct amount of sunlight onto the plants.
Q: Why is ginseng grown under black tarps?
A: Ginseng is adapted to growing as an understory plant in the hardwood forests of eastern North America. It can therefore not withstand direct sunlight. When the shade structure is damaged by a windstorm and the ginseng is exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves are damaged and turn a pale yellow colour in less than a day. The shadecloth used in the industry is a woven polypropylene fabric. The black colour comes from UV stabilizers that are added to the polypropylene to give it long life.
Q:Is the ginseng grown in B.C. imported from the Far East?
A: The ginseng grown in B.C. is Panax quinquefolius, a species that is native to North America. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the North American First Nations used ginseng as a medicinal plant. The first record of European awareness of ginseng is by the Jesuit priest Father Lafitau near Montreal in 1716. For a time, ginseng was second only to furs in terms of export value from Canada.
Q: Does ginseng production leave the soil depleted and unable to grow other crops?
A: This is a myth that probably has its origins in the fact that there is some evidence of a replant problem with ginseng. That is to say, when ginseng is planted for a second time on the same piece of ground, some growers have recorded substantial crop failures. The reason for this is often assumed to be that the first crop of ginseng depleted one or more nutrients from the soil, leaving it unsuitable for future crops of ginseng or anything else. Ginseng is in fact a light user of soil nutrients and does not require any nutrients that other crops do not. Recent research has indicated that the actual cause of the replant syndrome is the build-up of a soil-borne plant disease that has few hosts other than ginseng. The experience of B.C. growers further indicates that replant syndrome is much less common in B.C. compared to the other growing regions. In both B.C. and Ontario, crops of alfalfa, vegetables and grain do very well following ginseng because of the organic matter added to the soil by the straw mulch and the balancing of soil nutrient status that ginseng growers typically are careful to do.
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