By Carolina Norman An author and historian who traveled across Appalachia examining business records of pharmaceutical companies, mountain entrepreneurs and country stores, Luke Manget’s book, “Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia,” unearths the complex and…
Appalachia’s forest are home to a stunning array of medicinal plants. A movement called forest farming is emerging to grow these plants in private forestland to decrease strains on plant populations and strengthen the market for the region’s botanicals.
Advocates for sustainably grown ginseng hope a new certification helps to curb over-harvesting and poaching of this valuable medicinal plant.
Wood thrushes — and their appetite for bright-red ginseng berries — are helping the plant spread its range further north.
