Market for Wild Goldenrod and Burdock?
Answered by: Richard Alan Miller
Question from: Brenda
Posted on: August 11, 2003

Over the weekend a neighbor of ours was visiting our farm and he suggested that you may purchase such products as golden rod, burdock etc. that we have growing over our 200 acres. This is NOT a crop for us, but is surrounding our area of the farm.

He, himself, is getting into the herb growing business and so noticed an abundance of golden rod in our fields that are for pasture and lots of burdock plants. He thought that you buy these by the pound at a reasonable price and we would be more interested in learning about this. Would you please advise and give us details on the above.

Golden rod? Must be living on the eastern seaboard? Not much market for Golden rod these days, except as a possible dried floral. Visit my website page http://www.nwbotanicals.org/oak/altagri/floraltrade.htm and then form questions on how and where you might begin.

I could absolutely market both fresh and dried Burdock root now. Which variety? I need Latin genus, species, nomenclature and a sample to show 5 markets. My address is given below. I am NOT a buyer, but a broker, and never take possession of the crop. You would ship directly to the buyer, subject to sample approval.

I am bonded, so you both trust me as the third party who handles the money (as a trust account). Hope that makes sense? I take 10% for handling and completing sales. I’m considered "reasonable," in that I handle on farm-gate quantities, and have been doing this for more than 28 years. No one has "run me out of Dodge" yet. <grin>

And, I would strongly recommend you reading some of the works at my website. Richters carries all of my present books on the subject, to include "The Potential of Herbs As A Cash Crop" and "Native Plants of Commercial Importance." Also see www.herbfarminfo.com, and look for my new book "Forest Farming" (in press).

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