Goldenseal, Processing and Value-Added Product Development Phase II

Goldenseal is one of the most popular medicinal herbs in the country. Since the overwhelming majority of the raw goldenseal on the market today is wild harvested, this popularity has led to over collection from its native habitat to the point of being declared threatened or endangered in many areas by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This situation has created an opportunity for quality minded small farmers to increase farm profitability and efficiency through the utilization of idle forest land to produce a high value crop. This project goes a step beyond cultivation and will develop optimal on-farm processing and storage techniques for the individual farmer plus an extremely well characterized liquid goldenseal product which will be eventually produced and marketed on a cooperative basis through a range of outlets including health care professionals, the internet, and dietary supplement and health food stores among others. Economic and social benefits of this project include increased income and financial stability for a group of small farmers, a more reliable product for industry and consumers, plus a reduction in the need for the wild collection of goldenseal.