Schumacher Ginseng LLC
Producing The "World's Finest Wisconsin
Ginseng"
1-800-269-3195
A Tour Of Schumacher Ginseng's Operation
The process of producing the highest quality ginseng at Schumacher Ginseng
begins many years prior to the final product being packaged and shipped to
our customers. Five years before the roots will be harvested from a
patch of land the first
Once the land has been worked for one or two years the mineral rich soil
is ready to support the highly treasured crop of Wisconsin ginseng. Posts
are set in the ground to support the shade structure that will eventually
be erected to protect the seedling plants that will emerge the following
spring. Beds are then plowed and the ginseng seed is planted. A
layer of straw is spread over the seed beds to protect the very delicate
ginseng seeds from the heat of the sun and wind which can cause the seeds
to dry out. The garden is then ready to withstand the first of its
Wisconsin winters.
The second year will once again see the plants emerge about the middle of
May as the temperatures begin to climb into the upper 60's and lower 70's.
As the plants grow and become older the risk of disease and other problems
related to producing a high quality ginseng root increases. Constant
care and scouting of the gardens is of the utmost importance.
The fourth year will see the ginseng plants continue to grow as we work to
maintain a healthy garden. Beginning in October the garden will be "torn
down" (the shade structure removed) and the remaining straw and foilage will
be scraped from the field. We will then go through and harvest the
roots. Once the roots have been harvested they are placed in boxes
and will go into a refrigerated building for 2 weeks. During this cooling
process the percentage of sugars and starches in the roots will change the
same as would occur in the ground as the ground cools and the winter sets
in. These changes produce a root that is more wrinkled and the inside
is very white and "chalky". This allows for a root that is much easier
to slice and use by the
consumer.
The roots are then removed from the cooler and washed and placed in a kiln
dryer where the humidity and temperature are precisely controlled to produce
the "perfect dry". The drying process takes about 10 to 14 days depending
on the size of the roots. Once the roots are dry they go through a
quality inspection process to remove any dirt or damaged roots. From
there they are packaged and shipped to our many customers throughout the
United States. The conclusion to many years of work and worrying to
produce the highest quality product for our very treasured customers.
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