"North by East" piece about Mike Dublois, of Mexico, who is attempting to intere

Source

Down East

Date

2-1-1997

Pages

36-37

Abstract

"North by East" piece about Mike Dublois, of Mexico, who is attempting to interest Maine farmers in growing ginseng, a long-forgotten Maine root crop that is used worldwide in folk medicines. Dublois' Umbagog Trading Company is using Canadian grown ginseng in syrups, capsules, candy, and tinctures, and demand is outstripping supply. Last year, at least twenty farmers who share Dublois interest in the plant planted ginseng plots throughout the western Maine foothills. Nineteenth-century Maine ship captains once carried Maine ginseng to the Orient, confident they could turn a profit when they reached Hong Kong and Shanghai. By the 1930s Maine's ginseng had been harvest almost to extinction. Ginseng planted under the natural shade of hardwood stands can bring more than $200 a point. Dublois believes about fifty acres of ginseng have been planted to date, and that ginseng will develop into a thriving industry. The plant requires four to six years to reach maturity.

Subjects

Ginseng, Umbagog Trading Company, Dublois, Mike

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