An Agricultural Revolution: Growing Medicinal Herbs

Despite numerous challenges, there are many ways growers can find success working with healing plants. When we look at the way these plants grow naturally, unassisted by humans, we see incredible diversity in the landscape. In the high meadow on the hill above our farm, for example, the land has been fallow for years. The dairy farm that previously occupied the land is but a skeletal remnant of its former self, the farmer having sold the land for a development that has fortunately failed to materialize. The old pasture is being reclaimed by the so-called “pioneer species,” the plants and trees that are the first to occupy the niche left open after the cows came home one last time. The brambles were first, their tenacious thorns establishing a natural barbed-wire fence to protect the new residents of this piece of earth. Growing in and among the woody brambles are a dozen or more species of herbaceous plants, fungi, grasses, ferns, and legumes. The trees are starting to stand up proud in the meadow. Now we see what an amazing job the birds, deer, and other winged and four-legged creatures have done in “seeding” this meadow. Wild apple, hawthorn, pine, pin cherry, quaking aspen trees, and other newcomers are establishing the foundation for what will eventually become first an arboreal softwood forest. When these short- lived softwoods die off and their decaying bodies contribute to the humus layer, the hardwoods, such as sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch will dominate and eventually grow to a magnificent climax forest. Underneath all of this, we see the thin layer of humus just starting to form. Next, we come into the topsoil, which is just starting to regain the delicate biological balance it had before it was dis- turbed. It is playing host to a thriving community of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and invertebrates. The soil is thin up here on this hardscrabble Vermont hillside, but it was much thicker before humans first broke ground and will, we hope, return again someday to its former glory, but only if the housing development doesn’t materialize.

Diversity is one of the most important factors in a healthy ecosystem. At ZWHF we grow more than fifty different species of medicinal herbs. Although we plant most of these species separately to ease in cultivation and harvest, there is still an incredible amount of diversity within small tracts of land. We plant beds with multiple rows of plants, and within these beds, when possible, we plant several different species side by side to attempt to maintain the eco- logical balance and diversity that we found here on this land before we farmed it.

We also employ permaculture methods whenever possible by growing primarily perennial crops. A vast majority of the medicinal herb species commonly grown and used today are perennials. This gives herb farmers a great benefit in comparison to many other commercial crops such as vegetables and grains that need to be replanted each year. Here on our farm we generally get three to five seasons or more of growth and harvest from these perennial crops before the plants’ vigor wanes, the weed pres- sure builds, and the plants “show us” that they are getting tired. After we till the old beds in, we often replace them with “green manures” or cover crops consisting of a nitrogen-fixing legume combined with a biomass-producing annual. We also apply compost and mineral powders at planting time and as needed to feed our soil. This semipermanent system reduces labor and materials costs dramatically and allows the soil to maintain a healthy, static balance rather than being tilled every year. This is polyculture, not monoculture. We are simply attempting to imitate nature on a smaller scale, and in so doing, we are maintaining the balance of a healthy and diverse ecosystem while simultaneously maximizing profits.

Lower Pest and Disease Susceptibility

If you ask most farmers to name the biggest challenges in growing their crops profitably, they are almost certain to list pest and disease issues. There are reasons these challenges are so common on farms and in gardens. Instead of hurling wrathful curses and chemicals at these culprits, perhaps we should step back and take a look in the proverbial mirror. Virtually all species of food, fiber, and fuel plants that are grown and used today came to us from plant breeding. These plants have been cross-bred by humans for thousands of years to produce new varieties with desirable traits and characteristics. For example, a flavorful and disease-resistant but relatively low-yielding tomato is crossed with a bland-tasting, high-yielding tomato, with the end goal being to improve upon the flavor, yield, and disease resistance of a single variety. Other species of plants are genetically modified by adding specific genes into a plant in an attempt to “improve” it.

Plant breeding has certainly held an important role in improving plants to clothe, fuel, feed, and shelter us, but it has come at a cost. Whether it be through classical breeding or genetic modification, many of the varieties of plants that have emerged from this technology have suffered from weaknesses such as pest- and disease-damage susceptibility and possibly even declining nutritional value.

High pest and disease susceptibility are often the bane of the commodity and veggie farmer but fortunately rarely challenge the medicinal herb farmer who employs polycultural methods. Over 90 percent of the plants commonly used for medicinal purposes are cultivated, domesticated versions of wild plants. These domesticated plants are still relatively indis- tinguishable from their wild counterparts. However, oftentimes, through what is known as selection, these species of plants have been “improved” upon. Selection can be natural or unnatural.

Fortunately for medicinal herb growers, almost all of the plants we cultivate have been altered little, if at all, from their wild ancestors, and as a result the incidence of pests and disease problems is relatively low. These plants have evolved over tens of thousands of years to be naturally resistant to these threats. In fact, many of the medicinals we grow, such as yar- row (Achillea millefolium), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), and angelica (Angelica officinalis) are known as “insectaries,” plants that attract beneficial predatory insects that parasitize and prey on malevolent insects. Thus, they are incredibly effective at maintaining the balance of beneficial and potentially harmful insects in the landscape, farm, and garden.

We see very little disease or injurious insect pressure on our farm; therefore, we don’t need to rely on pesticides or fungicides. These treatments can be costly, not only to the farmer’s bottom line but also to the farmer’s health, as well as the health of beneficial pollinating and predatory insects and the surrounding environment. The reasons for lower insect and disease pressure on polycultural herb farms are relatively simple: diversification, thoughtful planting of insectaries, and growing of “wild” plant species. This all adds up to a healthier, more profitable enterprise. It allows us to focus on growing healthy plants while maintaining diversity in our landscape. It is a win- win situation for the humans, the plants, and the insects and other creatures that dwell on this land and its air and water.

Dehydration Reduces Perishability

Perishability is another challenge that many “conventional” farmers face. Whether it be milk, vegetables, flowers, fruit, meat, or even some grains, it often comes down to a race against time to get the food into customers’ kitchens before the bacteria and fungi come in and spoil the party.

A majority of the bulk medicinal herbs produced and utilized for the manufacture of herbal products and teas are dehydrated. This process requires that shortly after harvest the fresh herbs be brought to a drying facility, where they spend a period of time having their moisture removed. Directly from there, they are processed and packaged. Once packaged, as long as they are stored in cool, dark, airtight contain- ers, they can be warehoused for a year or more, as is the case with leaf crops and blossoms. Root crops can be stored much longer in general, often three years or more. After this period of time a very gradual decline in quality takes place due to oxidation. This lengthy shelf life gives the herb grower ample time to make the sale and deliver the product. It gives the herbal product manufacturer time to make the herbal product without having to refrigerate or freeze the bulk herbs while in transit and storage. For the herb grower this lengthy shelf life helps extend inventories for year-round retail sales.

Another benefit to dehydration is the amount of water weight that is removed from the product, saving on physical labor, shipping costs, and sore backs.

The Savvy Consumer

The typical herbal product consumer is relatively well-educated and knowledgeable about uses for specific herbs and is most likely more concerned about high quality than about affordability when it comes to purchasing bulk herbs or herbal products. In general, these educated consumers want their products to be free from harmful chemicals, certified organic when available, and sourced as locally as possible. They want to have a relationship with the company or farm they are supporting. Herbal product retailers are often very knowledgeable about the products they sell and play an important role in guiding consumer choices. People are becoming more aware of and concerned about what they are putting into their bodies.

For years we trusted our government to ensure the safety of our food and drugs through such agencies as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We also trusted pharmaceutical companies to produce medicines for us that were well researched, well manufactured, well tested, and proven safe. All this has changed in a relatively short period of time. We see the recalls and hear the horror stories, and heck, if we haven’t fallen victim to the negative side effects of these products ourselves, we definitely know people who have become ill or worse from putting something in their bodies that they thought had been tested and proven to be safe. As far as pharmaceutical drugs go, that can also be a roll of the proverbial dice. When the list of possible side effects sounds worse than the original symptoms, you have to ask yourself if it is worth the risk.

For years we have trusted the herbal products industry to provide us with safe herbal products. We never really had much reason to doubt that what was stated on the product label was accurate and that what was in the bottle was safe and effective. This too changed dramatically as examples of adulteration of ingredients used in herbal products have come to light.

In response to product adulteration and many other concerns, in 1994 the federal government initiated the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or DSHEA. This act defines dietary supplements (including herbal products) as food, not drugs. This saves manufacturers from having to weather the FDA’s drug approval process that can cost many millions of dollars for a single product approval. However, this process has been challenging for small herbal product manufacturers, who are facing the high costs associated with becoming compliant. DSHEA mandates that supplement manufacturers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), as established by the FDA. Another requirement is that product labels be “truthful and not misleading” and state the name and quantity of all active ingredients.

While many companies were doing this long before DSHEA and GMPs, not all were, and that was often problematic. Some in the industry were more focused on profit than quality and safety. Consumers often lacked confidence that the products they were buying were produced with high-quality botanicals and were efficacious. The DSHEA, and specifically the GMPs, rapidly changed the way herbal product manufacturers do business. This may actually benefit the herb farmer in two ways. First, it could help to open possible markets that were not there before. Companies will need to look for growers that can meet these new standards. The new regulations place strict guidelines on producers to test the purity, identity, and safety of ingredients contained in their products and to provide accurate documentation of these tests.

While these new regulations are anything but a panacea for the herbal product manufacturer, they may benefit the herb farmer in a second way by helping to restore consumer confidence in the herbal marketplace; consumers will increasingly trust that they are getting what they pay for and that it will be potentially beneficial to their health, not harmful. This can help to pave the way for success in an industry where forming relationships and trust with customers generally pays dividends through brand loyalty.

Profitability and Markets

As with most crops grown for the marketplace, the relationship between supply and demand is one of the primary factors in determining profitability. We have seen what the consequences can be when the latest, greatest herb hits the market. Demand soars, and growers jump on the bandwagon to try to get in on the action. Planting large acreages according to market hype can be a recipe for disaster because of the high probability of the market’s being flooded by other like-minded zealots. Growers who attempt to “read the tea leaves” and plant large acreages purely according to speculation also do so at a significant risk.

The market for raw bulk botanicals is now, and probably always will be, volatile. When people ask us how we can afford to do business in such a volatile marketplace, we tell them, “We try to grow for sales instead of speculation, and we diversify.” Yes, there is certainly speculation involved in guessing how much of what to grow, but making “educated” guesses has been the key to our success. Almost every seed we plant in the spring of a given year is planted according to what we are already in contract to provide on the wholesale end or is based on careful analysis of projected sales on the retail end. Every year we can count on at least one crop failure or deal breaker, but with so many species in the rotation we hedge our bets against the inevitables and unforeseens.

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