Praise for The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer
Jeff and Melanie Carpenter give me hope for the future of herb farming. In this book, they generously share very useful experience-based information and lessons learned, which will help young prospective herb farmers to avoid pitfalls and plan for an economically viable and appropriately scaled operation for sustainable production. Read this book before you start up!
JOSEF BRINCKMANN, vice president of sustainability, Traditional Medicinals
Finally, a book to recommend to the increasing number of organic farmers who are looking to grow medicinal herb crops. This inspiring handbook provides the quality and depth of information that only comes from years of first-hand experience. Having begun our own herb-growing and herbal-product manufacture thirty-five years ago, I am completely impressed with the comprehensive breadth of topics and business wisdom that the Carpenters have so generously shared.
SARA KATZ, cofounder, Herb Pharm, and board president, United Plant Savers
Bullseye! Jeff and Melanie Carpenter nail it in addressing the needs of todays medicinal herb grower. In a friendly, easy-to-read style, the information in The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer is straightforward and comprehensive, benefitting beginning and experienced farmers alike.
RICHARD WISWALL, author, The Organic Farmers Business Handbook
With this beautiful and informative book, Jeff and Melanie Carpenter share the knowledge they have gathered as they have realized their vision over the last fifteen years on their 10-acre farm in Vermont. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer serves as a training manual to support U.S. domestic production of high-quality medicinal herbs. A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who growsor wants to growmedicinal plants.
MICHAEL MCGUFFIN, president, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
Many of the medicinal herbs used in the herbal industry are still imported, even though we have ideal conditions as landowners and farmers to fulfill the growing demand. United Plant Savers motto, conservation through cultivation, is a way in which we can take demand off of wild harvested native medicinals, and also stimulate regional sources for a dynamic and growing market. This book could not be more timely. We need domestic herb farmers not only to supply a growing demand for herbal medicine but also as a critical component to ensuring an abundant supply of American medicinal plants for generations to come.
SUSAN LEOPOLD, executive director, United Plant Savers
The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer rocks with practical insights for growing healing herbs and making a viable living. Locally grown medicine will be embraced by local food movements as more community herbalists get the word out. The Health Care Marketplace we actually need today consists of more hard-working farm couples like Jeff and Mel Carpenter.
MICHAEL PHILLIPS, author, The Holistic Orchard
I highly recommend The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer to all new and experienced growers of Western medicinal herbs. If you are an aspiring herb farmer, this is your book!
PEG SCHAFER, author, The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm
Drawing on their fifteen years of experience growing medicinal herbs commercially, Jeff and Melanie Carpenter have written the most comprehensive book available on growing, harvesting, drying, packaging, and selling medicinal herbs. Beginning farmers will find this book particularly useful with its detailed instructions on all aspects of herb farming, including field-site selection, cultural practices, tools, equipment, and business planning.
JEANINE DAVIS, PhD, associate professor and extension specialist, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University
Seasoned and novice growers alike will find a mother lode of information and wisdom packed into this gem of a book! Anyone interested in growing or using medicinal herbs will reap the benefits of Jeff and Mels meticulous research and hard-won expertise in the field and marketplace. These savvy business people are stellar models of earth stewards making a right livelihood on the land. Reading The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer will greatly help you along the same path!
NANCY PHILLIPS, author, The Herbalists Way
The Organic
Medicinal Herb Farmer
The Ultimate Guide to Producing High-Quality Herbs on a Market Scale
Jeff Carpenter with Melanie Carpenter
Foreword by Rosemary Gladstar
![Chelsea Green Publishing White River Junction Vermont Copyright 2015 by Jeff - photo 2](/uploads/posts/book/86260/Images/f001.jpg)
Chelsea Green Publishing
White River Junction, Vermont
Copyright 2015 by Jeff and Melanie Carpenter.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, all photographs copyright 2015 by Jeff and Melanie Carpenter.
Figure 5-07 is reprinted from The Organic Farmers Business Handbook, copyright 2009 by Richard Wiswall, with permission from Chelsea Green Publishing (www.chelseagreen.com).
Let it Grow, words by John Barlow, music by Bob Weir, copyright 1973 by Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright renewed. All rights administered by Universal Music Corp. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
Note to the reader: This book is intended to provide educational information to the reader on the covered subject. It is not intended to take the place of personalized medical counseling, diagnosis, and treatment from a trained health professional.
Project Manager: Patricia Stone
Developmental Editor: Makenna Goodman
Copy Editor: Eileen M. Clawson
Proofreader: Eric Raetz
Indexer: Linda Hallinger
Designer: Melissa Jacobson
Printed in the United States of America.
First printing April, 2015
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 16 17 18 19
Our Commitment to Green Publishing
Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the worlds endangered forests and conserve natural resources. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer was printed on paper supplied by QuadGraphics that contains at least 10% postconsumer recycled fiber.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Carpenter, Jeff, 1969 author.
The organic medicinal herb farmer : the ultimate guide to producing high-quality herbs on a market scale / Jeff Carpenter with Melanie Carpenter ; foreword by Rosemary Gladstar.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60358-573-6 (pbk.)ISBN 978-1-60358-574-3 (ebook) 1. Herb farming. 2. HerbsOrganic farming. 3. HerbsTherapeutic use. 4. HerbsMarketing. I. Carpenter, Melanie, author. II. Title. III. Title: Ultimate guide to producing high-quality herbs on a market scale.
SB351.H5C295 2015