About The Ginseng Board
Of Wisconsin
The Board
The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin (GBW) was established in 1986 as a nonprofit organization representing all Wisconsin Ginseng growers. There are approximately 200 Ginseng growers in the state. The GBW is funded through a mandatory assessment on dry Ginseng root and seed sold.
The GBW is managed by an elected board of seven Ginseng producers. The board functions under a marketing order managed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection.
Trademark
The GBW is the originator and owner of the Wisconsin Ginseng Seal®. This trademark was developed in 1991 to protect the integrity of Wisconsin Ginseng products.
The Wisconsin Ginseng Seal® provides consumers with a simple, convenient method of identifying authentic Wisconsin Ginseng at the point of purchase. Packaged products bearing the official Wisconsin Seal® must contain 100 percent pure Wisconsin Ginseng, grown and harvested in Wisconsin.
History
American Ginseng has been cultivated in Wisconsin, U.S., for more than 100 years, dating back to the 1800s.
Today, Wisconsin Ginseng farmers account for 95 percent of the total cultivated ginseng production of the United States.
During World War II, the Fromm Brothers of Hamburg, Wisconsin were the first Wisconsin farmers to grow cultivated ginseng. They used this profitable crop to fund their fur business. Since that time, central Wisconsin has been the center of the United States cultivated ginseng trade.
