Washington Organic Ginseng Costs and Returns
Budget prepared by Roger Sego, Sego Herb Farm
4820 NE 306th Circle,
La Center, WA 98629
360-263-7747, cell phone: 503/ 819-8934
e-mail: president@nwginseng.org
Web page: www.segoherbfarm.com
This enterprise budget represents the findings of one very successful producer (and broker). It represents the costs and returns for an experienced producer.
| Category | Fall seeding total |
Year 1 (1st leaf) total |
Year 2 (2nd leaf) total |
Year 3 (3rd leaf) total |
Year 4 (Harvest) total |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||||||
| Seed sales at $32/lb | - | - | - | $3,200 ($32/lb at 100 lbs/ac) |
$9,600 ($32/lb. at 300 lbs./ac.) |
$12,800 | |
| Fresh root sales at $20.00/lb and yields of 5,000/lbs fresh root per acre |
- | - | - | - | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Total crop income | $112,800 | ||||||
| Operating expenses | |||||||
| Gas and lube | $50 | $100 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $525 | |
| Soil preparation | |||||||
| Dopril and gypsum | $1,150 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $1,950 | |
| Compost tea | - | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $1,000 | |
| Humosol/kelp | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $250 | |
| Microizal innoculant | $125 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $1,125 | |
| Wettable powder | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $625 | |
| Misc. soil prep | - | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $100 | |
| BioOregon 9-3-5 fertilizer | - | $260 | $260 | $260 | - | $780 | |
| Boron | - | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $100 | |
| Shade and Mulch | |||||||
| Trellis posts, 200/ac. | $1,000 | - | - | - | - | $1,000 | |
| Cable, 7,000' plus hardware | $500 | - | - | - | - | $500 | |
| Shade cloth | - | $8,712 ($.20/sq.ft.) | - | - | - | $8,712 | |
| Misc. hardware | $250 | - | - | - | - | $250 | |
| Mulch, at 60 cubic yards/acre | $500 | $500 | $300 | - | - | $1,300 | |
| Seed costs: 100 lbs./acre at $$32/lb. | $3,200 | - | - | - | - | $3,200 | |
| Rentals | $200 | - | - | - | - | $200 | |
| Labor costs: put up posts, and weeding | $400 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,800 | $7,000 | |
| Repairs to equipment | $240 | $400 | $450 | $450 | $650 | $2,190 | |
| Harvesting | |||||||
| Seed harvest | - | - | - | $200 | $504 | $704 | |
| Seed cleaning and stratification |
- | - | - | $50 | $150 | $200 | |
| Digging root, remove it from the field | - | - | - | - | $1,500 | $1,500 | |
| Dryer operation (however, not all root makes fresh grade) | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Remove root from dryer and load drums | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Harvesting and drying costs | - | - | - | - | >- | - | |
| Total operating costs | $7,790 | $12,497 | $3,660 | $3,610 | $5,654 | $33,211 | |
| Gross margin | $79,589 | ||||||
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