Medicinal herbs may be the cure for profitability problems faced by Otsego County farmers.

Barry Graham, owner of Graham Development in Oneonta, produces a line of medicinal herbs called Scientific Herbals. According to Graham, many of the herbs, such as valerian, feverfew, echinacea, astragulas and ginseng can be grown locally. He is hoping that more farmers will become aware of the possibility for profit and grow herbal crops.

Keven Hodne, Director of the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE), is navigating his way through the third year of a five year strategic plan to develop a medicinal plant industry in Central New York.

The goals of the program are to increase profitability to farmers through diversification and direct marketing, to establish related agricultural enterprises, such as a commercial organic greenhouse, and to create jobs and aid in the overall improvement of the local rural community.

An outline of this year's plan, written by Hodne, states that there will be five varieties of medicinal plants grown by twelve farmers on six acres of land. This doubles last year's three acres of growing space and is funded largely through the Grow New York Grant Project, an outreach program of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. This year, CADE applied for $50,000. Hodne is hoping to apply the funds towards further development of the herb project.

Plans also include the creation of an organic greenhouse. Hodne said that currently there are no such facility in Otsego County, and since the "medicinal herb industry is increasingly dependent upon organically certified suppliers," the establishment of such a greenhouse would be a tremendous business opportunity.

Graham said that the initiative to grow herbs locally was started by his company, not necessarily for use by Graham Development, Inc., but rather because the land is usable for the purpose and Graham saw an opportunity for local farmers.

"We'd eventually like to be able to use these herbs," said Graham, who buys his stock almost exclusively from overseas. "Since most of the herbs are grown in other continents," Graham said, "the people who become experts in New York State will become world authorities in this field."

Growing herbs is not as easy as having the right climate or land. It is crucial to dry them immediately following the harvest. If this is not done properly, the loss of the crop could result. Mt. Vision farmer Wilber Allen leases his barn as a drying facility. Many of the farmers involved with the CADE program have been utilizing this opportunity, given the volume of space needed for drying and the costs of building a facility.

Hodne said that the average age of the Otsego County farmer has climbed to 57, owing to the decline of farming since World War II and the fact that milk prices have remained the same as they were in the late 1970's. The boom in the medicinal herb field translates into great possibilities for local farmers.

Sheri Egeressy, an Otsego County grower, said that she has participated marginally in her father David's herb growing.

"It's been a very successful venture," she said. "He's been doing it for three years, gaining knowledge. It's at the stage now where every grower has their own crop."

Tracy Snyder, consultant for the medicinal herb project at CADE, said that the process is not for the garden grower. "At least a half acre of land is necessary for growing," Snyder said. "It's a lot to learn, and we've been learning so much. Now we're reaching a point where we need increased marketing capabilities. It's important that people know that the growers have worked really hard, and even though they've only gained knowledge up to this point, they're still really excited."

The first two years of CADE's project has yielded some helpful information with regard to increasing profitability. It has been determined that greater reliance on machine planting methods is necessary, and that gardening-style weed control is not profitable. Tests done during the past two growing seasons demonstrated that local growers easily meet and exceed rigorous industry standards. The significance of collaboration between farmers is clear, as market viability is only achieved with sufficient quantities of product.

Echinacea, the largest selling medicinal herb root in the United States, can pull in $30,000 to $50,000 dollars per acre for root and leaf that is harvested, dried and meets organic and potency standards. However, according to CADE's trial projects, it can cost up to $30,000 to produce an acre of echinacea, which is used as an immunostimulant for colds, upper respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. It can also be used, according to Graham's assessment, as a topical application for skin wounds.

Graham has compiled data on scores of herbs from sources all over the world. All of his data and bibliography source-lists are followed by a statement, with which herb aficionados have grown familiar: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Astragalus has been reported to support the immune function as well as being useful with chemotherapy and radiation. It has been shown to improve disease resistance and tissue oxygenation, strengthen the muscle tone of the gastrointestinal tract and stimulate memory improvement. In addition to these other properties asserted in Graham's sources, astragalus has been known to increase cardiac output in patients with angina pectoris and to relieve chest distress and dypsnea associated with heart failure.

Feverfew is used mainly for the prevention of migraine headaches and as an anti-inflammatory in rheumatoid arthritis. It is also claimed to be useful for treatment of psoriasis, toothache, insect bites, asthma, stomach ache and menstrual problems. Feverfew, Graham said, has been claimed to relax uterine smooth muscle and therefore should be avoided during pregnancy. Valerian has a sedative effect on the central nervous system, as well as inducing smooth muscle relaxation in the gastrointestinal tract. Astragalus is useful in strengthening the immune system.

His statements about the uses of medicinal herbs is followed by another disclaimer: Graham Development, Inc. cannot be held responsible for the validity of the information contained in any reference noted herein or for the misuse of information or any adverse effects by use of any stated materials presented. But still, Graham said, he has seen the effects of herbs firsthand.

"Medicinal herbs have effectively been used to treat ailments for thousands of years," Graham said.

By year five of the project, Hodne hopes to have eighteen farmers cultivating sixteen acres of a minimum seven species of herbs. He stressed that CADE is a very small organization and works only on projects that contain inherent opportunities for the advancement of local farmers and the economy.

"One thing I can say is that farmers need to gang together for this. They're not going to get very far individually," Graham said.

One of CADE's goals is to help farmers form an alliance as this fledgling project takes shape.