Thursday Marks The First Day of Ginseng Season

Ginseng diggers are heading to West Virginia’s forests as the season for harvesting opens. The season started Thursday and runs through Nov. 30. The state Department of Commerce says that by law, only ginseng plants with three or more prongs are old enough to harvest, and then diggers have until March 31 to sell the roots to a registered ginseng dealer in the state. That’s also the deadline for diggers who don’t sell their ginseng to obtain a weight receipt from the West Virginia Division of Forestry. The receipt allows diggers to possess ginseng from April 1 through Aug. 31 and it has to be certified before leaving the state.