DELMAR, N.Y.—Expanding interest in traditional Chinese medicine in the United States is fostering a potentially lucrative new niche market for farmers who plant the varieties of herbs, flowers, and trees sought by practitioners.
While almost all practitioners still rely on imports from China, dwindling wild stands there, as well as quality and safety concerns, could drive up demand for herbs grown in the United States. Several states have set up “growing groups” to help farmers establish trial stands of the most popular plants.
“As a farmer, I love the idea of growing something no one else is growing, something that’s good for people,” said Rebekah Rice of Delmar, near Albany, who is among 30 members of a New York growing group. “This project is seriously fascinating.”
Jean Giblette, a researcher who has established New York’s group, said it could also be a moneymaker. She estimates the market for domestically grown medicinal plants to be $200 million to $300 million a year.
Traditional Chinese medicine is gaining mainstream acceptance in the United States. There are 30,000 licensed practitioners across the country—46 states issue licenses, often requiring a master’s degree and continuing education credits. In 2014, the Cleveland Clinic opened one of the first hospital-based Chinese herbal therapy clinics in the country.
