The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development
Program has released the results of field trials indicating that fresh market
baby ginger produced by regional growers can sell for four times the price of
conventional ginger sold in stores.
But should every grower start planting ginger?
The market potential of ginger as a season extension and profit builder for
Northern New York growers was evaluated as part of the Advancing Season
Extension and Protected Culture Efficiency Project funded by the farmer-driven
research program. The project also included enterprise budgeting for growing
the high-value alternative high-tunnel crops of ginger, turmeric, summer
lettuce and basil.
The term protected culture refers to the use of high tunnel and greenhouse
structures that allow growers to better manage the impact of such elements as
temperature, humidity, light and moisture.
Six growers: one each in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St.
Lawrence counties at farms in Carthage, Glenfield, Malone, Peru, Potsdam and
Willsboro hosted field trials for the project.
A project survey evaluated market opportunities for Northern New York-grown
ginger. Some farms in the six-county region currently grow ginger on a small
scale for community supported agriculture or farmer’s market sales.
‘Buyers indicated they enjoy the pleasant, light and surprisingly fresh taste
of the Northern New York-grown ginger. Small volume, high margin ginger sales
for fresh market sales appear feasible for farmers with high tunnel or
greenhouse structures,’ said Cornell Cooperative Extension regional marketing
specialist Bob Weybright, who conducted the survey.
However, Weybright states in the project results not available on the Northern
New York Agricultural Development Program website that the limited survey and
the noted high return income opportunity do not necessarily support large-scale
production expansion without evaluating value-added processing costs to extend
crop value beyond the short fresh harvest window.
This project responded to grower-identified needs and opportunities related to
extending the growing and sales seasons in Northern New York and draws on
previous projects identified by the farmer leaders of the Northern New York
Agricultural Development Program to help growers maximize productivity and
profitability.
The Advancing Season Extension and Protected Culture Efficiency Project is
posted at www.nnyagdev.org. The
farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program provides
grants for on-farm research and technical assistance projects in Clinton,
Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Funding for the
Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York
State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of
Agriculture and Markets
Amy Ivy
adi2@cornell.edu
Last updated April 13, 2020