Frustrated by the high cost of removing ginseng buds and seed, as well as the variability of outside help, grower Lonnie Duwyn decided to do something about it. Last year the entrepreneur built a prototype riding aid which worked so well, he decidedto manufacture and sell them. Rummaging through equipment at the farm, as well as the Princess Auto catalogue, the 25-year-old welded and bolted together a machine similar to one used for cutting asparagus or priming tobacco. With the four seats filledbyDuwyn and three of his tobacco primers, they were able to pick seed for just over 4 dollar per pound. "I've heard estimates of anywhere from 7 dollar to 18 dollar to pick a pound of seed, and we beat those estimates with just four people," Duwyn said.They made 2 passes in one acre of threes; the first took 10 hours and netted about 65 per cent of the seeds, he estimated. Then 10 days later they made the second pass in about eight hours for a total of 175 pounds, green weight. "It worked out to more than a bushel an hour."
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