Ginseng in Marathon County Wisconsin

If I said Wisconsin agriculture, you’d immediately think dairy. It’s only natural for a state that puts “America’s Dairyland” on their license plates. I mean, with any drive down a rural road, you’re bound to see a dairy farm.



Now if I said Wisconsin agriculture and said ginseng, you might be confused. I wouldn’t blame you. The crazy thing is that Marathon County, Wisconsin produces 95% of the ginseng in the United States! Not only is Wisconsin a leader in dairy production, it produces a ton of ginseng!



When you drive the rural roads, you will see covered fields to protect the ginseng from direct sunlight.



Now you may ask how a plant traditionally grown in Asia got to Central Wisconsin. Over a hundred years ago it was discovered that the growing conditions in Marathon County were ideal for cultivating ginseng. These growing conditions lead to some of the highest quality ginseng in the world. An industry was born and over the next century and it turned Marathon County into a ginseng growing powerhouse!