Echinacea Joins Elegant Lady at the Kearney Ag Center

Among the San Joaquin Valley’s traditional crops being studied at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center – stone fruit, nut crops and grapes – this year scientists will grow a variety of medicinal herbs, plants that hold excellent promise for the region’s small-scale farmers. “We should know more about these crops,” says UC Cooperative Extension small farm advisor Richard Molinar, who is coordinating the study. “They offer high cash value per acre. I think the interest is only going to increase.” Molinar will study three varieties of echinacea, an herb said to prevent colds. In addition, Molinar is consulting a Laotian immigrant traditional herbalist to determine the eight or 10 most popular Chinese herbs for additional studies. With demand growing for plants with healing qualities, these herbs, already growing in many Fresno County backyards, might also be crops that boost the bottom line of local small-scale farms. For more information, contact Richard Molinar at (559) 456-7555, rhmolinar [at] ucdavis [dot] edu.