Even though there are still some bugs to be worked out, Jeremy Stiles remains convinced the production of chamomile can be an alternative crop for small landholders in the province.
With funding help from the Prince Edward Island ADAPT Council, Stiles and the other members of the Minegoo Seeds Co-op Limited began growing German chamomile in 1998. Oil can be extracted from the plant that is considered "rare and precious." The oil is used in "aromatheraphy" and sells at the retail level for $15 a gram.
Stiles said the co-op is now growing the crop at commercial levels; however, there is one problem – the oil production is not quite what it should be yet. He explained, "we should be getting 200 grams of oil based on the acreage we have, and we are not getting anywhere near that. "The flowers are ready for harvest between 8 to20 weeks after planting.
The oil is actually produced when the flowers go through a steaming process, which is carried out at Diagnostic Chemicals Limited in Charlottetown. He said the oil that is produced is extremely high quality, adding it is just a matter of experimenting with the production technique to find the right combination.
Stiles said the crop grows well in the Island's sandy, well-drained soil; however, the late spring this year caused some problems. He explained the crop has to go in the ground as soon as the snow clears to get a head start on the weeds that can choke it out; however, this year the snow didn't completely disappear until late April, so the weeds caught up quicker than usual.
Understandably, Stiles has been concentrating more on refining the processing technique rather than developing markets. However, discussions with several major aromatheraphy sellers in Canada show potential sales in this country of between 2 to 5 kilograms per year. Jeremy estimates sales to the United States could be up to ten times that amount.
He said the crop is ideally suited to those who have a small amount of land and are perhaps looking to supplement their income. In his own case, he is estimating that once the technique is perfected, he could realize $10,000 to $20,000 annually in sales.
Stiles explained that several growers could form a co-op and have a mobile operation to distill the oil or have the work done at a central location. He explained that approach has been taken in the United Kingdom and Germany, adding the demand means much of the product is pre-sold. Sales in Germany annually exceed $9 million. "There is no reason why it couldn't be a success here," he said.
While he realizes it could be easier to keep the weeds under control during the growing season by adding "Round-Up" or a similar chemical, "I don't really want to do that because the oil will fetch a higher price if it is pesticide free. Many people who use alternative therapies are sensitized to industrial and agricultural chemicals and, as such, seek to purchase products that are produced under organic conditions."
Since the original crop in 1998, Jeremy said they have been experimenting with the best weed control and harvesting methods. A modified blueberry rake was found to do minimal damage to the plants. Jeremy said no inputs of fertilizer were used on the plants, and all waste products formed during the extraction process are biodegradable and are composted on his farm.