I only buy cultivated goldenseal root and extracts. One place I buy from has organic goldenseal root at $80 a pound, which is more than they buy it for (the seller might get half of that - not sure on the exact split). While wildcrafted is presumably as good as (or better than) organic, if it is not certified, it can't be sold as organic. Because of the conservation issues and depletion of wild goldenseal, it may not have a high price.

To expand on the conservation issue - goldenseal is an endangered plant, and its continued use is hard to justify on the basis of its limited herbal applications. Even herbalists, recognizing the plant's threatened status, are suggesting that alternatives be used.

I wouldn't say that the use for this plant are as limited as the article suggests, but agree that there are alternatives. Oregon grape, barberry and coptis are all quite similar in activity.

Cultivated goldenseal doesn't have a negative effect on the conservation of this plant. Same is true of ginseng; good cultivated roots are available at a better price than wild.

yeah well i dont think im gonna fool with it anymore. i expected it to sell for a much higher price. to much work and not enough money. lol. i'll stick to the good stuff. (ginseng).

Check out Sylvan Botanicals in the Catskills of NY state. They grow goldenseal and ginseng and have pretty high ethics.
www.catskillginseng.com

How many plants does it take to make a pound of dried goldenseal? If you are harvesting this with permission from land slated for development (as stated on Herb forum), you may have a better market selling live potted plants to native plant nurseries (though they will want proof of ethical harvest).

Goldenseal is hard to find and native plant gardeners will likely pay $10 to $20 per plant retail; that means $5 to $10 perplant for you.