ginseng hunt

Eric Burkhart and his 2005 field assistant, Penn State undergraduate Steve Beddow (left, back) are led into the forest by Huntingdon County land-owner and expert "sanger" named Martin (right). Martin is one of Burkhart's confidential "cooperators" willing to share closely-guarded, valuable knowledge about the location of forest-grown ginseng patches, as well as a lifetime of "sanging" experience and lore—information crucial for Burkhart's comprehensive project.

Photo by Melissa Beattie-Moss