Gojiberriesandwhy

weshouldgrowthem.Abstract

Goji is nutrient dense, has higher yields, takes minimal resources to produce, and provides an annual

crop without annual planting. Sustainable permaculture increases our food security on the farm and

goji is a way of doing this while having a long term, positive effect on our nutrition.

Table of Contents

Aliases of plant materials or the plant as a whole … page 1

History of medicinal use and modern study … page 1

Nutrient content … page 2-4

How I compared plant stock choices … page 4-5

Care and maintenance … page 5-6

Preservation and storage … page 6

Conclusion … page 7

Further avenues of study ... page 7

Resources … page 8-19

1 Jay Kovach

Aliases of plant materials or the plant as a whole

� Bocksdorn

� Boksdoorn

� Boxthorn

� Fructus Lycii

� Goji berry

� Gou Qi Zi

� Kei Tze

� Lycium barbarum L.

� Wolfberry

History of medicinal use and modern study

Goji berries have a mild, sweet & sour taste that has been compared to raspberries or cranberries. They

are often eaten raw and when dehydrated they are similar in size and texture to raisins. Grown all over

East Asia, they are a well-known component of traditional Chinese medicine. Tonics, wines, teas, and

extracts are made from the plant in addition to the leaves and berries being used as food additives.

In Ningxia, a province known for the production of goji, it is said there are 16 times more centenarians

there than anywhere else in the country. It is also said that a man once lived to the age of 252 from

eating goji soup. The promotion of longevity has to be the top benefit, an overall “wellness” is claimed

and felt when consuming the berries and a sustained life is experienced. Chinese herbal medicine

prescribes goji in a variety of other instances:

� Cancer

� Circulatory health

� Diabetes

� Eye health

� Fertility

� Immune health

� Insomnia

� Leg health

� Liver health

� Sexual function

Modern research is discovering the science behind the observed history of goji use. When used as a

food item to improve the overall diet and not as a supplement or “superfood fix-it,” many of the claims

prove to be based in truth. Goji has antitumor and antioxidant properties that merit further research

but its nutritional content tells us quite a bit.

2 Goji berries and why we should grow them.

Nutrient content

The L. barbarum data used here is sourced from the information available on the specific variety that I

have selected as my growing stock.

Nutrient Food Item per Gram What does it do?

Vitamin K

75-120 mcg/day

Kale 8.17 mcg Blood clotting & bone

metabolism.

*anticoagulant & K use

should be monitored

Spinach 4.83 mcg

Goji leaves 2.31 mcg

Brussel sprouts 1.77 mcg

Vitamin C

65,000-90,000 mcg/d

Acerola 16,770 mcg

Antioxidant; heart

health.

Goji leaves 1020 mcg

Sweet pepper, yellow 1.83 mcg

Strawberries .588 mcg

Oranges .532 mcg

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

1000-1200 mcg/d

Rice Bran 28 mcg

Mood; energy level. Goji berry 2.4 mcg

Moose liver, braised 2 mcg

Spirulina 2 mcg

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

1100-1300 mcg/d

Moose liver, braised 41 mcg Antioxidant; conversion

of carbohydrates into

fuel.

Goji leaves 9.03 mcg

Spirulina 3 mcg

Rice bran 3 mcg

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

14,000-16,000 mcg/d

Rice bran 340 mcg

Energy metabolism.

Moose liver, braised 107 mcg

Goji leaves 21.5 mcg

Spirulina 12 mcg

Goji berry 10.4 mcg

Vitamin E

15,000 mcg/d

Alpha-tocopherol

Goji leaves 578.86 mcg

Antioxidant.

Sunflower seeds 330 mcg

Paprika 298 mcg

Almonds 262 mcg

Goji berry 13.44 mcg

Beta-tocopherol Sunflower seeds 11 mcg

Antioxidant.

Goji leaves 4.7 mcg

Paprika 4 mcg

Almonds 3 mcg

Goji berry .65 mcg

Gamma-tocopherol Paprika 33 mcg

Antioxidant.

Goji leaves 12.03 mcg

Almonds 7 mcg

Goji berry 1.99 mcg

Sunflower seeds 1 mcg

3 Jay Kovach

Delta-tocopherol Almonds 1 mcg

Antioxidant. Paprika 1 mcg

Goji leaves .95 mcg

Betaine Spinach 5500 mcg Liver, heart, & kidney

health; can reduce

elevated homocysteine

concentrations.

Goji leaves 1540 mcg

Sunflower seeds 354 mcg

Goji berry 4.61 mcg

Vitamin A

700-900 mcg/d

Alpha-carotene

Carrot 34.77 mcg

Goji leaves 1.58 mcg

Tomato 1.01 mcg

Beta-carotene Carrot 82.85 mcg

Antioxidant; immunity. Spinach 56.26 mcg

Goji leaves 2.34 mcg

Lycopene Goji leaves 242 mcg

Antioxidant. Tomato 25.73 mcg

Carrot .01 mcg

Zeaznthin + Lutein Goji leaves 84 + 416 mcg Eye health; age-related

macular degeneration

research suggests

possible benefits.

Goji berry 84 + 41.44 mcg

Spinach 121.97 mcg

Carrot 2.56 mcg

Tomato 1.23 mcg

Folic acid Goji leaves 5.97 mcg

Pyrroloquinoline

quinone (PQQ)

Goji berry 17.9 mcg Antioxidant;

mitochondrial health. Natto (fermented soybean) .061 mcg

Ellagic acid Goji berry 11.92 mcg

Bioflavonoids Goji leaves 19.83 mcg Antioxidant.

Catechin Goji leaves 2 mcg Total

Epicatechin .2 mcg

Antioxidants; influences

hunger triggers.

Epicatechin gallate .1 mcg

Catechin gallate .2 mcg

Gallocatechin .5 mcg

Epigallocatechin .2 mcg

Gallocatechin gallate .1 mcg

Epigallocatechin gallate .1 mcg

Phenolics Goji leaves 30,500 mcg Increases antioxidant

potential. Plums & cherries 28,000 mcg

When examining and comparing the nutrient content of goji with other foods considered nutrient dense

or high in their respective nutrients, goji proves itself to be a useful addition to a regular diet. The

negative effects of eating too much are few; loose bowel movements or an upset stomach, nothing

atypical of overeating fruit. The vitamin K content of the leaves are a concern for someone on blood

4 Goji berries and why we should grow them.

thinners but research encountered paints L. barbarum as complementary to other conventional

treatments and therapies.

Labeling foods as a “superfood” can be overly dramatic or ambiguous. It is safe to say that goji leaves

and berries are a wise addition to a regular diet.

How I compared plant stock choices

Internet findings for goji berry startup stock.

Source Size/Age Cost Taxes, S & H

Potted

Sears.com 4” $11.99 $6.25

Gurneys.com ? 9.99 16.94

Ebay 4” 8.99 10.25

Ebay 10 * 1 gal 100.00 55.00

Rootstock

Dancing Creek Farm 1 y/o $15.95 ?

2 y/o 24.95 ?

10 * 2 y/o 150.00 ?

3 y/o 35.99 ?

GardenHarvestSupply.com 1 y/o 13.95 ?

OneGreenWorld.com ? 19.95 ?

Phoenix Tears Nursery 1 y/o 6.50 12.95

2 y/o 10.00 27.99

3 y/o 20.00 90.65

4 y/o 50.00 319.00

Findings: Goji plants are not the easiest to find and distributers in the United States are few and far between.

Choices are limited but diverse enough for my needs and preferences. Phoenix Tears was the only one with really

strong incentive pricing, the more you purchase the cheaper they are apiece. The prices I have listed here are

what each plant costs if you purchase 20 of them, the shipping was calculated by lot size number and totaled out.

One important thing to consider is how much something costs per unit and what your final shipping costs will be, if

a company fails to be upfront about them, I tend to try and avoid using them.

My plan involves 20 initial Lycium barbarum plants so the best deal for me will be Phoenix Tears Nursery

in Utah (www.phoenixtearsnursery.com). There are factors that cannot be charted that play a role in

my decision making. I want rootstock instead of potted plants, you get more plant material for your

money and I have had better success in the past with rootstock. Also, I always have more success going

5 Jay Kovach

with small, mom & pop operations; they tend to be more tailored to what I need. I have had moderate

success with chain-stores and continue to use some of them on occasion, however, I have almost

completely sworn off catalog companies. I don’t want plant stock that is too young or small – 1 y/o and

younger are out – and anything as old 3 or 4 y/o would be too risky as they tend to be too acclimated to

their climate of origin which is different from mine. From there the choice was a matter of which

provided the better deal and $227.99 for 20 rootstocks is it.

Care and maintenance

Goji berries can be grown several different ways. Based on my preferences and experiences I believe

that setting them up in a vineyard-type layout (figure 1) is the best option. Measurements and spacing

are educated guesses balancing the plants and my needs, considering the limited information, I am

confident that my layout will capitalize on the plants’ capabilities rather well. Ultimately, it will be a trial

and error experiment but I am reassured by the plant’s prolific, almost aggressive growth.

Figure 1

6 Goji berries and why we should grow them.

I considered an irrigation system however, after the first year L. barbarum is very drought tolerant. It is

also resistant to deer and many pests but a net to keep out the birds may need to be considered down

the road. Acquiring organic fertilizer will also not be necessary as using it can be harmful to the plants; it

seems they like somewhat poorer soils or locations used for growing grasses for fodder.

In addition to the 24 posts,

20 plants, and 500+ feet of

wire I will need mulch for

the bed. I didn’t note the

amount needed or cost as

it will be nominal. We

source it very affordably

from a log cabin building

company.

Spacing of growth and

pruning (figure 2) were

determined with air

filtration and maintenance

in mind and to keep plants

producing 6-7 lbs. of

berries a year.

Preservation and storage

What we currently have or are in the process of obtaining will be sufficient for dehydration and storage.

Figure 2

7 Jay Kovach

Conclusion

Goji berries would be an easy and intelligent food source to integrate into our current production. Being

nutrient dense food and an herbal treatment for many illnesses makes this a high utility item. The bulk

of the cost is the plant material itself which is cheaper than expected and a lot of the additional costs

are materials we use on the farm currently or are relatively inexpensive. There is also a high probability

that we can set this up using found materials as we have for projects in the past. Additionally, as the

size of the plot and the production levels increase there is a strong potential for selling the leaves and

berries online and at farmers markets. This cash could be used for a multitude of things but I would like

it to be used on the gojis themselves and my academic pursuits.

Further avenues of study

I have begun looking into vacuum-sealing and mylar bags with oxygen absorbers as additional means of

preservation. If I sell some of my stock at farmers’ markets or online to make some extra money to help

out during my academic pursuits then mylar bags might be the thing for me. Each bag could contain a 1-

3 day supply (30g) for an individual person and would keep much better than one large storage

container that is continually exposed to air and bacteria whenever opened. A downside of the bags may

be the food-safe/non-chemical absorbers, they may be too expensive. Additionally, I need to weigh out

the environmental and health implications of the mylar bags themselves, how much toxin is produced

when they are made and what happens when I am done using them?

I also want to look into organics more and have started going through some of the USDA training

materials. Even if I do not obtain a USDA seal for organics, I can still follow their guidelines. Until then I

will manage my plants as responsibly and sustainably as I can.

8 Goji berries and why we should grow them.

Resources

Amagase, H. & Nance, D. M. (2008). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of

the general effects of a standardized lyceum barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi™. The Journal of

Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(4), 403-412. 10.1089/acm.2008.0004

Amerman, D. What are the health benefits of fructus lycii? SF Gate Healthy Eating. Retrieved 07.07.13

from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-fructus-lycii-1289.html

Benzie, I. F. F., Chung, W. Y., Wang, J., Richelle, M., & Bucheli, P. (2006). Enhanced bioavailability of

zeaxanthin in a milk-based formulation of wolfberry (Gou Qi Zi; Fructus barbarum L.). British

Journal of Nutrition, 96, 154-160. 10.1079/BJN20061796

Breithaupt, D. E., Weller, P., Wolters, M., & Hahn, A. (2004). Comparison of plasma responses in human

subjects after the ingestion of 3R,3R’-zeaxanthin dipalmitate from wolfberry (Lycium barbarum)

and non-esterfied 3R,3R’-zeaxanthin using chiral high-performance liquid chromatography.

British Journal of Nutrition, 91, 707-713. 10.1079/BJN20041105

BuyGojiBerryPlants.com Frequently asked questions. Retrieved on 07.10.13 from

www.buygojiberryplants.com/?page_id=101

Chen, Z., Tan, B. K. H., & Chan, S. H. (2008). Activation of T lymphocytes by polysaccharide-protein

complex from Lycium barbarum L. International Immunopharmacology, 8, 1663-1671.

10.1016/j.intimp.2008.07.019

Cheng, C. Y., Chung, W. Y., Szeto, Y.T., & Benzie, I. F. F. (2005). Fasting plasma zeaxanthin response to

Fructus barbarum L. (wolfberry; Kei Tze) in a food-based human supplementation trial. British

Journal of Nutrition, 93, 123-130. 10.1079/BJN20041284

Gan, L., Zhang, S. H., Yang, X. L., & Xu, H. B. (2004). Immunomodulation and antitumor activity by a

polysaccharide-protein complex from Lycium barbarum. International Immunopharmacology, 4,

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Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2009). Dietary reference intakes: Vitamins. Retrieved

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Oh, Y-C., Cho, W-K., Im, G. Y., Jeong, Y. H., Hwang, Y-H., Liang, C., & Ma, J. Y. (2012). Anti-inflammatory

effect of lycium fruit water extract in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage

cells. International Immunopharmacology, 13, 181-189. 10.1016/j.intimp.2012.03.020

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www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/goji-wolfberry-plant-pruning.html

9 Jay Kovach

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