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Clark County at Work: Sego’s Herb Farm

By Mary Ricks, Columbian News Assistant
Published: July 7, 2013, 5:00pm
3 Photos
An employee at Sego's Herb Farm weeds the ginseng crop.
An employee at Sego's Herb Farm weeds the ginseng crop. Because everything the farm does is organic, all the weeding is done by hand by the five employees. Photo Gallery


Business name:
Sego’s Herb Farm.

Owners: Kathleen and Roger Sego.


Address:
4820 N.E. 306th Circle, La Center.

What the business does: Sego’s Herb Farm is an organically certified medicinal herb farm on 55 acres which grows and sells goldenseal, ginseng, and ginkgo. The primary market is to wholesalers located throughout the world.

Steps to build your business: Roger Sego said he and his wife have added additional fields, expanded markets and distribution channels, and expanded their brokerage and advisory business. In 2010 they built a building with improved facilities for their workers. The farm also recently opened a retail store.

o Each week, The Columbian offers a brief snapshot of an interesting Clark County business. Send ideas to Mary Ricks: mary.ricks@columbian.com; fax 360-735-4598; phone 360-735-4550.

Greatest challenge: Sego said his biggest challenge is dealing with the zoning of their property, which effectively reduces their ability to grow. The Segos’ home and the farm are on a single lot, which limits their ability to obtain financing for the business. The county has been unwilling to allow them to split the property into two separate lots, Roger Sego said.

o Each week, The Columbian offers a brief snapshot of an interesting Clark County business. Send ideas to Mary Ricks: mary.ricks@columbian.com; fax 360-735-4598; phone 360-735-4550.

What’s ahead: Sego said they have orders for their entire crop this fall so for the next six to eight months they will be harvesting and shipping their products. If he could get the zoning issue resolved, Sego said the farm could begin planning for expansion. Sego is looking into the possibility of selling limited quantities of organic ginseng to the local market on an appointment basis.


Owners’ business history
: Roger Sego’s background was primarily in sales in the insurance industry prior to moving to the Northwest. In 1989 he returned to school at Oregon State University to obtain a degree in horticulture. He then worked in the golf course industry and in the organic fertilizer industry prior to starting the farm. Kathleen Sego was an investment banker prior to coming to the Northwest, and is currently chief financial officer for Certified Languages International and Avatron Software. She also is on the board of the Columbia River Economic Development Council and is active in Clark County PubTalk.

Year established in Clark County: 1998.

Employees: Five.

Telephone: 360-263-7757, 503-819-8934.

Fax: 360-263-7749.

Email: info@segoherbfarm.com

Website: http://www.segoherbfarm.com

Hours: Call for times.

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Columbian News Assistant