Sage Harvesting Requirements For Purchase (2)

Part 2: Michael and Robert continue to talk about the drying process, never store in a plastic bag, a quick overview and examples of good bundles.
Here are the requirements for Sage Harvesting 2015
1. It must be harvested by cutting and NOT pulled up by the roots, we cannot buy sage that stills has it's roots attached. Please be a respectful wild-crafter and leave the roots in the ground to ensure future harvests.
2. When harvesting, please choose the most leafy patches that are nicely filled out. If the leaves are falling off the stems we will NOT purchase it. The best time to harvest is before the plants go to seed and if there are too many seeds we cannot purchase the sage. The minimum length we will accept is 20 inches and the maximum depends on the leafiness of the sage. Please trim the stem ends if they are excessively long and bare. We need to buy sage, not stems. We will provide pruners for you to do this before we will purchase.
3. It must all be LAYING THE SAME DIRECTION - that is, all the stems together and all the tops together. We can't have it all laying in a heap; it's best to tie it up in small bundles after it is dry because it's easier to haul and weigh. Tie it together so bundles stay tight and don't fall apart.
4. It must be TOTALLY DRY - it should crackle when gently squeezed. It must be sun/air dried. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT sage that has been dried in an oven OR WITH ANY KIND OF ARTIFICIAL HEAT.
5. IT NEED TO BE FREE OF WEEDS AND ANY OTHER MATERIAL. NO ROCKS PLEASE.
6. IT MUST BE THE CORRECT PLANT - "MAN SAGE" OR ARTEMISIA LUDOVICIANA.
7. BUYING TIMES ARE FROM 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO WEEKENDS PLEASE. WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO THIS SCHEDULE.
Unless you have visited with us personally about the total amount we are buying, towards the end of the season, it's best to call [phone] (local) or toll free at [phone] to see if we are still taking sage. We stop buying either when we reach our quota or when the sage begins to seed out. NO EXCEPTIONS PLEASE.
Sage is available at www.siouxtrading.com