For growers seeking to diversify, medicinal herbs may seem like a suitable area of opportunity. However there are some significant obstacles to a successful entry into the field. There are three different sectors to the market: pharmaceutical, herbal and healthfood. Each has an individual culture and set of operating constraints which result in different sets of requirements being imposed upon their suppliers. Whilst these have internal logic, they may not appear obvious to outsiders. It is therefore vital that any prospective supplier has a clear idea of the buyer’s needs, rather than making ‘common sense’ assumptions. In all three market sectors, few end users will control the whole production process from field to shop, so there are specialist intermediary companies which may be more promising contact points for growers. Success is possible, but medicinal herbs will not provide the panacea that many are seeking.