Author: Amelia
-
Botany versus Life Experience
I taught a foraging walk last Saturday with my friend Joe the Forager (the guy who runs Eattheplanet.org) and I have to say we work great as a team. Joe is awesome with botanical terminology, history of plants, knowing native varieties versus introduced varieties, and showing you the physical traits of each plant and how…
-
Working with your hands
This year, for whatever reason, my harvest of snap peas was abysmal. The plants are basically finished and I haven’t even been able to freeze a single bag of peas (last year I froze 8 bags!) So yesterday, I went around the pea trellis and picked all the fat ugly snap peas that were still…
-
What is a Community anymore?
Imagine yourself living in a tiny village in Europe in 1682. There are a little over 200 people living in your village of varying age groups. Your village is a three-day horse ride or week-long walk from the nearest city and you haven’t got a physician living there yet. Most of your friends and family…
-
Why eating SAD makes you SAD
Have you ever heard of the Standard American Diet (SAD)? Unfortunately, half of the plant-based calories (6%) come from French fries. That means only 6% of America’s calories are coming from health-promoting fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. [Source: https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/standard-american-diet-sadder-than-we-thought/] The vast majority of Americans are pressured by a combination of the economic need to…
-
Tincture Club is opening
UPDATE: I have closed my Tincture Club as I am mostly focusing on topical remedies and am working on closing out my tincture stock. Message me if you need any! What is a Tincture? A Tincture is a preparation of herbs and alcohol meant to be taken medicinally for various health benefits. A dose is…
-
Feed Your Brain, Feed Your Gut: How Nutrition Impacts Your Mood and Mind
Have you ever noticed that you feel happier and more energized after eating a hearty Cobb salad, versus how your body feels after eating a McChicken and fries? Have you ever been in a situation (alone in an elevator when a stranger steps in or out hiking on a trail when you notice someone watching…
-
My elbow was talking to me…
Yep, you read that right. No, I’m not crazy. This has happened several times now. After eating something that my digestive tract disagreed with or my body did not like for some reason, my inner elbow on my right arm (for some reason it only happens on that side, perhaps because it’s my dominant arm)…
-
Yellow Dock: Unsung Hero of Constipation
Yellow dock (a.k.a. Curly Dock) is a perennial plant that is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a member of the Polygonaceae family, which also includes rhubarb and knotweed. Yellow dock grows to be about 2-4 feet tall and has large, oval leaves with toothed edges. The flowers are pink or white…
-
5 Herbs to Start Your Herbal Medicine Garden
People ask me this all the time. “What are your favorite herbs to grow? What are the must-haves for your garden?” The truth is that every household is going to be different. Whether you have kids or livestock/pets makes a big difference in some of the herbs you want to have in your garden. Since…
-
I grow everything myself.
That sounds like a boast. Maybe it is? I am telling you this because I think that’s one of the few things that sets me apart from many other herbalists and herbal remedy makers. This is my farm. My entire property is just over one acre and the garden spaces only take up maybe half…