Author: Amelia
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Did you know that Peanut Butter can harm you?
“Nooooooooo!” I cried with a tear in my eye as I finally realized the truth. Ever since I read the word “aflatoxin,” I have been on the fence about this for months. There’s no way my beloved peanut butter company would allow that in their jars, is there? What is it anyhow, and why does…
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Foraging Alone…
When I first started foraging back in 2006, there were no smart phones. I didn’t even own a digital camera– I had a 34mm with film in it that I had gotten for my 14th birthday. If I could find photos to show you, I would, but back in those days we didn’t take pictures…
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Herbal Smoking Blends for People Quitting Tobacco
I’ve never been a cigarette smoker—and truthfully, I can’t tolerate the smell—but I’ve worked with enough people over the years to understand how powerful nicotine addiction can be. My only personal experience with smoke came from intentionally burning dried mullein leaf to test its traditional use as a lung-clearing herb (spoiler alert: it works). Beyond…
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Heart Health for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but this year it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. However, in years past, it WAS a big deal… whether I was single or in a relationship. Whether you are paying close attention to your heart because you desire romantic love or your heart…
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This Farm’s Future is Evolving
Black Sun Farm has been the product of my heart and soul for over five years now. I poured myself into building this small property into a working homestead. I can’t even tell you how many plants I’ve put into the ground here. And the birds I’ve raised for eggs and meat over the years…
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Spring is Nettle Season!
I’m sure you’ve heard of nettles. There are two kinds I’m talking about here: Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) and Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum.) Both plants come up in your yard and fields in early to mid Spring, and both are edible and medicinal! Dead nettles taste better before they flower…. honestly, most herbs in…
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No More Eggs
I don’t really know if it merits a blog post, but I thought I should announce somewhere on my site that I’ve finally decided to stop losing money in the egg game. For over four years now, I have raised chickens and ducks on soy-free organic layer feed, allowing them to free range the entire…
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Favorite Herb This Week: Ginger
Ginger is the herb I’d like to highlight this week, as I have started working with it more frequently since growing my own last season. Zingiber officinale is the official Latin name, and the plant is native to somewhere in Southeast Asia. You CAN, however, grow it here in Connecticut if you play your cards…
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Bone Broth Revisited
You’ve likely heard various diet fads touting the incredible benefits of bone broth: a slow-cooked broth made with animal bones. You can purchase jars of bone broth at most health food stores for anywhere from $9 to $20 a pint. But do the physical benefits your body gets really merit that kind of expense? If…
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Fighting Cancer Naturally
As far as I can tell, I don’t have any more cancer. Yet. I felt a lump on my neck a few months ago and decided to have it checked out at the doctor. They ended up doing an ultrasound of my thyroid gland, which led to a biopsy, which eventually led to a very…