Resilient Roots

At what point do you quit trying to grow a particular plant? We almost never have good carrot yield. Prolly 10 yrs of halfhearted trying, mostly because the tiny seeds require extra patience. But they're such a great veg! But they're also finicky. Do you like to grow carrots?

# poll

I am so excited about these workshops! Join us on Sunday, August 4th for a plant filled day of fun. Please buy a ticket ahead of time if possible, it will really help us with planning. Hope to see you there!

PS: for my tincturing workshop, I'll have herbs, jars, and alcohol and there will be a $5 materials fee that you'll pay when you get there.

Much love to my co-organizers and Iron Moon Farm and sponsors and

Herb!

Meet Herb, in association with Vulcan Materials Company, this distinguished 2-year-old Schnauzer/Poodle mix is ready to spice up your life! This clever pup knows how to sit, shake, and lie down on command.

Adopt Herb by Sunday to take advantage of our reduced adoption fees and be entered to win a FREE ADOPTION! 🎉 Plus, adopters will receive a special gift bag and a chance to win free tickets to our Doggie Paddle event on August 17 at Southland Pool!

Find the thyme to adopt Herb today! For more information, visit our website, https://lexingtonhumanesociety.org/pets/dog/herb/ or call our adoptions staff at 859-264-1742.

Hopefully this post is eye-catching in its awfulness! Me and .clay would love to find a nature-oriented designer to help us with a farm logo in exchange for herbal products (teas, tinctures, elixirs, salves, syrups, etc), wellness consultation, or a combo of above. (Hey we can throw in a book from B Clay too!).

These are just some concepts I was messing around with on Canva to get started. We have an ABUNDANCE of scorpions at our farm, hence the farm name Scorpion Hollow. And we are working on some new farm goods that we would like to launch in early August at the Goldenrod Gathering with this new logo. So it's kind of tight turnaround, but worth sending out into the universe!

Sunday August 4th in a beautiful holler in Estill County, please join us for a day of herbal skillshares and community building!

Please visit the link in my bio to buy your ticket. We are thrilled to have a ticketed event this year, and it reflects many hours of organizing conversations and hard to work to get to this point! Please feel free to drop your questions below.

I'll be teaching the tincturing workshop and vending herbal extracts and creations from our farm.

Hope you can make it!

Solstice vibes, post 9pm daylight, the most organized we have ever been with the garlic harvest.

Some garden treasures:
Poppy
Elderflower
Meadowsweet
Butterfly milkweed (it's been a great year for the Great Spangled Fritillaries)

We are finally having a great poppy year! I used the winter sowing method to get the seeds started and highly recommend.

Meadowsweet is difficult AF to start from seed. I need growing tips because I want so many more of these majestic plants growing in my garden. They smell amazing, pollinators love them, and the dried flowers are incredible for digestive woes. I plan to write a lengthier post about the medicinal benefits.

We have been working our sweet asses off* on this garden, and it's looking good.

*just today we cut grass**, mulched, planted sweet potatoes, changed out insect netting, weeded, made sand bags (to hold down the insect netting), watched the bees, ate peas and lettuce, thinned carrots, and listened to wood thrushes and whippoorwills

**resulting in 2 broken gas mowers and one high functioning electric mower. Electric mower for the win. Fuxk the mice that keep making nests and eating parts in our gas mowers.

Hello friends, we have some forest medicinals that need your help! They live in the Jellico mountains, in the Daniel Boone National Forest, which belongs to all of us. The Forest Service has proposed one of the largest logging projects ever (10,00 acres with nearly 5,000 acres clearcut), and it could last as long as 40 years. This is absolutely ridiculous considering the climate change we are currently living through. These mountains are RICH in medicine, especially in the old growth areas.

I have spent the last 4 years exploring these mountains. They're beautiful in a way that is unique to this area, and black cohosh seems to particularly thrive here. I've found rare gentians (2nd pic), Ginseng, and the biggest Solomon's Seal I have ever seen (I think it's giant Solomon's seal, which is named wild variety).

There is a public comment period for the Forest Service's proposal, and the deadline is FRIDAY. Could you please take a few minutes to speak up for the herbs and make a comment? Head over to Kentucky Heartwood's page or website to learn more. We have sample comments that you can use as a starting point to make your comment. I'll also drop a direct link in the comments.

Check out this post and let them know if you're interested in harvesting milky oats. It's one of my most used tonics!

Did you know that milky oats—the tender, young seed heads of the same plants we get our oatmeal from—are a powerhouse for soothing the nervous system? 🌾✨ Whether you're easily moved to tears, navigating the aftermath of trauma, or just worn out from the non-stop stress of daily life, milky oats offer gentle support. This plant is truly for everyone and I really believe that it is always the perfect time to introduce this nurturing herb into your routine. Here’s to nurturing your inner calm and resilience, one drop at a time! 🌱💧

Because this remedy is so well loved, we are thinking about hosting a milky oat harvest day and make your own tincture workshop at the farm? Comment below if that is something you'd be interested in!

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The Daniel Boone National Forest is our Kentucky "commons" - a place for everyone to interact with natural resources and learn to be a good steward of the earth. Most cultures throughout the world relied on the commons to meet their needs, and they were communally managed to ensure sustainability for future generations. The Daniel Boone National Forest is the place many Kentuckians go to hunt, fish, and gather medicine (with all the appropriate permits and licenses of course).

Kentucky Heartwood
-works to ensure that the Forest Service is a good steward of the commons (and we take legal action when they fail).
-Facilitates the public input process for logging project proposals and educates the public on the ways the proposed logging could damage the commons
-Advocates for all the incredible plants and animals that call the forest home
-Advocates for the continued existence of mature and old-growth forests, where most of our important forest medicinals are found

This last part is especially important. Herbalistis facilitate plant and human interactions, and the plants give us our life! We must speak for them. Please support Kentucky Heartwood today!

Y'all- super affordable herb starts!

Late breaking news - An herbal event in Berea tonight!

If you haven't noticed, we've got a LOT going on this week!

Tonight from 5:15-6:30, join Afrolachian forager and herbalist Ruby Daniels at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center for a special presentation, free and open to the public! Ruby is the proud owner of Creasy Jane's, a herbal company which specializes in producing herbal products and fresh produce. She has conducted workshops on forest farming, native Appalachian plants, and manufacturing herbal products.

This event is sponsored by Berea Folklife, the English Department, and the Forestry Outreach Center. Sweet and savory snacks from the Farm Store will be provided. Check out the flyer for more details on the event and for Ruby's complete bio!

Save the date! I am doing some spring cleaning and will be selling tinctures, teas, and syrups with sliding scale prices. Proceeds will help fund the free clinic!
Come by to shop or for some free advice!

I will also have all my dried herbs and can make custom tea blends!

If there's anything you're looking for in larger quantities, please send me a DM. I especially have large amounts of a lot of nervous system herbs and happy to provide a bulk discount.

Donation-based workshop in a beautiful location with a mushroom expert!

SAVE THE DATE: March 24, 2024 from Noon-3PM at Clear Creek Schoolhouse in Rockcastle County - This is one of several upcoming -Science in the Public Interest (ASPI) mushroom innoculation workshops this spring!

Friendly reminder to buy herbs locally if possible and absolutely from people that actually know herbs.
And definitely not from MLMs.

Here's a great (terrible) example from Doterra. The first ingredient is wrong. God knows what's really in the bottle. Tsuga canadensis is not a spruce! It's our Eastern Hemlock. Spruce is an entirely different genus!

Hi Folks! Reminding you about my workshop Sunday Jan 21 from 2-4 on Elderberry Syrup and herbs for winter wellness. I'll drop the event in the comments.

I will also be available after the workshop (until about 5pm) if you would like to come and shop - I'll have a variety of herbal medicines that are very helpful for the variety of winter illnesses that are going on right now! I'll have elderberry syrup, tinctures of usnea, tulsi, echinacea, and thyme, fire cider oxymel, and aronia extract, along with my "respiratory ease" and "resilient roots" tea blends and my special Krud Kicker immune support tincture. Feel free to message me if you would like to get hooked up with some herbs outside of the workshop setting.

Update: event is happening! https://www.facebook.com/share/hMe8oxa2oDPpKy9E/?mibextid=9l3rBW

Hi everyone! Im thinking about doing an elderberry syrup workshop next Sunday afternoon and would like to gauge interest before making it official. We would be using fresh (frozen this summer) berries and there would be a cost for the workshop, to account for my time and supplies. You'll be taking elderberry syrup and knowledge home with you. Please comment if interested (no obligation to actually attend) and I'll make a decision tomorrow. Thanks!

PS: many elderberry syrup instructions online actually give bad instructions for making this medicine. My workshop talks about how to make it in order to preserve its maximum medicinal qualities.

(Pic of one of my old products for the algorithm!)

Its Giving Tuesday! Please join me in donating to the only organization in Kentucky working to protect our precious forest herbs from habitat loss. Our national forests provide a place for EVERYONE to develop a relationship with nature, and herbalists from all cultures have depended on the "forest commons" for medicine since the dawn of humanity.

Please watch this beautiful video with Senora May. The entire around surrounding the mother red hickory tree is filled with medicine - carpets of goldenseal, black cohosh, and ramps. Multiple trees were sprouting hen of the woods (maitake) mushrooms when I visited this fall. Some of the areas of this forest are so remote that there's still ginseng left. If you value the gifts that plant medicine has given to you, and you'd like to return that gift and help protect the forest, then donate via the link in the comments. Thank you!!

SAVE SOUTH RED BIRD with Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund + Senora May Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund and Senora May worked together with Kentucky Heartwood to shed light on unsustainable logging practices in the Daniel ...

My worlds are colliding in the best way! Herbalists, farmers, and land-based craft folks are vending for your holiday shopping needs and a good cause! Hope to see you at the I'll be there to support all your winter wellness needs with my herbal products while also raising awareness about the mission we're on to save some of the most biodiverse forests in the world.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so my friend Debbie Downer wants you to be aware of neurotoxic chemicals in Pawpaw (please don't eat too many):

Annonacin in Asimina triloba fruit: implication for neurotoxicity - PubMed Pawpaw fruit contains a high concentration of annonacin, which is toxic to cortical neurons. Crude fruit extract also induced neurotoxicity, highlighting the need for additional studies to determine the potential risks of neurodegeneration associated with chronic exposure to pawpaw products.

Saturday, Oct 7 ----> Your favorite herbalist and poet plant-power couple are leading an herbal double-header @

10am to Noon: Ashwagandha! With special guest .carver , an Ayurvedic Educator, who will talk about his experiences in medicinal and health use of Ashwagandha.

I will cover harvest and processing of Ashwagandha and this will be a hands-on activity!

Noon to one: Lunch provided but registration required - see info below.

1-3pm: .clay will teach poetry writing with emphasis on herbs and other plants. People at his last workshop had a great time, and some wrote their very first poems!

Registration not required for either of the workshops, but it is for lunch. Call Sustainable Berea at 859-985-1689.

It's all FREE thanks to but please bring a small jar to take home tincture.

Ashwagandha and poetry workshops - Saturday, Oct 7 -

Ashwagandha workshop Saturday, Oct 7 Hi everyone! I'm excited to share several herbal happenings on Saturday, October 7th at Berea Urban Farm: 10am to Noon: Ashwagandha extravaganza! 

Herb workshops on Oct 7th!

Herb Workshops on Oct 7th!

Elderberry season, another summer milestone. They don't all ripen at once - resist the urge to pick 'em early.
⏳
Let them get DARK and then throw them in the freezer.
🥶
Wait to make syrup until the season is over. Berries easily come off them stem when frozen = labor savor.
😎
Then make syrup!

Join us for the annual gathering of plant medicine love on August 26th!
🌿
Learn about and enjoy herbs in a beautiful setting!
🌳🏡🪴🍄
I am offering an adventurous and tasty experience at the "cordials and mocktails" bar!
🍹
Bring: water bottle, tea mug, notebook, cash for donations and vendors

Herb nerds unite! See you there!

Wow what a day! First up, a bike tour to check on some rare wood lilies (Lillium philadephicum) that monitors that are too close to a logging unit, then ran into Stewartia ovata, aka Mountain Camilla - the only tea family plant in Kentucky (and only growing in 4 counties.)

THEN I found New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) aka Red Root aka my sinus and respiratory system lifesaver! Wow what a lovely plant! I sure am glad someone cultivates these for medicinal use cause I would never ever want to take this out of the woods!

THEN, I came home, had lovely garden time in the rain and found a ragged fringed orchid growing on my garden path, which makes me SO HAPPY because I haven't seen this orchid here since the first year we lived here!....next to the orchid, chanterelles about to pop. Thank you rain!

I'm high on plants and rainy, 65 degree solstice magic!!

Garden lovelies. Rose and elderflower for a new facial oil, milkweed buds, and the first ripe blueberries.

First whippoorwills in the distance.

Hope for some rain soon!
Xoxo!

Been spending most of my time these days trying to figure out how to protect our precious forest herbs from clearcutting in the publicly-owned Daniel Boone National Forest. This concept of a public forest, aka the "commons" - is something that has existed forever. Herbalists, hunters, gatherers, and others who have a long-standing, reciprocal relationship with the land must speak out when the public forests need protection.

The key words above are "reciprocal" and "long-standing." For gathering medicinal herbs, this doesn't mean reading a few books about plants and walking into a random spot in the forest to harvest them. This means spending a lot of time in a few places, over multiple seasons, to see how the plants and forest changes over time. And then making conscious and informed decisions about whether to harvest (or more often, NOT harvest). Not only does this help us engage in a healthy relationship with the forest, it gives us direct experience to know the health of all its parts. This method of "deep knowing" is in contrast to foresters and logging companies who use computer models and calculations to determine which trees to cut (while finding a token game species that likes young forests so they can justify cutting it), and overlooking the rest of the forest community.

Many forest medicinals like deep shade and thrive in old forests. Whenever I see ginseng in the forest, it seems to be in an older forest that is proposed for clearcutting.

Please consider becoming a member of Kentucky Heartwood - we are the only group in the state working to protect our forests for future generations and for the continued existence of all beings.

Recently spotted in areas of the Daniel Boone National Forest proposed for clearcutting:

1. 4-prong ginseng (very rare to find in the woods anymore)
2. Black cohosh - flower bud
3. Blue cohosh
4. Bloodroot