I have some fun announcements! First up is the weekend of January 30th, at the OAK Conference, where I will lead a workshop about Value-added Herbal Products (for farmers and herbalists who want to sell things). While the conference is geared toward organic farmers, anyone who loves gardening and the local food system will enjoy it, and there’s several workshops on herbs, YAY! The best part is that I will be there presenting alongside so many other badass women farmer friends like Robin Verson (Hill and Hollow Farm), Susana Lein (Salamander Springs), Sarah Barney (Among the Oaks), Storey Slone (Grow Appalachia), and more! If you’re thinking about going, make a decision soon because they expect the tickets to sell out.

I also just received word that my workshop application was accepted for the Wild Indigo Herbal Conference, which is happening June 12-14 at Terrapin Hill in Harrodsburg. I’ll be teaching a perimenopause workshop, and the rest of the lineup sounds AMAZING. There’s earlybird registration happening now.

Both of these events are particularly important to me because they support the community of practice of herbalism. Sometimes I get into a rabbit hole on social media and I get discouraged/horrified by how much inaccurate (and even dangerous) information it spews*. And I need to remind myself, this is not my community of practice. The Goldenrod Gathering is my community, Berea is my community, food systems people are my community, the forest is my community! I am grateful for my community and community is resistance and resilience!

The algorithms favor oversimplified hot takes, advertisements, and entertainment. Herbalism, in all of its nuance, beauty, and depth, just doesn’t fit well in that environment (or honestly capitalism in general). That makes attending conferences and events hosted by herbalists all the more important. Please support us!

If you’ve made it this far, here’s a treat. I just came across this lovely review on lemon balm: Melissa officinalis L. as a phytotherapeutic alternative in the treatment of anxiety: a bibliographic review. It’s from a Brazilian journal and has been translated into English. A nice reminder that scientific herbal research is happening across the world.

*I cannot resist pointing out two bothersome instances of misinformation that I’ve seen recently. Someone forwarded me an article on the health benefits of elderberries, and it recommended fresh elderberries for a good source of fiber. Then I saw a post complaining that a fresh shot of elderberry juice from Trader Joe’s made them ill……PSA time: fresh elderberries can make you sick. Literally no one eats them as a source of fiber (except maybe birds?) I mean you could probably eat a few without issue, some people are more sensitive than others, and you’d need to eat more to be a substantial fiber source, thus increasing the chances of illness…. all of it is very nuanced in a way that doesn’t bode well for marketing. Not to mention that the Trader Joe’s product is just downright wrong! eeeeekk!. Another reminder to support professional herbalists and reputable herbal businesses. Read books written by herbalists!

Reminders

Lean on your herbal allies! I am well stocked, please email if you’d like to purchase. I can mail, drop off at your house in town, or you can pick up here. Heck I’ll even give you curbside service for refills!

All tinctures are made with herbs I grow myself unless otherwise indicated. Generally, 1 oz bottles are $12-15; 2 oz are $20-28. I also have sliding scale/free options. Here’s a few suggestions:

acute and ongoing nervous system support: lemon balm, passionflower, skullcap, chamomile, lavender, valerian, blue vervain, kava (all of these help sleep too).

herbs that I like in the winter to lift mood: lemon balm, st. john’s wort, mimosa bark and flower, rosemary

herbs that also help mood, but are very grounding: tulsi, milky oats, skullcap, wood betony

For grief: rose, mimosa, hawthorn, milky oats

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don’t know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

As a reminder, I am planning to host a workshop at my farm in Berea this Saturday on perimenopause and herbal support. Here’s the plan:

• Deep dive into vitex, black cohosh, and other key herbs to support the hormonal transition, including blends for hot flashes, insomnia, and mood

• Tour our gardens and forest to meet plant allies

• Harvest vitex berries and make tincture

• Meet other like-minded folks in a relaxed and supportive setting!

*accessing my garden requires a very short hike down a hill (and back up again) through the forest. I can also drive folks down there who have limited mobility, please let me know how I can accommodate you!

Also, I am offering a limited number of discounted tickets to the workshop to ensure everyone who wants to come can attend, so please contact me if a lower price means you would be able to come.

Buy tickets for Oct 11

The next couple of months are filled with herbal goodies! I am grateful that the weather has turned and we can enjoy being outside, with abundant herbs to harvest, medicine to make, and bodies to nurture before the winter season!

The theme of most of my educational offerings this year has been on hormone health. Herbal medicine has much support to offer, both alongside conventional therapies and as alternative options.

If you’re in the midst of hormone hell, or expect to be soon, you should come to some of my workshops! I will be talking about herbal options to support the menstrual cycle, particularly when things go awry, like in PMS and perimenopause.

I hope you can join me for one or both of these sessions!

Upcoming Workshops

Sunday, September 28th - Top 5 herbal remedies to support hormone health

• 2:00 pm at the Goldenrod Gathering, Irvine, KY

Buy Goldenrod Gathering tickets here!

Saturday, October 11th - Herbal support for perimenopause and menopause

- 10:00 AM at my farm in Berea, KY

• Deep dive into vitex, black cohosh, and other key herbs to support the hormonal transition, including blends for hot flashes, insomnia, and mood

• Tour the Scorpion Hollow gardens and forest to meet plant allies

• Harvest vitex berries and make tincture

• Meet other like-minded folks in a relaxed and supportive setting!

  Buy tickets for Oct 11

I am just returning from a trip to the Northeast for a best friends wedding….what a wonderful break from Kentucky weather! My heart is full with good memories with dear friends, loon calls (its worth the trip north for the loons alone!), and refreshing lake swims. Meanwhile, the garden is totally out of control and for once I think I’m ok with it. The vegetables seem to care less about the weeds, so why should I?

Please enjoy a few farm scenes and check out the event lists - there are quite a few things happening this month!

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• Thursday, August 7th, 10-11AM, Berea - Kid-friendly herbal tea blends, with Berea Kids Eat at Glades Community Garden (530 Glades Rd, Berea). We will tour the garden, use our senses to experience the herbs, and then make a batch of tea.

• Saturday, August 16th, Berea - A deeper dive into herbal hormone support with a focus on detoxification and digestion. Participants will learn about the importance of digestion and the role of the liver in healthy hormone production and folks will make a personal tea or tincture blend to take home. Read more by clicking on the link below and register here.

• August workshops hosted through Bread & Butter First Aid in Lexington:

  • Menses, Menopause, Black Cohosh (Tues Aug 19, 6-8p): Join clinical herbalist Lauren for a close look, taste, and feel of our friend black cohosh! We’ll discuss the plant’s history of use as a companion across the lifespan, what the plant can teach us about our relationship to land, and ethical considerations for harvesting and use.

  • Art of Tea (Wed Aug 20, 6-8:30p): What is a cup of tea in times like these? Sip and chat with Melissa about how infusions and decoctions have been known to support people through mental, emotional, and physical distress—and how these cups may hearten us in the years to come. Leave with recipes for reciprocity with our plant kin & tisanes to share among friends.

  • Register for the Bread and Butter workshops here. Location information will be provided upon registration.

• Sunday, September 28th is the annual Goldenrod Gathering - Buy your tickets now for THE herbal event of the year!

  

Leave a comment

Reminders

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

One of the cool things about having so many different plants in the garden is that some will do exceptionally well while the others struggle. Its always like this in one way or another. I made the video to show one area of my garden that is doing well, mostly because the Elderflowers, St. John’s Wort, and red clover are really showing off right now. And the milky oats are very milky!

Its always difficult to plan workshops without knowing in advance what is going to be blooming on the actual workshop day. That’s one reason I try to make the workshop topics general enough, so I have some flexibility! The good news is that there are several reproductive/hormone health herbs that at their peak right now - motherwort, red clover, raspberry, mugwort, yarrow, milky oats, and rose - and those will be some of the main ones we focus on/harvest this saturday.

Which reminds, me, I have one spot left for this Saturday’s workshop! Read more here:

I am excited to be able to share that I am feeling better (enough) to host workshops on our farm! I’ve been wanting to do a workshop on the solstice for a while, so the first workshop is going to be on Saturday, June 21st. Its going to focus on “hormone and menstrual health” which is the area that I have specialized in for the last 8 years or so. This first class is designed as an overview, and subsequent classes will dig into specific issues in more detail. Please keep reading to learn more!

It has been interesting to see how the plants have responded to our overly wet weather, an early “last frost date,” hailstorms, and severe wind. It can also make workshop planning a challenge, because I can’t look to last year’s calendar for bloom times. For example, we could traditionally count on St. John’s Wort to flower around the solstice, but because we saw our last frost here sometime in March (?), the St. John’s Wort it is blooming NOW. Weird! Elder and meadowsweet are in full flower, but the calendula has barely started. The basil leaves are shredded from hail and don’t love the water and coolder temps. Some of the mint-family plants like oregano are so water logged they have turned yellow. The chamomile and clary sage melted in the rain. But I think the bee balm is going to have an amazing year!

The garden is a continuous science and patience experiment, and Kentucky has become ground zero for the climate crisis. We must continue to build community, and coming to one of my workshops is a great way to meet likeminded folks and foster resilience!

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• At our farm in Berea! Saturday, June 21st 10AM - An introduction to the apothecary garden for hormone and menstrual health. Read more by clicking on the link below and register here.

• For KIDS at the Berea Urban Farm: Medicinal Plants and Play – Saturday, June 21, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM

  Children ages 2–7 are invited to explore healing plants through play with educator Sacha Louise. Bring a stuffed animal or doll for hands-on First Aid role play. A fun and interactive way to learn about nature’s remedies.

  Cost: Free for children and their accompanying adults
  Register here: https://www.sustainableberea.org/event-details-registration/medicinal-plants-and-play

• Save the date for THE herbal event of the year - Sunday, September 28th is the annual Goldenrod Gathering. Tickets are on sale now! I’m one of the event organizers and I’m also teaching a workshop.

  

Herbs

• I just published this article about mint family plants and the MAJOR benefits they have on health. Challenge yourself to eat or drink a mint family plant every day!

Leave a comment

Reminders

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Each class will include education about the menstrual cycle and related health topics, handouts, medicine-making instructions, hands-on time with plants, and herbal remedies to take home. Each class builds on the knowledge learned in previous classes, but is also accessible as a stand-alone class.

*for the workshops held at my farm, accessing my garden requires a very short hike down a hill (and back up again) through the forest. I can also drive folks down there who have limited mobility, please let me know how I can accommodate you!

Sunday, September 28th - Top 5 herbal remedies to support hormone health - at the Goldenrod Gathering

Buy Goldenrod Gathering tickets here!

Saturday, October 11th - Herbal support for perimenopause and menopause

• Deep dive into vitex, black cohosh, and other key herbs to support the hormonal transition, including blends for hot flashes, insomnia, and mood

• Tour the Scorpion Hollow gardens and forest to meet plant allies

• Harvest vitex berries and make tincture

• Meet other like-minded folks in a relaxed and supportive setting!

Buy tickets for Oct 11

Past workshops

Saturday, June 21st - An introduction to the apothecary garden for hormone and menstrual health

10AM - Noon

• A plant walk around the garden that will give you a basic introduction on how to use herbs to address common menstrual and hormonal complaints like cramps, PMS, irregular cycles, and heavy bleeding

• Herbs you’ll interact with: motherwort, nettle, raspberry, yarrow, valerian, mugwort, lemon balm, Lady’s mantle, rose, comfrey, ginger, dandelion, yellow dock, skullcap, vitex, St. John’s Wort, and more!

• A medicine-making activity based on what is ready to harvest. Examples: rose tincture, lemon balm glycerite, nettle vinegar

Saturday, August 16th - A deeper dive into the hormonal cycle: The role of the liver and digestion for hormones and cycle support

• Learn about our body’s natural detoxification systems

• Learn recipes for medicinal blends you can make at home to support the beautiful work your liver and digestive system are already doing:

  • For PMS

  • Digestion/microbiome support

  • Skin health

• Craft your own liver-supporting tea or tincture blend to take home

• Sample herbs: Dandelion, Burdock, Artichoke, Yellow dock, Milk thistle, Turmeric

Where: Berea, at the Home Sweet Home Midwifery office off Chestnut St.

Cost: $40, includes herbal medicine to take home, educational materials, and herbal tea at the workshop

Summary: Plants in the mint family tend to be rich with medicinal components, and are especially great at supporting our immune and nervous systems. They can do everything from cure a cold to kill cancer cells and improve memory. Many cultures place a strong emphasis on mint family plants, from Za’atar (Origanum syriacum) in Palestine to the Italian classic basil. (Perhaps a reason the Mediterranean diet is so healthy?)

One of the most fascinating chemicals in these mint family plants is rosmarinic acid. It has been widely studied for a variety of ailments, and is especially interesting for its beneficial impact on the immune and the nervous systems. There are lots of other beneficial chemicals in these plants as well, especially the aromatic ones, and they often work in synergy with the rosmarinic acid to provide powerful medicine! While herbalists generally don’t reduce plants to isolated chemicals (that’s a pharmacist’s job) it can be interesting and helpful to see how families of plants are linked by common chemicals.

Here’s a list of mint-family plants that grow well here that are rich in rosmarinic acid, starting with the plants that have it in the highest concentrations (source: Duke’s Phytochemical database1). Make it a point to eat and drink them!

• Self-heal/heal-all - Prunella vulgaris**

• Oregano - Origanum vulgare

• Garden Sage - Salvia officinalis

• Lemon balm - Melissa officinalis

• Spearmint - Metha spicata**

• Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

• Clary sage - Salvia scalarea

• Marjoram - Origanum majorana

• Apple mint Mentha x rotundifolia**

• Peppermint Mentha x piperita

• Thyme Thymus vulgaris

• Summer Savory Satureja hortensis

• Ground ivy - Glechoma hederacea**

• Bee balm -Monarda fistulosa*

• Basil - Ocimum basilicum

• Bee balm - Monarda didyma*

• Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia

• Korean mint: Agastache rugosa

• Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis

• Perilla/Shiso - Perilla frutescens**

• Catnip - Nepeta cataria

*native

**Can naturalize in KY and be found growing in the wild (so be careful where you plant it!), weedy, may be invasive

Deeper Dive

Rosmarinic acid is a badass chemical. Here’s some of what we know about it, based on scientific research:

• Strong antioxidant activity

• Inhibits the death of neuronal cells/neuroprotective

• Antidepressant

• Protects against Alzheimer’s amyloid-β peptide induced neurotoxicity in cell cultures

• Limits the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals

• Anti-inflammatory

• Reduces pain

• Interacts with T cells to improve immune response to cancer, infection, allergy and autoimmunity, in a way that may be safer than immunosuppressive drugs

• May positively affect sleep by modulating GABA and acetylcholine

• Antimicrobial

• Protects against mitochondrial dysfunction

• Anti-wrinkle effect/promotes collagen production in skin

Let’s dig a little deeper into some of the common mint family plants that are rich in beneficial chemicals:

In a study on common sage (Salvia officinalis) in people with Alzheimer’s disease, the research subjects were given 60 drops / day of a sage extract or a placebo. After 4 months, the people taking sage had significantly better outcomes on cognitive functions than the placebo group (Akhondzadeh et al., 2003). In other words, there’s a reason the plant is called “sage.”

Similarly, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has both a long history of use for memory and nervous system support as well as modern research to support its efficacy in these areas. Maude Grieve (1931) reports:

John Hussey, of Sydenham, who lived to the age of 116, breakfasted for fifty years on [lemon] Balm tea sweetened with honey, and herb teas were the usual breakfasts of Llewelyn Prince of Glamorgan, who died in his 108th year. Carmelite water, of which [lemon] Balm was the chief ingredient, was drunk daily by the Emperor Charles V.

Grieve also references an excerpt from The London Dispensary (1696): “An essence of [lemon] Balm, given in Canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness.”

We’ve known for hundreds of years that lemon balm is good for the brain and nervous system, but what does the research say?

A randomized controlled trial of Iranian high school girls with PMS found a significant decrease in symptoms in the girls taking lemon balm, with further decrease in symptoms after three months (Akbarzadeh et al., 2015). Likewise, Scholey et al. (2014) conducted a study on the mood and cognitive effects of food that contained lemon balm and found that the herb significantly improved the subjects' mood, including lowering anxiety levels.

Several studies have been conducted on lemon balm that show positive improvements in cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s (Noguchi-Shinohara et al., 2020). While the sample sizes in these studies have been relatively small, when this research is coupled with a long history of use for lemon balm (and similar mint family plants high in rosmarinic acid) for memory improvement, we can conclude that lemon balm is an incredibly useful herb for brain health.

There’s plenty more to say, and lots more research to support using these mint-family plants as daily health tonics. We have just scratched the surface, but hopefully it’s enough to encourage you to make a place for these herbs in your life!

How to use?

All the herbs in the list above can be tinctured or used in tea. Many of them also make excellent glycerin extracts. Many plants that you might typically use as a spice also make a great tea. Experiment - try a cup of rosemary tea and see what you think!

References:

• Akbarzadeh, M., Dehghani, M., Moshfeghy, Z., Emamghoreishi, M., Tavakoli, P., & Zare, N. (2015). Effect of Melissa officinalis Capsule on the Intensity of Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms in High School Girl Students. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 4(2), e27001. https://doi.org/10.17795/nmsjournal27001

• Akhondzadeh, S., Noroozian, M., Mohammadi, M., Ohadinia, S., Jamshidi, A. H., & Khani, M. (2003). Salvia officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, 28(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2710.2003.00463.x

• Connelly, A. E., Tucker, A. J., Tulk, H., Catapang, M., Chapman, L., Sheikh, N., Yurchenko, S., Fletcher, R., Kott, L. S., Duncan, A. M., & Wright, A. J. (2014). High-rosmarinic acid spearmint tea in the management of knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Journal of medicinal food, 17(12), 1361–1367. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2013.0189

• Girgenti, A., Picone, P., Buttacavoli, M., Palumbo, L., Naselli, F., Presti, E. L., Pecora, D., Cipollina, C., Annunziata, F., Pinto, A., Tamborini, L., & Nuzzo, D. (2025). Mitochondria-targeted rosmarinic acid: Its role against oxidative damage. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 187, 118114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118114

• Grieve, M. (1931). Lemon Balm. A Modern Herbal. Retrieved from https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/balm--02.html

• Iwahashi, H., Kawashima, Y., Masaki, H., & Taga, A. (2025). Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) Leaf Extract Promotes Endo180 Production in Dermal Fibroblasts and has Antiwrinkle Effect on Human Skin. Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 41(2), e70006. https://doi.org/10.1111/phpp.70006

• Lee et al. Rosemary (rosmarinic acid) In Aggarwal BB, Kunnumakkara AB. (2009). Molecular targets and therapeutic uses of spices. World Scientific, Singapore.

• Luo, C., Zou, L., Sun, H., Peng, J., Gao, C., Bao, L., Ji, R., Jin, Y., & Sun, S. (2020). A Review of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Rosmarinic Acid on Inflammatory Diseases. Frontiers in pharmacology, 11, 153. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00153

• Medicine From the Earth 2020 Conference, Lecture notes.

• Noguchi-Shinohara, M., Ono, K., Hamaguchi, T., Nagai, T., Kobayashi, S., Komatsu, J., Samuraki-Yokohama, M., Iwasa, K., Yokoyama, K., Nakamura, H., & Yamada, M. (2020). Safety and efficacy of Melissa officinalis extract containing rosmarinic acid in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease progression. Scientific reports, 10(1), 18627. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73729-2

• Scholey, A., Gibbs, A., Neale, C., Perry, N., Ossoukhova, A., Bilog, V., … Buchwald-Werner, S. (2014). Anti-Stress Effects of Lemon Balm-Containing Foods. Nutrients, 6(11), 4805–4821. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6114805

• Tubbs, A. S., Kennedy, K. E. R., Alfonso-Miller, P., Wills, C. C. A., & Grandner, M. A. (2021). A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Polyphenol Botanical Blend on Sleep and Daytime Functioning. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(6), 3044. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063044

After my slow ramble through the forest, I was thrilled to find reishi in various stages of fruiting. It was drizzling and misty and an all around excellent time to be in hemlock habitat.

I miss leading hikes and hope to get back to it soon! So, if you’re interested in forest adventures, please fill out this form to be notified if/when I lead something. (I will probably only plan last minute adventures for now - based on how my back is doing).

Medicinally, I find reishi helpful for spring allergies (in double or triple extract form), for gut health and supporting the body in the winter season (in a hot water extract form), and for gentle stress support (in any form).

Making medicine with it can be a little tricky, as one of the main medicinal components, polysaccharides, are not soluble in alcohol (and in fact alcohol can damage them). So the water and alcohol extracts have to be prepared separately and carefully. Traditionally it is made as a hot water extract.

Here’s a link to a short write up on reishi if you’d like to learn more:

Family: Ganodermataceae

Growth form and description: Polypore mushroom growing on dead or dying conifers, usually Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). The mushroom is named after the hemlock. Young mushrooms are conical in shape and become more fan-shaped as they mature.

Top surface: Shiny and shellacked, giving it the classic Reishi sheen (The etymology of Ganoderma are Ganos = sheen; derma = skin.) The young mushroom starts out mostly white in color, as and it grows, the white moves to the outer edge while the edge closest to the tree is reddish in color, with a spectrum of yellow to orange in between. Very mature mushrooms will be almost entirely reddish brown.

Underside and spores: Contains almost invisible white pores when young, becoming more brownish with age. Bruises brown when scratched, and the spore print is brown (Kuo, 2007).

Part used medicinally: Mushroom (fruiting body of the fungus) is considered the most medicinally active (although some companies use a mycelial extract).

Actions: mainly immunomodulatory (regulates/modulates the immune system), which gives it all the rest of of its medicinal properties

Traditional uses: There are no medicinal uses by indigenous peoples in America that are documented for G. tsugae; (at least none that I’ve found, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t used). A very closely related species, Ganoderma lucidum, has been used for at least 2,000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where it is known as the "mushroom of immortality.” G. lucidum is native to Europe and Asia and continues to be used today for a wide range of health benefits, including cancer support.

Modern use: G. tsugae is not used as widely as G. lucidum. David Winston (2007) reports that it does not have all of the profound actions for which G. lucidum is known for, but does have immune-enhancing and anti-inflammatory properties. However, due to its close relationship to G. lucidum, G. tsugae has been studied scientifically for anti-allergenic, immunomodulation, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory actions. For example, research by Chen et al. (2015) found that its triterpenes help modulate the allergenic response. Additionally, its polysaccharides (the water soluble parts - which means tea is probably better here) benefit the gut microbiome by acting as a pre-biotic, promoting healthy bacteria (see Zhang, 2023 for a summary of research).

References:

Kuo, M. (2007). 100 Edible Mushrooms. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.

Winston, D. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Chen, M.-L., Hsieh, C.-C., Chiang, B.-L., & Lin, B.-F. (2015). Triterpenoids and Polysaccharide Fractions of Ganoderma tsugae Exert Different Effects on Antiallergic Activities. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/754836

Zhang H, Zhang J, Liu Y, Tang C. Recent Advances in the Preparation, Structure, and Biological Activities of β-Glucan from Ganoderma Species: A Review. Foods. 2023 Aug 7;12(15):2975. doi: 10.3390/foods12152975. PMID: 37569244; PMCID: PMC10419088.

If you store upright and out of heat and sun, your tinctures will last many years, although the rubber top of the dropper bottle may degrade in 2-3 years, depending on care.

TAKING TINCTURES

Dosage/Dropperfuls: Squeeze the rubber bulb as much as possible to squeeze the air/liquid out of it, insert the tip into the bottle well beneath the liquid level, and release. This creates a “dropperful”, (even though the dropper is only half full). The “dropperful” measurement we use is approximately 20 drops, which is also the equivalent of approximately 1 ml. 5 ml = 1 tsp

Ingestion Methods: Some of the tinctures we make have grain alcohol as a base (it helps extract the most medicine from the plants), so be prepared for this on your tissues. Try a few drops on the tongue, or underneath it. This will give you a better sense of the herb, both in taste and effect. The longer you hold the alcohol in your mouth, the faster the herbs will find your blood. This method of direct to the tongue and holding/swishing is best for acute or immediate needs like headaches and emotional distress.

Most folks get their tincture dose by diluting it into water or another liquid. A shot glass is easy way to take them.

First of all, I hope to see you at the Feral Folk market this Sunday at West 6th’s Farm in Frankfort. (scroll down for more info). I’ll be hanging out at the information table - please come say hi!

I am still working through my back pain and related issues, and therefore have to cancel my plans for having a series of workshops here this summer. Instead, I am hoping to host women’s health workshops at the Home Sweet Home midwifery office in Berea. I’ll send out a separate update when we get those plans finalized.

So what’s up with my back? Among several issues with my spine, I have Spondylolisthesis - which is perhaps the most difficult word to pronounce for something that basically means one of my vertebrae has slipped forward and out of place. When the neurosurgeon gave me this news last week, it was a lot to take in, especially when she explained that a spinal fusion is the only way to fix it; however, the goal is to prolong the need for surgery as long as possible by trying to manage the pain.

I started to freak out a bit, and then I remembered that I have beat challenging diagnoses before. More than 15 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and about 5 years ago I was diagnosed with a rare disease - Eosinophilic Esophagitus (EE). I believe both of those cases were tied to a food allergy (wheat/gluten), and the medical solution was to have me take meds for life when all I really needed was an elimination diet! In the case of EE, even the medical literature supported an elimination diet, but it’s not recommended by most doctors because it doesn’t have good patient compliance.

This is an important point - patient compliance is a huge issue. It takes a lot of time to figure things out, and often a lot of money too, and I know that not everyone has access to those resources. (which is also why I’m passionate about free clinics - scroll down to bottom of email for more on this).

Thankfully, I found the work of Dr. Stuart McGill, who uses a patient-directed approach to healing back pain. He has a very specific list of movement recommendations and a core strengthening protocol that he has used to successfully treat 95% of the patients in his clinic without surgical intervention. I have been doing the McGill protocol for a few weeks and have gone from not being able to walk without pain to being able to walk about 30 minutes. (Its amazing how quickly life can change and you’re celebrating a 30 minute walk when you used to walk 30 miles in a weekend).

For folks who suffer from back pain who are interested in learning more, please listen to McGill’s interview on the Huberman Lab podcast. I am frustrated that none of the medical practitioners I have encountered are familiar with his methods (he’s Canadian), but I am glad his book and videos are easy to follow!

Herbally, I am taking St. John’s Wort tincture, which helps calm the sciatic nerve, and solomon’s seal, which helps support the discs. I am also using a combination of St. John’s Wort and Arnica oil extract topically. I’ve found all of these preparations very helpful and frequently recommend them to others.

Finally, I want to shout out some love to my wonderful friends who are supporting me in a variety of ways. Just this week, my friend Lisa came to visit and prepped and planted our high tunnel with peppers - I am so grateful! We were thrilled to find some kingsnakes mating (or something?) when we pulled back the silage tarps! Kingsnakes eat copperheads, so I am always excited when I see them around. A good omen.

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• Sunday, May 11th, the Feral Folk market is the THE event of the season!! I’ll be volunteering at the information table and happy to answer all your herbal questions!

• Tuesday, May 13th is KY Gives Day! This year, I’m raising money for the Sheltowee Trace Association, where I serve as a board member. The Sheltowee Trace is the long distance hiking trail that runs through the Daniel Boone National Forest and into Big South Fork. I’ve spent a lot of time on this trail over the years, it’s very near and dear to my heart. Due to all the federal budget cuts, organizations like the Sheltowee Trace that exist to preserve and protect our trail systems are more important than ever. Hiking has always been a mainstay of my herbal practice because it brings me into being with all the shady forest herbs and the natural environment.

Garden

• I have skullcap (S. icana and maybe laterifolia - both medicinal), wood mint, elderberry, a bee balm (Monarda bradburnia), milk thistle, motherwort, meadowsweet, St. John’s Wort, and cutleaf coneflower for sale now - you can reply to this email if you want to buy some! I will also have a variety of interesting and medicinal basils available in a couple of weeks.

• Here’s a separate post about how to grow some of these herbs and a link to a more detailed spreadsheet if you really want to nerd out:

Herbs

• I recently published this post about mutual aid and community care, which is a really important part of my herbal work. You can read all about it here:

Leave a comment

Reminders

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Last fall when the hurricane hit the mountains, I got together with local herbalists/medicine makers Leah Van Winkle and Bugz Fraugg, and we had a big medicine-making and bottling session to send a very large box of tinctures (about $1500 retail value) and other herbal supplies to Aflorar Herbal Collective in Asheville. From there, Aflorar distributed the herbs to community members and stocked their apothecary for future needs.

When the floods hit EKY last month we were activated again. Thanks to Bugz’ strong connections with the mutual aid community, we received some financial support from Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, which allowed us to buy containers for more herbal medicine making. We had a medicine-making party in my kitchen, and made several nervous system supporting blends, a throat spray, a first aid salve, and a muscle salve.

The medicine-making was in preparation for a wellness event and herbal clinic at Hemphill Community Center in Letcher county. While I wasn’t able to attend the event, it was well supported herbally with Bugz and Leah, who distributed herbal medicine and served as a supportive ear for the folks from the community who had health concerns. They were joined by Kyra Higgins, who offered a flag dancing workshop to bring in some beauty and gentle, meditative physical movement that nicely rounded out the day’s wellness offerings. The day also received support from June who acted as a host welcoming participants and helping with the song circle that closed out the day.

We have plenty of medicine to distribute to community members in need, so please reach out if you know of organizations or people who would appreciate herbal support.

( *native )

• Elderberry cuttings*

• Motherwort

• Cutleaf coneflower aka sochan*

• Milk thistle

• Meadowsweet

• Tulsi basil and several other basils

• Spilanthes aka toothache plant aka buzz buttons

• Skullcap (several species)*

• Bee balm (several species)*

• St. John's Wort

• Sage

Pickup in Berea; large orders I am willing to deliver to you in Berea, Richmond, Lexington, Louisville

To assist with your planting, here’s the link to my spreadsheet of medicinal herb growing info - includes everything from seed-starting to where to plant in your garden.

Here are a few more quick tips for some of the easiest to grow perennial herbs, along with pictures of the plants at the stage I’m selling them:

Note: all of these plants that handle heavy/clay soil well:

• Meadowsweet: full sun, can tolerate clay soil, likes wet areas, great for pollinators. Flowers make wonderful medicine for inflammation and gut healing (especially in tea) but they are so pretty and well loved by insects you may have trouble harvesting them (I certainly do!).

  

• Motherwort: full sun but can also handle part shade, widely soil tolerant, will spread by seed, good for garden edges, recommend not planting in cultivated garden beds, great for pollinators. When plants pop up in unwanted areas, just pull them and tincture the leaves for medicine - many uses related to its calming effect on the nervous system and bitter flavor that supports digestive system.

  

• Cutleaf coneflower/sochan: seems to do best in part shade, moist to wet soil, will spread mainly through rhizomes but also through seed. You will want a decent size patch for the edible greens.

  

• Elderberry: can handle wet mucky soils, easy to grow but make sure to keep watered until established. will grow in part shade but makes the best berries in full sun and soil with high organic matter. Makes a great planting next to a chicken coop.

  

• Valerian: widely soil tolerant, tends to blow its seeds all over the garden and so you may find it popping up in areas many feet away from the original plant, but it is not aggressive about it. Just pull up the plants where they aren’t wanted to and tincture the roots for use in pain, muscle spasm, and relaxation and sleep support.

  

• meadows of echinacea, butterfly weed, joe pye weed, boneset, lobelia, yarrow and native St. John’s wort

• forest habitats of mayapple, Solomon’s seal, wild yam, pipsissewa, wintergreen, and Monotropa

• shaded forest gardens of ginseng, goldenseal, spikenard, blue cohosh, black cohosh, wild ginger

Currently conservation projects:

• ongoing management/removal of invasive species, mostly through hand pulling and smothering

• planting small plots with black cohosh, goldenseal, and ginseng

• incorporation of lots of organic matter, cover cropping, and mindful mowing to build soil, conserve water, and encourage a variety of habitats for all life forms

Appendix A: Solubility of specific constituents (for folks for want to nerd out a bit more)

· Polysaccharides: like those found in mushrooms and Astragalus – most soluble in hot water

· Alkaloids: like those found in goldenseal, lobelia, passionflower – most soluble in alcohol, also soluble in water and vinegar but to a lesser degree

· Mucilage: found in slippery elm and marshmallow – most soluble in cold water

· Flavonoids: most are water and alcohol soluble

· Tannins: like those found in black tea and red raspberry leaf – most soluble in glycerin (use 5-10% in extract) and hot water, many are also soluble in alcohol

· Volatile oils: like those found in lavender or peppermint – most soluble in alcohol, oil; decently soluble in glycerin

· Resins: like those found in Calendula or pine pitch – most soluble in alcohol, hot oil

· Glycosides: water and alcohol

· Saponins: gives some herbs a soapy quality like wild yam and American Ginseng - water and alcohol

Medicine making notes:

• When an herb has both tannins and alkaloids, the tannins will bind with alkaloids to form an insoluble compound, unless glycerin is used to bind the tannin, thus preventing it from precipitating.

  • Example: yellow dock, add 10% glycerin to the tincture to hold tannins in solution

  • Here’s an excellent resource from Michael Moore

My favorite resources for more specific instructions on tincturing, ratios and % alcohol:

1. The 1983 edition of The British Herbal Pharmacopeia (can be hard to find used, but worth scouting ebay)

2. The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook by James Green (a must have for anyone that makes herbal medicine)

3. Michael Moore’s Materia Medica, found online for free here: http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/MatMed5.pdf

While winged insects are of course critical for pollination, I’m mostly here to talk about birds. I have been keeping bird records for the last 5 years. It started with the magical song of the wood thrush and the quirky chirping of the summer tanager, which are both distinct calls and easy for beginners to learn. We are especially blessed to have the wood thrushes here - they return to the same place year after year, within a mile radius or so. They have arrived here every year between April 13 - 21. I haven’t heard them yet (as I write this on April 17), but I expect to at any moment.

Fun fact: the wood thrush are incredibly important for herbal medicine (and the ginseng economy) because they help disperse ginseng seeds in the fall. Meanwhile, the summer tanagers are mostly insect eaters, although they do chow down on berries in late summer. Both of these species rely on intact, mature forests in both the tropics and in the eastern US, so they are declining in number.

here’s a video from a few years ago of the summer tanager:

The species declines would suggest that we need more environmental protections rather than less, but more executive orders have just been released that are designed to dismantle some of our most important environmental protections - the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In addition, a notice was just published to rescind the Public Lands Rule. It remains to be seen how these removals will impact our public lands and the birds and other species that rely upon them. I alternate between hope and despair.

Hopeful Lauren thinks: There are ethical land managers and loggers that truly care about forest health. They can continue to log responsibly without federal protections. We have been successful in the past at organizing locally to protect habitat and stop bad logging projects. Just because there aren’t federal protections doesn’t mean we can’t have local ones. It will be more important than ever for private landowners to be good stewards.

(I will leave the despair out of this thread).

In the meantime, we can turn off our outdoor lights at night (to support bird migration) and grow more plants that can nurture both the winged creatures and humans. Some of my top native plants that are easy to care for and provide lots of food and medicine for many creatures:

• Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) and Aronia berry (Aronia melanocarpa): immune support, super antioxidants

• Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata): delicious edible leaves

• Bee balm (Monarda didyma, Monarda fistulosa): similar to oregano, makes a great tea

• Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum and other species): very strong minty flavor for tea

• Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria): gut healer, anti-inflammatory, smells amazing

Let me know if you would like to plant any of these! (I’m selling some).

I hate to start the newsletter on a down note, but because my physical health is having such a big impact on my herbal work right now, I think it’s important to be honest about what’s up. I’m in the midst of a rough flare-up of back, hip, and sciatic pain that’s left me mostly unable to physically work with herbs and plants for the past month. I had big spring plans—medicine making, plant sales, workshops—but for now, a lot of that is on hold until I can walk without pain.

(Side note: if anyone is interested in trading herbs, consults, or supplements for garden help, please let me know! My native meadow area needs some love. Must be solid at invasive ID and ready to wrangle some Japanese honeysuckle and winter creeper.)

This setback has been hard, but I’m hopeful about healing and incredibly grateful to have a partner whose full-time job supports us with income and health insurance while I recover. I keep thinking: what happens to self-employed folks who are single and can’t work? Especially when something like this hits during the most vital time of year—spring planting season. With Medicaid and other public programs under threat, and our healthcare system already a mess, it’s deeply concerning, to say the least.

All of this makes me even more committed to continuing my community clinic work. While I haven’t been able to do much physically, I did recently host a medicine-making gathering in support of the Hemphill Community Center in Neon, where folks have been hit by flooding—again and again. Several amazing Berea-based herbalists and artists helped host a Wellness Day there last Saturday. I’ll share more on that in a post soon.

This health challenge has humbled me. It’s reminded me how isolating and brutal chronic pain can be. I feel that irritated sciatic nerve constantly, and the pain wears on my nervous system—I’m edgier, more easily overwhelmed, and struggling to focus. Tulsi, milky oats, and ashwagandha have been my go-tos for softening the edges and tending to my nervous system. (All three grow beautifully in Kentucky, by the way—now’s a great time to plant your oats!)

Even with all this, I’ve got some exciting plans in the works—and I’ll go ahead and share them in this newsletter, with hope that healing is on the way.

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• The Whippoorwill Festival is returning April 25-27 and the schedule is posted! I’m scheduled to teach Herbal Medicine Making, and some of my good herbal buddies are teaching as well - Leah Van Winkle is teaching about Thai Herbal Compresses and Melissa Calhoun is leading a plant walk. There are several other plant and health related workshops and lots of other things that you don’t want to miss!!

• April schedule for Berea College Forest. Don’t miss the wildflowers at Anglin Falls!

• I made plans for a series of women’s health workshops before I had this pain flare up, so I want to go ahead and tell you about it, but won’t open registration until I feel better. Women’s health is my educational area of specialization and my main clinical focus. I spend most of the winter in a perimenopause education deep dive, and I have lots to share!

Garden

• I am happy to say that all the native perennials that I planted using the “winter sowing method” have germinated! That means I should have skullcap, blue vervain, cardinal flower, wood mint and a few other interesting and hard to find plants available for sale in mid Mayish. I also have elderberry cuttings, valerian, motherwort, and coneflower available for sale now - you can reply to this email if you want to buy some!

Herbs

• Registration has opened for the International Herb Symposium, which is in Cincinnati this year. That’s probably the closest we’re going to get to an international herb conference any time soon! I’m planning to attend.

• Please consider growing and eating Aronia! Aronia melanocarpa is a native shrub that is also called “chokeberry” because its fruit is sour and astringent, causing some pucker in the mouth! It is in the rose family, and many plants in this family are known for their astringent qualities - rose petal, agrimony leaf, raspberry leaf, lady’s mantle, and many more!

  Aronia has the highest amount of antioxidants as any fruit - check out this chart (source):

  

  Needless to say, Aronia is a HIGHLY medicinal food, and has been studied with positive effects in humans for reducing cardiovascular disease markers, reducing inflammation, improving health after heart attack, lowering "bad" cholesterol, helping improve diabetes, and more!

  Some of these research studies included a very small amount of berries ingested per day - as little as 3 berries may give noticeable health benefits! (you can review some of the studies here).

  I hope this inspires you to plant an aronia berry in your yard, especially since it does well in wet areas where other plants might be more difficult to grow. My good friends at Sylvatica Forest Farm have it in stock!!
  

Leave a comment

Reminders

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

We made it to March and thank goddess we have planting season ahead of us! I am super excited to announce my first workshop offering, Sassy Spring Tonics, on March 22nd. The spring equinox is a traditional time to harvest bark and wild greens for medicine. You’ll learn about the medicinal values of wild cherry, sassafras, and nettle (and whatever else is out and about), and get hands-on practice harvesting bark, roots, and nettle. Registration is required - don’t wait because it will likely sell out!

A favor: Would you consider buying your supplements from my online store at Fullscript rather than from Amazon or a big chain? I am picky about quality and I don’t like gimmicks, and this is where I get all my supplements and herbs I can’t grow myself. Anyone can use this link to order vitamins, protein powders, etc. AND you get a 20% discount off the retail price, (permanently) while supporting my business (I get a small % of each sale). You can browse by my "favorites," which are supplements that I have tried and tested on myself or my clients. OR you can browse the full catalogue.

If you’re looking for tinctures, here’s a list of some that I offer directly from my farm. Thank you for considering!

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• March schedule for Berea College Forest. They have meditation and forest bathing hikes. I haven’t made it to one yet, but hope to soon!

• RUX - The Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange applications are due March 10th. If you are passionate about Kentucky, like learning about communities and people doing cool things, and want to develop your leadership skills while making new friends with other badass Kentuckians, then please consider applying! As a RUX alum, I can’t say enough about how awesome it is.

• The Whippoorwill Festival is returning April 25-27! There will be several herbal workshops, and I’m teaching one on medicine making.

Garden

• With the tariffs on Mexico, I am thinking about all the ways that I can grow veggies this summer to preserve for the winter. I am sowing lots of bell peppers and greens right now! Freezing is my favorite method to preserve the harvest because it’s the easiest and gives the best flavor. We cook up big batches of greens and then freeze them for perfect side dishes in winter.

• I am also sowing lots of calendula seed, with plans to host a workshop this summer. I have several wonderful calendula-based skin recipes that I’ve wanted to share with y’all for a while! Fingers crossed for good germination.

Herbs

• I absolutely LOVE in-depth research that forces me to re-think my notions of a particular herb. I recently learned about the work of the late herbalist Stephany Riley. She really digs into the “traditional use” by examining historical records that show how people (mostly women) were actually using herbal medicine in their homes (as opposed to the more formal texts that were mostly written by men). Is red raspberry leaf a “uterine tonic” or is it an Herban Legend? Read this deep dive to learn more!

• Here’s a salve making post that I also love. Hope you enjoy the site!

Books

• I just started reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Jewish and African Americans living in community on the margins of society - it's a book for the times. James McBride is one of the great authors of our time.

• Untelling - the journal from Hindman Settlement School. OK, I’m biased because Bernard has an essay that opens the most recent issue, but I am beyond impressed by the quality of the publication, the visuals, and even the way the pages feel!

I would love to hear what you’re reading!

Leave a comment

Reminders

Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

• I am aiming to release my perfectionist tendencies, and trying hard to not re-read this newsletter a million times before sending it out. Do let me know if there’s a broken link!

Thanks for reading Resilient Roots! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Not all supplements are made equal (and neither are their suppliers). The main reason I use Fullscript is because of its stringent quality controls. These standards ensure products are effective, contain the listed ingredients, and are stored and shipped with standards that maintain product purity.

Sign up for free with my store sign-up link if you want high-quality products and tools to stay on track.