Resilient Roots Report - Winter edition

And some exciting upcoming events!

Hi herbies!

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.

Please excuse the interruption in herbal content to enjoy this tiny turtle I found out and about on one of our warm days last week.

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.

Love this super cute logo for the festival!

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!

I love how they acknowledge they don’t have credentials to validate health claims but still think its OK to make the product! They’re selling cold pressed juice, meaning that its made with fresh berries……………..

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.