The Essential Herbal Blog

Marching in January

2012-01-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

The Mar/Apr issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine is *this* close to shipping off to the printer (and we are so delighted with all the scrumptious stuff you'll find inside!), so I got on my wandering shoes the other day to see what was happening outside. No matter what time of year it is, Mother Nature provides us with some interesting sights to see.
This year in particular, the poor plants seem to be confused, but I'm relatively sure that they'll figure it out by the time spring arrives.
I'm ready for spring. Herb-wise, all the dried herbs are stripped and jarred, tinctures are strained and decanted, and the teas are blended. Soon it will be time to start over again! Well... not really soon, but time is flying.
Here's what I saw out there:
There are lots of beautiful seedheads to be seen. Monarda is a series of tightly bunched tubes.
The echinacea has been picked pretty clean by the finches.
Anise hyssop almost looks like a fat lavender spike in silhouette.
Evening primrose looks like long, thin golden trumpets, and if turned upside down, there are still seeds rattling around in there.
Goldenrod stems are still full of fluffy seeds, like winter white flowers blowing in the wind.
Hayseeds poke up through the reawakening lavender.
Around here, a variety of beautiful cones adorn the many evergreens.
I've been negligent about deadheading the oregano, and now have an enormous patch because of that. It makes the bees so happy that it's hard to cut it back.
The little cup fungus that managed to ride along with last year's mulch is going to have to be turned under this year. In the summer, little black spores shoot up from the cups and attach to whatever is growing above. Not what I had in mind.
The swollen tips of the dogwood branches stand against the sky.
And yet, in the sunnier spots, we have glimpses of spring.
Mugwort pops up between the budding daffodils.
Baby-blue-eyes are throughout the yard.
And one brave, bright dandelion blooms, happily oblivious to the fact that it was under snow last week.
It feels great to get outside and walk around whenever the sky isn't leaking. It's rejuvenating, reduces stress, and helps us to get some vitamin D from the sun. For me, I get the chance to see how all of my plants look at different times of the year, except those darlings that hide away completely under the soil. They'll be greeted like long lost friends in the spring!

Herbal Cheesemaking (The Essential Herbal Mar/Apr '08)

2012-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Originally published in The Essential Herbal Magazine in the Mar/Apr '08 issue, it seems like this is a great time for folks to try something they've been wanting to do for a while. Betsy taught my sister and me to make mozzarella, and nothing compares to homemade!

Herbal Cheesemaking

One of my favorite things to do with fresh herbs is use them to flavor home made cheese. There is nothing better than a crusty piece of French bread, fresh Chevre flavored with basil and garlic, and warm diced tomatoes spread over top! Making soft cheeses is quick, easy, fun, and best of all it requires very little equipment.

The concept of how milk turns into cheese is relatively simple. Milk is mainly made up of water and proteins. To make cheese, you basically have to separate the proteins (curds) from the water (whey) by causing the milk to coagulate. The proteins stick together and form small lumps called curds, which are cut to release any remaining whey and then eventually they form a beautiful ball of soft round white cheese.

Equipment: The only equipment you will need is a stainless steel, glass, or enamel pot (no aluminum, it can make the cheese taste funny), a long knife that reaches to the bottom of your pot, a thermometer (one that measures temperatures as low as 65 degrees), a slotted spoon, and butter muslin. Butter muslin is very similar to cheesecloth but has a finer weave. You could use regular cheese cloth but I would double it up so that you aren’t losing any curds during the draining process. When making cheese it is imperative to make sure that all tools are clean and sterilized to prevent growth of unfriendly bacteria. I boil all of my supplies in a pot for about 5-10 minutes just to make sure everything is completely sterilized.

Ingredients: You will only need three ingredients for my recipes; rennet, culture, and milk. Rennet is used to coagulate milk. It is an enzyme that originally came from the stomach of a calf. How man ever figured out that it would make cheese is a story for another day. These days there is also the option of getting vegetable rennet which is made from, you guessed it, herbs! There are many herbs that can be used to coagulate milk such as bark from the fig tree, lady’s bedstraw, nettles, butterwort, knapweed, and yarrow. I have never been adventurous enough to try making my own rennet though; cheese is enough for me! I buy my rennet from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, a fabulous company. Not only have herbs been used to make cheese, they have also been used to color cheese. Historically, yellow cheeses were desired because they were thought to contain more butterfat. Cheesemakers would add marigold petals, saffron, and hawthorn buds to their cheeses to turn them a beautiful yellow color in order to be able to charge more for their product.

New England Cheesemaking Supply Company also sells direct set cultures for cheese making, which I prefer using over a mother culture. Direct set cultures are more convenient as they are simply a packet of powder that is added to the milk and used to create a specific culture, depending on the type of cheese you want to make. Direct set cultures leave less room for unhealthy bacteria to grow because you are handling it less, and there is no need to keep a mother culture.

As for milk, technically you can use any type of milk straight from the grocery store. You can even use powdered milk. The main thing to remember is that you cannot use ultra-pasteurized milk because it is heated to such a high temperature that it usually will not work and you will end up with some runny looking ricotta. I prefer to use raw milk for my cheese. If you live in an area where raw milk is available I highly recommend trying it, just make sure to purchase it from a reputable farmer. I think it makes a more rich tasting cheese.

Basic Directions: Each cheese recipe is slightly different, but there are really only four basic steps to making soft cheese. Once you become familiar with these basic procedures you can make just about any recipe. To begin, you will heat the milk and add the culture and/or rennet. Next the milk generally left to sit until a curd is formed and well set. You will know once the curd is set because it will start to pull away from the sides of the pot, leaving a clear liquid. This liquid is the whey. You can also stick your finger or curd knife into the cheese. If the curd looks firm and releases a clear, greenish colored liquid when separated, it is set. Once the curds are set they are ready to be cut. You want to use the back (smooth) side of the knife to cut with. (They sell a special knife called a curd knife for this purpose which is smooth on both sides, but I think the back of a regular bread knife works just fine.) You want to slice the curd, sticking the knife the whole way down to the bottom of the pot, and cut acrossed, from left to right, about one inch apart. Then cut the same way but in the opposite direction, so that you end up with square pieces that look like a checker board. Basically, you just want to end up with equal sized pieces of curd about an inch or so in size, this will make it easier for the whey to drain out. Last of all, using the slotted spoon, place the curds in butter muslin or cheese cloth and hang to drain. It’s really that easy!

Basic soft cheese recipe

1 gallon milk

1 packet mesophilic starter culture

salt to taste

1. Heat milk to 72 degrees.

2. Add mesophilic starter culture

3. Cover and let sit for 12-24 hours until firm. (I usually let it set overnight.)

3. Ladle the curds into a strainer lined with butter muslin, tie the corners and hang to dry.

4. Allow the curd to drain 4-6 hours or until desired consistency.

Chevre

Ingredients:

1 gallon goat milk

1 packet direct set Chevre culture

salt to taste

1. Heat milk to 86 degrees.

2. Add Chevre starter culture.

3. Cover and let sit for 12-20 hours until firm. (I usually let it set overnight.)

4. Ladle the curds into a strainer lined with butter muslin.

5. Allow the curd to drain 4-6 hours.

Neufchatel

This cheese is similar to cream cheese but has less fat because it is made with mostly milk and only a small portion of cream.

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole milk

1 pint of heavy cream

1 packet mesophilic starter culture

¼ tablet rennet, diluted in 1/3 cup cool, unchlorinated water

salt to taste

Combine and heat milk to 80 degrees.
Add the starter and gently stir.
Add the rennet and gently stir.
Cover and let sit for 12-18 hours until the curd is set.
Pour the curd into a strainer line with butter muslin, tie the corners and hang the cheese to drain.
Add salt to taste.

Herb Blends

Below are some of my favorite herbs blends. They are formulated for 1 pound of cheese. They can be added to any of the above cheeses after they are done draining. One gallon of milk will make approximately 2 pounds of cheese. This gives you a lot of cheese to experiment with and create your own personal blends!

Blend #1

3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1-2 small garlic cloves, minced

Blend #2

¼-1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped

3 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

Blend #3

1 Egyptian onion, minced

1 ½ tsp fresh sweet marjoram

1 fresh basil leaf

garlic salt to taste

Finishing touches:

I think I love herbal cheeses as much for their aesthetic beauty as for their taste. Instead of blending herbs into the cheese, try forming the cheese into a ball and roll it in herbs such as herbs de province, peppercorns, nuts, dried fruits and berries, or a rainbow of edible flower petals. Garnish with pansies or nasturtiums.

Resources:

Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Caroll is truly the bible for home cheesemakers and will teach you everything you need to know.

I can’t recommend Ricki Carroll’s books, website and catalog enough. She truly is the cheese queen. My goal is to someday be able to stretch mozzarella like Ricki! Check out the great pictures on her web site. She sells a fantastic 30 minute mozzarella kit.

www.cheesemaking.com

New England Cheesemaking Supply
P.O. Box 85 Ashfield, MA 01330
Phone: (413) 628-3808 Fax: (413) 628-4061 Email: info@cheesemaking.com

www.smalldairy.com is also a fabulous resource with tons of information on cheesemaking, cheesemakers, and where to buy supplies.

Betsy May is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Yoga Instructor with a love of all things herbal. She can be reached at betsy.may @hotmail.com.

New from The Essential Herbal Magazine

2012-01-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

We are now offering a digital PDF version of The Essential Herbal Magazine especially for foreign subscribers and others who wish to go paperless. It has taken a couple of years worth of requests (when you may have thought we weren't listening), but we needed to first be sure that making this decision would not endanger our ability to continue printing the magazine. Overwhelmingly, our readers have let us know that they prefer to hold the magazine in their hands and turn the pages, savoring the experience. As long as there is a post office, we'll continue to print.
The postage on foreign subscriptions has almost reached the cost of the subscriptions though, so it is time to reluctantly make this change. New and renewing foreign subscriptions will be PDF version only, while US subscribers may choose either the print or the PDF version.
Otherwise, our 10th anniversary celebration continues with daily drawings from our subscribers through the end of the month. Little surprises (and some big ones) arrive in homes daily, and we're having a lot of fun with it. You can see the winners HERE.
Later this week we expect to be restocking our web shop, since it was decimated prior to the holidays (thank you!) so be sure to check back as we'll post about the new stuff here.
Work here on the farm doesn't slow down much over the winter, even if we aren't planting, weeding, and harvesting. Maryanne's wholesale soap business keeps us hopping as we work to refill the forlorn looking shelves (we're getting there). We just started work on the Mar/Apr '12 issue of The Essential Herbal yesterday, and we've begun a series of herbal classes here as well. We have several off-site lectures and classes scheduled for the next few months and the herb festivals are just over the horizon. In between, we get to play around with new recipes, formulate and test out new products, and just plain keep our hands in the herbs, oils, and scents.
That's it for now. In 10 years we haven't had too many big changes, sticking to our original vision of a grassroots publication of herbalists and herbal enthusiasts sharing information as if sitting around a kitchen table. That will never change. This is one of very few changes, and as we welcome 2012, we're excited to be offering this new option.

Mushroom Ginger Soup from Jan/Feb '12 TEH

2012-01-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

From the current issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine...
Marcy put together an article on delicious, nutritious soups to take us through the winter. Mushroom Ginger was one of the trio of great recipes.

Mushroom Ginger Soup
Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
www.backyardpatch.com

Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory and a good decongestant, and mushrooms can boost your immune response. Now doesn’t that make this a perfect soup to enjoy in the winter.

2 1/2 cups shiitake, white button, maitake, cremini, or oyster mushrooms cut in ¼ inch slices
½ to 1 inch cube fresh ginger (add a bit more if you really love ginger)
4 cups cold water
2 tablespoon white or red miso paste
2 teaspoon rice vinegar (I used a rice vinegar infused with thyme)
2 tablespoon finely chopped scallion or leek

Put mushrooms, ginger, and water in a pot with a lid and bring to a boil, then immediately turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and take out ginger. Put ¼ cup of broth in a bowl and stir in miso paste and vinegar. Top with leeks or scallions.
Stir this mixture back into the pot. Serve topped with scallions. Makes 2 servings

FIRE & ICE BALM

2012-01-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

The following recipe was published in the Nov/Dec '11 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine. There has been some discussion of how wonderful it is on the magazine's email list recently, so Marci gave me permission to post it here to share more widely.

FIRE & ICE BALM
Marci Tsohonis/Monitor, WA.

I’ve been working on this recipe for years, changing and trying to improve it each time. Family members with chronic pain issues were very candid Testers, and motivated me to get it right. I think it’s finally there. I offer blanket credit to every author of all the Herbal books I’ve ever read. This recipe has evolved from all of them, but is a copy of none.
Counter-irritant ingredients confuse pain receptors, temporarily neutralizing the pain of sore muscles, lower back aches, tendonitis, arthritis and other sore spots. A tin of this balm makes a great gift, and is a valuable addition to your medicine cabinet.

This balm is intended to be applied sparingly, and is for short term use.

DIRECTIONS:

Gather the tins or jars you plan to use and place in the area where you’ll make this salve. Instructions below suggest a crock pot, but you can make it successfully on the stove in a Pyrex measuring cup set inside a saucepan.

Chop/Weigh:
6-8 oz. Bee’s Wax

Set aside.

Measure:
4 TBS. (1 oz) Menthol Crystals
2 oz Olive Oil

Combine in tightly sealed jar. Stir well, then set aside, at least overnight.
The Menthol Crystals will slowly dissolve into the oil.

NOTE: I learned the hard way NOT to melt Menthol Crystals into oil with applied heat. Menthol Crystals are unbelievably intense when heated! My entire house smelled like a jar of Vick’s Vapo-Rub for many hours. I learned the proper way to dissolve Menthol Crystals from Dina Falconi in her book, Earthly Bodies, Heavenly Hair.

Combine in small crock pot:
16 oz. Olive Oil
1 TBS. powdered (or 2 broken) Cayenne Peppers, with seeds
1 small-medium hand of fresh Ginger Root, peeled and grated
1 Bay Leaf, broken in pieces

Heat in a small Crock Pot without using lid. Heat on lowest setting (several times) over a period of 1-2 days to evaporate all water content in the Cayenne or Ginger Root. The ideal temperature range is 95-110. If oil tests warmer than that, turn it off for an hour, then repeat. Don’t allow the oil to boil. I have made this balm without infusing the 2 cups of olive oil, when I was in a hurry, but I am sure it has a little extra worthwhile zing when it is infused.

Combine Essential Oils in tightly lidded jar.
1 oz. Eucalyptus Globulus EO
1/2-1 oz. Ginger EO
1/2 oz. Camphor EO
1 oz. Cajeput EO
1/2-1oz Black Pepper EO
1/4-1/2 oz. Wintergreen EO

Set aside.

Arrange tins or jars close together on a tray or cookie sheet, setting the lids around the edges of the tray where they will be easy to grab. As you fill each tin, you’ll immediately lay the lid over it, without pushing down or securing it. This action will help keep the volatile oils from evaporating as the balm cools in the tins.

STRAIN THE 2 CUPS OF INFUSED OLIVE OIL through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, discarding the grated Ginger Root, Cayenne and Bay Leaf. Return the oil to the crock pot, and replace any lost to the cheesecloth, to make 16 oz.

Stir in Bee’s wax. Melt over medium low heat, stirring with wand occasionally, while heating to about 145-149 degrees, at which the Bee’s Wax melts. When the last pieces of Bee’s Wax appear translucent and are almost melted, turn off heat. Stir a couple more times till no Bee’s Wax chunks are visible. Check temperature. When it has cooled to 140 degrees, stir in the Essential oils and the Mentholated Olive oil. Immediately begin ladling into the tins or jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top edge. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before tightening lids or moving the tray.

HINT: Some people prefer to pour the liquid balm into the tins. It cools very quickly during pouring and piles up on the measuring cup spout, adding more work and re-melting. I seem to get it everywhere except into the tins when using that method! I prefer to ladle it into the tins with a small, stainless ladle, even if I’ve used a Pyrex measuring cup to make it.

Upcoming Drawing stuff...The Essential Herbal

2012-01-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

We've been having a blast sending out little love bombs all over the country! Every day we draw a few names randomly from our suppliers and send a little surprise. This week, we have several of our friends joining in the fun!

Today we had a lovely shampoo bar from Aquarian Bath to give away as well as a few of our own little things.
Later this week, we'll have a couple of e-books from Diane Kidman, herb blends from Backyard Patch, a gift basket from Sagescript, and a book from SunRose Aromatics.
Yesterday, a lucky winner got a felted hat from ReWoolables!
Everyday we also draw 3 names to send small trinkets to - usually a notepad or a spot of tea :-) You can keep up with who is winning HERE.
Good luck everyone, and thank you for subscribing to The Essential Herbal magazine and helping us celebrate our 10th anniversary!

Freeze Frame

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot going on around here at The Essential Herbal for the last few weeks. Getting the magazine and orders out were quickly followed by a couple of days of the upper respiratory crud that's going around, and then we moved on to organizing the celebration of the magazine's anniversary (10!) and year end stuff.
Doesn't it just figure that even though we've been having a never-ending autumn here, the first chance I'd get to go play with the camera my daughter gave me would be on about the first frigid day outside?
The chickweed and cleavers that were happy and healthy yesterday, are mushy now. The nettles are also finally going to get a rest. The lilac bush that leafed out last week might have some time to straighten herself out.
There's a lot of interesting stuff along the edge of the yard.
The windbreak is made up of large conifer trees. They grow fast.
The douglas firs have shaggy cones that when young, confuse me because they look a lot like bag worms. Only when they mature am I certain that they are cones.
Concolor firs are a gorgeous blue-ish tint, and their terminal end looks like a flower.
I think this one loaded with cones is a canaan fir, but I'm not certain.
There are still some vitex berries on the tree out back. The birds have never eaten the berries before, but this year they had a few. Coincidentally, suddenly many of the women around me are needing these fruits, and of course the birds decide to enjoy them too. There were plenty for everyone, though. I will have to watch more closely to see if perhaps specific birds have arrived because of this plant that wasn't there 5 years ago or if they just developed a taste for it.

The horehound is unconcerned as the temperatures dip, and if I recall correctly, there will be some leaves through most of the winter for my teas and syrups. Last year was her first year in my border and although I don't like the taste much, it works very well on coughs and chesty issues.

The sage is wearing her winter coat. I harvested very heavily this year - twice! The leaves just kept pushing, and looking at the plant now one might wonder if any harvesting had taken place. The leaves were not this hairy in the summer.
This wee yard weed - I think veronica - is just starting to freeze at the tips of the tiny leaves.
Soon enough, everything will get a blanket of snow. There have been a few years when we've gotten no snow, but I suspect once this winter gets rolling it we'll forget all about how many people cut their trees in shorts this year. In '10, it didn't snow at all until February, and then we had some hum-dingers. That Nature, she keeps us guessing!

The Essential Herbal 10th anniversary drawing.

2012-01-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

If you are a subscriber, you will want to bookmark this page. The winners will be listed by first name, last initial, and state. There will be at least 3 winners a day. New and renewing subscribers during the month will be added as they come in.
Jan 1
Colleen Mc MO
Tizi B CA
Karen M MI

Jan 2
Jeannice P NM (gift from Mary Ellen Wilcox)
Geraldine S OH
Robin H CA

Jan 3
Kurt B, TX
Robyn V, AZ
Kristine D, TX

Jan 4
Neena M, UT
Shirley U, IN
Kathy G, KS
and.... winner of "Herbs Gone Wild" e-book by Diane Kidman is
Katrina M of British Columbia - but I need an updated email addy (if you read this Katrina)

Jan 5
Stacy H, TX
Gale L, MA
Jill B, IA
and, winning Mintea Mania from Blessed Maine Herbs (http://www.blessedmaineherbs.com/herbteablends1.html) is...
Diane Van S, OR

Jan 6
Kathy A, MD ( "Herbs Gone Wild" e-book by Diane Kidman )
Vicki N, OK
Cathy W, NY
Julie R, TX

Jan 7
Julie P, ID (Herbal Roots Calendar!)
Carmila V, GA
Monica S, Ont. CA
Susan McM, CA

Jan 8
Janice R, FL
Carolyn L, TN
Susan W, SC

Jan 9
First up, winner's choice of felted hat or slippers from Marni at ReWoolables to Peggy F, WI
and 3 from us
Lynn P, AL
Diane W, PA
Carol G, OH

Jan 10
Winning a shampoo bar from Aquarian Bath is D Currington, CA
And the other three from us
Rebecca M, PA
Michele L, MN
Roxanne B, MI

Jan 11
Kathleen S, NY
Pat D, M
Kathleen M, MO
and 2 e-book winners (Diane Kidman's Herbs Gone Wild)
Gary M, CA
JoAnn P, PA

Jan 12
The first prize is a selection of herb blends from Marcy at Backyard Patch. It goes to Ann M, CA
Our other three draws are:
Jackie J, WI
DJ M, OH
Sandra M, MT

Jan 13
First up, Julie T, WA who wins a gift basket from Sagescript Institute, and Colorado Aromatics
The 3 from us:
Sue-Ryn B, NY
Lalanya B, IA
Jenn C, OR

Jan 14
Today we have a copy of Chakra Balancing from SunRose Aromatics going out to Linda J-R, CO
Our three are:
Mary R, NE
Gael A, CA
Megan U, NJ

Jan 15
Kathryn P, ME
Ann G, PA
Michelle L, NV
Muriel T, VA

Jan 16
Lou H, MN won Royal Velvet culinary lavender from www.bjslavender.com
Our other winners are:
Britta C, IL
Kathleen St, CA
Dee H, MO

Jan 17
First, there are 2 winners for Diane Kidman's e-book, Herbs Gone Wild
Penny G, AR|
Terrie S, CA
Then 3 winners of TEH gifts
Tamara F-I, KS
Sharon B, OR
Lorna H, ME

Jan 18
First, we have 1 winner of "Through the Wild Heart of Mary" from Blessed Maine Herb Farm's Gail Edwards, which goes to
Evelyn J, NY
Three TEH prizes go to:
Debi B, TX
Carey J, NY
Suzan S, AL

Jan 19
Margaret E, NE
Hilary B, AZ
Renee M, MS

Jan 20
Barbara M, WA
Carmen R, TX
Mabel C, NJ

Jan 21
Kristie N, CO
Lise W, OR
Leslie L, NY

Jan 22
Bj R, VA
Karen C, MO
Tracy A, NJ

Jan 23
Elizabeth D, NC
Carl S, WI
Sherry E, MN

Jan 24
April S, MN
Beth H, PA
Pauline M, RI

Jan 25
Jan 26
Jan 27
Jan 28
Jan 29
Jan 30
Jan 31

The Essential Herbal - Looking back, looking ahead

2012-01-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

As we roll over into a new year, it's hard not to look back just a little bit further. In the last third of my life, changes have occurred that have been so immense that it is difficult to comprehend sometimes. A huge portion of the population never knew a world that didn't include the internet, cell phones, cable tv, texts, email, or any of the other instant forms of communication. These things have changed our world in a way that makes it almost impossible to remember "before".

I used to marvel that my grandmother lived in a world that progressed from horses and carriages to rocket ships. I wondered how a person could be flexible enough to embrace that much change.
Scurrying around yesterday trying to tie up loose year-end tasks for The Essential Herbal magazine, I started thinking about how much the act of running a business has changed over the years.
My mother started a business when I was little. I can remember that she purchased a rubber stamp that she used to make postcards to send to prospective customers, since you couldn't just print something out in multiple copies. She had a paper cutter, and that made her pretty upscale. All bills and payments went through the mail, and she sent her deposits to the bank via the mail. It took a week or more for them to show up in her account, but that didn't matter too much because everything was slower.
Later, my sister and I started a business. It was a retail herb shop at a renaissance faire (later expanded to a full-time independent shop), and finding sources to stock our shop was a real challenge. We phoned or wrote letters (on company letterhead, if you please) to companies to ask if they wholesaled and if so, could we please have a catalog. We traveled to wholesale shows. We scoured trade magazines. People protected their sources with a zeal that is unimaginable these days. I remember another vendor at the faire who cut all identifying printing off boxes before putting them out for trash pick-up.
Records were kept on hand-written ledgers and totaled by hand with an adding machine that had long rolls of paper so you could check your work.
At first, people started getting the idea that email might be okay. It was fun to meet someone and ask, "do you have email?", and thrilling to find that sometimes they did, and it would be easy to stay in touch. Friendships that would have been a one time meeting turned into lifelong relationships. Websites started populating the world wide web, and within a few years people started to get comfortable ordering items online.
Everything has changed.
Some of us might remember the early days of listserves and forums, the free-for-alls when folks were trying to learn how to communicate with hundreds or thousands of unknown others, and sometimes failing miserable. Oh the flame wars of the early days, before people learned to filter and censor themselves! In some ways, I miss that raw and honest stuff. In other ways I am thankful that it evolved.
Now I'm watching how this instant communication is helping people to organize, start and run businesses at the drop of a hat, talk to anyone, anywhere with nary a thought to the sheer miracle that it really is.
I wonder how much more change is coming. Last night at dinner the conversation included discussion on artificial intelligence, and how many problems it could solve. Of course my 20th century sensibilities immediately hear, "I'm sorry Dave. I can't do that."
So here's to jumping into another year that will undoubtedly bring changes that I am unable to imagine. Let's hope they're good ones!

Great time to be an Essential Herbal Magazine subscriber!

2011-12-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

I've been plotting and planning for a while now. It isn't everyday that a little independent business celebrates 10 years, you know. I'm so grateful for each and every one of our subscribers, advertisers and writers, because without them, we would not exist.
One of the treats in store for our subscribers is about to start on January first. Over the past 6 months or so, I've been gathering gifts. At the moment, I'm waiting for a little something to be delivered from the printer, and there is a huge box in my office filled with herbal goodies. Being (as mentioned above) a little independent business, they aren't huge, but we'll be seeing to it that at least 1 in 10 of our subscribers (current as of Jan '12) will receive one of these prizes.
Additionally, some of our friends are chipping in to make this even more special.

Gifts are also being provided by:
Cory of Aquarian Bath
Gail from Blessed Maine Herbs
Marnie from Rewoolables'
Cindy of Sagescript
Marcy from The Backyard Patch
Brenda from BJ's Lavender
Mary Ellen from SouthRidge Treasures
Maryanne from Lancaster County Soapworks, Etc.

Somehow I forgot a couple very special gifts...
Diane Kidman is offering several copies of her newest e-book
"Herbs Gone Wild! Ancient Remedies Turned Loose" and
Tiffany from Wonderland Herbal
Roe from SunRose Aromatics, too!

(and if you are a subscriber, advertiser, or writer who would like to take part, drop me a line...).

Nothing is required. I'll start drawing names on the first, and sending out gifts on the second. I'll list winners and prizes as we go along (probably weekly). This is going to be fun!!!

Occupy the D. Landreth Heirloom Seed Company

2011-12-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

12/28/11 - please see update at end of post!

The Landreth Seed Company is in my home state of Pennsylvania, and has been in business since 1784. For all these years, this company has been purveying heirloom seeds, and now sells books, bulbs, cool gardening products, and seed sets to help home gardeners put good, wholesome food on their tables. Additionally, Landreth has one of the most beautiful seed catalogs, drawing on their history with gorgeous illustrations and lots of information.
Earlier this year, they let it be known that the economy was taking its toll on the company. They put out the call, asking people to purchase these beautiful color catalogs for $5 each and they were inundated with orders. They aren't just catalogs, by the way. They are magnificent publications filled with information and historical details about the seeds, plants, and gardening techniques. All was going swimmingly until their credit card processor decided there was money to be made. The story is here.
Please take a moment to read it.

This story hits home for me from many directions. To begin with, I love that they continue publishing this lush, delightful printed catalog. I know how hard it is to do that, knowing that it is what people love (to hold it in their hands, carry it with them, mark off what they'd like, smell the paper and ink...) while it would be so much easier to publish it on-line. They have it printed locally by a family owned printer - just like we do here at TEH.

Secondly, I have immense respect for the way they chose to raise money to keep the company going. If you've been a subscriber or been around for a while, you might know that although this is our 10th year of publication, there were several years in the beginning where there wasn't a thin dime of profit and I didn't draw pay at all. So now, I get a little "twitchy" when I see people asking for donations because they'd like to start a business, improve their business equipment, take a trip, or live their dream - as if we wouldn't all like those things, but theirs is more important. Business is hard and this is a business. If the business couldn't cut it, then it really isn't a business. Landreth did put up a fund-raising link, and I imagine that was a difficult thing for them to do. More than anything, they asked people to consider ordering their catalog. You have to respect that. They didn't mismanage funds or over-borrow. They just ran into the economy during their fourth century in business.

Thirdly, I also recently found that my own processor was grossly overcharging me. After the fact, they offered to do better to keep me, but there was absolutely no way I would do business with them any longer. I don't take advantage of my customers until they "figure it out", so why would I reward someone who did that to me as their customer?
Now, although Landreth has been robbed by their credit card company, who has arbitrarily decided to hold up to $50,000 for some undetermined amount of time, they are not asking for donations. They're asking people to share the catalogs with friends in the hopes that people will order seeds.

If you are someone who doesn't understand what the Occupy Movement is about, this story might help you.

I know where all of my garden seeds are coming from this year.
And I will send the order through the mail and pay with a check.

From the Landreth Seeds Facebook page today: "GREAT NEWS!! Your facebook posts, letters and emails and voicemails WORKED. We have just received a call from FDMC, literally moments ago, and they are releasing our funds which should be in our account by Friday. YOU DID THIS. They would never have listened to us, but they did listen to all of you. It is now being said that social media will mean the democratization of process and you have just proven this. You have proven that true justice can be accomplished, quickly and efficiently, even in America. Thank you Landreth friends. You truly are amazing. And Deborah, I promise you, this is the last of the drama. Now we at Landreth can focus on the business of providing you with great heirloom seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, sets, plants, etc. and continuing the business that the Landreth family started 228 years ago - teaching Americans how to live off the land by living with the land. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Congratulations, Landreth Seeds!

The Essential Herbal Jan/Feb 2012

2011-12-20T13:33:00.001-08:00

The Jan/Feb '12 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine is in the mail, winging her way out to subscribers. We are thrilled to be starting a new year and a new decade (for the magazine) with this gorgeous issue, filled with all kinds of love. Recipes, crafts, ideas, information and herbal lore are stuffing every page. You're going to love it!

Field Notes from the Editor
Learning is a never-ending joy. We’ve been doing lots of it around here lately.

About the Cover
Artist Carolina Gonzalez contributed an original work depicting Flora, goddess of spring for this issue that focuses on love.

Therapeutic Baths, Tiffany M Psichopaidas
Blending herbs to fill your tub with tea is a delightful way to care for yourself in the winter and to chase away a chill. Instructions and recipes included.

Lousiana Lagniappe, Sally Lunn, Sarah Liberta
Mouth-watering recipe for this buttery bread, with several options to change it from savory to almost a desert.

Vanilla Sugar, Rita Richardson
What could be better than sugar infused with the flavor and fragrance of luscious vanilla? Make your own!

Valentine Specialties from the Herb Garden, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
Sweets for the sweet – but this isn’t chocolate. How about a massage oil or a special bath to spice things up?

Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes, Jackie Johnson
Learn about this plentiful, easy-to-grow root vegetable and how to prepare, cook, and preserve it. So good for you!

SouthRidge Treasures, Warming Masala Chai, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Exotic Masala Chai demystified with some history and several delicious recipes. You’ll be trading this for cocoa (well, maybe not all the time…) once you’ve gotten to know the scents and flavors in this decadent yet healthful beverage.

Aphrodisiacs, Marita A Orr
Learn about what herbs will and won’t do in the love department. Long considered to be almost magical in their effects, there are specific actions of some herbs that actually do work as aphrodisiacs. Find out which ones.

Herbal Topiaries, Kathy Musser
Full instructions for making standard (little trees) and wreath-shaped topiaries as well as a listing of plants that work well for them, and how to care for them once you’ve got them started.

Refilling Your Own Cup, Catherine Love
After the holiday season, most of us are running on fumes. How do you refill that cup so that you have something left for yourself and your loved ones?

Winter Soups, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
There is nothing like a pot of savory soup waiting at the end of a long, cold day. They warm us up, nourish us, and taste delicious. The Mushroom Ginger Soup is a new favorite here!

The Herbal Adventures of the Twisted Sisters, Part 6, Tina Sams & Maryanne Schwartz
Sharing your biggest mistakes publicly isn’t always the smartest move, but it’s always been our favorite method of teaching. We do it so you don’t have to! This is the final installment of the book.

The Soap Pot, Soaping with Stored Herbs, Alicia Grosso
Moving to a different climate can cause havoc in the garden. Luckily there were some herbs stashed away so that the creativity in the soap pot goes on.

Tea - Cold Weather Ally, Cindy Jones
Some great, quick ways to take a regular Camelia sinensis tea and make it herbal.

It’s All Good, Sandy Michelson
A favorite Gardeners Salve from rugged Montana!

Working Together, Tina Sams
As small businesses, there are so many ways we can work together to make things simpler and easier to afford.

Herbs of the Zodiac: Pisces,
Susanna Reppert Brill/Bertha Reppert
Pisces finishes up this 2 year series from Susanna (with much help from her mother, Bertha), and brings a little more ginger to the winter as well as several other Piscean herbs.

Local Herb Classes - Come have some fun!

2011-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

We've been getting a lot of requests for classes lately, so we're going to give it a shot this winter after things calm down. If you're anywhere near Lancaster PA, we're local to you. We love doing classes and we enjoy meeting local herbies and digging in together. We are looking forward to having a great time in the following workshops!

Classes in 2012
All on Saturdays from 1pm til 3pm at the workshop at Frog Hollow. class size is limited to 10. Click on the link above to reserve your space!

Jan 7 Herbs for Colds and FluWe'll discuss various herbs that can be used to prevent and shorten the duration of the viruses of winter, as well as herbs that can comfort the symptoms. We'll make a syrup during the class, and everyone will take a bottle of it along home. $35

Jan 21 Herbs for Stress and The Dark Days of WinterThere are lots of herbal ways to deal with the stresses of winter and the blues and sleep disturbances that can result. Various herbs that are discussed will be available for each participant to blend some tea for their specific needs to take along with them. $35

Feb 4 Kitchen CosmeticsLearn to make simple skin care treatments with items that are often already in your kitchen. Masks, toners, lotions and creams are all easy and fun. We'll make several preparations and try them out during the class, so don't bother with make-up before the class. $35

Feb 11 Cold Process SoapmakingHave you ever wanted to learn how to make your own soap? We'll demonstrate and explain everything you need to be able to try it yourself - including the confidence! Sources and recipes as well as a couple of bars of soap to take along. $40

Feb 18 Balms and SalvesMake healing balms from oils and herbs for all the members of your family. We'll cover the process from top to bottom and make an all-purpose healing balm during the class. Recipes and a jar of the balm go along home. $35

Mar 3 Tinctures and TeasLearn how to preserve herbs in alcohol tinctures and blend teas for wellness. We'll talk about our favorite must-have herbs and then we'll each make a tincture and a tea blend $35

March 17 Introduction to AromatherapyDo you know the difference between an essential oil and a fragrance oil? Would you like to see a distillation take place? We'll run our glass distillation unit and discuss the properties of 10 essential oils. We'll blend a massage oil and share some of the hydrosol we distill during the session. $35

Mar 31 Backyard HerbalismWhat does it mean to gather the herbs that grow closest to you? Why is it so important to learn the wild things that keep trying to make themselves known? We'll talk about the most common wild herbs around us so that we'll be ready in the next couple of months when they start to show themselves, and we'll know what to do with them! We'll talk about spring tonics, and make a tonic tea and vinegar for spring. $35

April 14 Herbs for Spring and SummerGet ready for the sun, bugs, allergies and rashes that are just around the corner. There are so many very simple, herbs that can rescue us from the irritations of the seasons. We'll make a drawing salve with chickweed and plantain, and see what else we can find out there - either way, you'll be armed with lots of remedies. Recipes and salve to take home. $35

April 28 Weeds for Food and MedicineDepending on the weather, this class might run long. We'll go out into the woods and around the farm to locate and identify several useful herbs that can be eaten or used in remedies. Although it is early, we should be able to find at least 10 or 15 very important herbs to talk about and nibble. We'll gather in the field, and then decide from there what we'd like to make. We will make a tincture, certainly. We'll also discuss various ways of preserving/drying the herbs that are growing, since in another few weeks there will be so much abundance! $35

Hope we see you there!

Holiday Shopping Haven

2011-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

Over the years we've gathered a group of terrific, ethical, and talented businesses that choose to advertise on our pages. Many stay with us for years, and on occasion we've turned down ads that didn't fit in with what we're doing here. So I am pleased and proud to present the following shopping guide. While you look through the links, be sure to note blogs or newsletters that might be a little gift for yourself if you sign up!

Alicia Grosso of Annabella and Company - Alicia has written books on soapmaking and often shares her expertise with our readers. Check out her amber soap or any of her other delightful offerings. A supremely creative woman, her soaps are a touch of the divine.

BJ's Lavender - culinary lavender (including a lavender/black pepper blend), wedding favors, teas and soaps celebrating the beauty, flavor, and fragrance of lavender organically grown right on Brenda's farm.

Blessed Maine Herbs - Gail Faith Edwards' website is filled with her books and the herbs and gatherings of her family on their farm. The book "Traversing the Wild Terrain of Menopause" is a great resource that was discussed on our discussion list yesterday! Read some articles or browse the Baltic amber, pashmina shawls, and gorgeous organic herbal products. OR a fabulous dream herbal tour of Italy in the spring.

Farm at Coventry - Susan's classes are renowned in this part of the country, so if you know someone who'd be interested in her Homestead Herbalism course, don't hesitate! She also makes Faux Joe herbal morning beverage and other delightful products like Dragon's Delight or Four Thieves vinegar, soaps, creams and comforts.

Herbal Roots Zine - Parents or playful, inquisitive grown-ups wishing to share the joy of plants will love this zine, available in pdf format. Filled with a variety of fun learning opportunities that focus on one herb per month, Kristine writes and illustrates the magazine with obvious love for the plants. It will enrich your child's life and impart knowledge that will stay with them forever.

HerbMentor - John Gallagher has created a site filled with information, videos and a forum all about herbs and incorporating them into your life. Check out their Herbal Medicine Making Kit, or join the herbal community for a fair monthly fee.

Herbs from the Labyrinth and Radiance -
Bell Pine Art Clay Statues, Bath and Body, Salves and Balms,incense, books and ceremonial/magical herbs and items. I live near this shop and get to see it first hand. Sarah has a fabulous selection of gifts.

Lancaster County Soapworks, Etc. - Maryanne (my sis) does the layout for The Essential Herbal and a wholesale soapmaker, but her soaps are available through The Essential Herbal. I make soap with her when I'm not working on the magazine.

Mountain Rose Herbs - the premier source of bulk herbs and accessories, as well as oils, books, and teas (etc., etc.) A gift certificate would be a welcome and perfect gift for any herbalist, aspiring or experienced.

Poppy Swap - if you haven't shopped the swap yet, get on over there today! Our hostess, the unstoppable Kiki, has come up with an amazing concept and Poppy Swap has over 100 herbal shops filled with the best creations of wonderful herbalists.

Soap Equipment - the problem solvers of the hand-crafted soapmaking industry. If there's a soapmaker on your list, soapequipment.com can make their life easier. In fact, Ron and his crew will create equipment especially to your specs so you can keep the bar size or shape that makes your heart sing!

SunRose Aromatics.com - Rosanne has a dizzying array of the most incredible oils (I'm sniffing some Cocoa Absolute as I type), carrier oils, chakra balancing sets as well as an information packed book to help you choose balancing oils, diffusers, incenses, teas, and ... and.. well, just get lost on her website for a little while and you'll be transported.

The Original Soap Dish - Great source of supplies for the soap or lotion maker with some very hard to find items. Becky works hard to find the best sources, the most effective ingredients, and stay reasonably priced. Want to make soap or lotion? Then you want to start here. Honey powder, coconut milk powder, beeswax pastilles... oh my!

And of course, Gift Subscriptions for The Essential Herbal Magazine are available right through the holiday season. Everyone needs one of those!

The Essential Herbal begins year 11

2011-12-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

10 years of printing a magazine is an amazing thing. A niche magazine is even more amazing. At a time when most magazines are either folding or going to the much cheaper electronic format, to be an indie print publisher all this time, watching our subscription rate climb and our circle ever widening has been a true labor of love.
The first issue of the next decade is currently with the printer. Oddly enough, it is all about love. As usual, we never plan our theme, trusting our generous contributors to lead us as they follow along with the seasons. So it is a rich and wonderful coincidence that as the pages fell together, the general theme turned out to be love and care.
Along the way, it took a while to find out who we were. During the first few years, I'd look at the other herb magazines out there and wonder if maybe we should try this or that, to be more glitzy, less grassroots, or if we should attempt to be more ... well, anything.
In the end, I've always returned to the original vision and try very hard to avoid looking at what others are doing. In the past 5 years, I've probably glanced through other herb magazines 3 times because it sways me temporarily or makes me question what we are about for a moment of unnecessary anxiety.

That first vision, sitting on a porch talking over a glass of wine, the clear idea and mission, was that every day people get up in the morning and decide that they want to learn more about the plants around them and bring them into their lives. I know because I was one of them at one time. They need a publication that feels like they're sitting with friends who share their own ways of doing things. They want something that each time it comes to their door, there will be something that will open a window into the world they are attempting to enter.For some more seasoned herbalists, it might rekindle something hey had already forgottne or remind them of something they had always wanted to try. I learn new things in every issue.
The other side of that is that there are people who have the willingness to share what they know with others. All levels of herbalists have taken the time to hold out a hand to each other in this process, and it has been beautiful to watch. The inclusion and friendships that have formed through the magazine and the various group activities have left me shaking my head in awe at times.

And so, I wanted to take a moment and thank each and every person who has been a part of the first 10 years, and those who are coming along with us or joining the herb party now or in the future, as we move into this next decade. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You've made my life richer and more meaningful, and I couldn't have done a bit of it without you.
Here we go!

The hill is alive, with the sound of laughter

2011-11-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Beginning on the Friday after Thanksgiving, this farm goes from a sleepy little place to a hustling, bustling hub of activity. This weekend it has been warmer than we can ever remember, and with the doors and windows open, it's easy to hear the children playing and laughing. This period of time is something we look forward to all year, and we all work together in some way all weekend long. Even the kids help when they can be home from college. Today Molly was learning the chainsaw and Rob got wireless to the shop. During the week it is much more manageable, so that any one of us could handle it alone, but on the weekends... well, I was asleep by 8:45 last night.
The front room of the soapmaking workshop is where during the other 10 months of the year we stage shipments, stack things for upcoming shows, and store some finished products. Along the one wall, my sister has her lamp-working torch and kiln set up. In November, we drape it and set up a little shop where people can pick up small gifts for themselves or others. All of the things on the website for The Essential Herbal are in the shop too.
The guys handle the saws, the netting, and the drilling. Santa and his reindeer are atop the main workshop area, and when you can see it lit-up, it is time to come down from the fields because it's too dark to be safe from tripping on stumps or falling into a hole. There is space for about 35 cars, and on the weekends people are moving in and out of those spaces pretty quickly.
Since it was mellow during the morning hours, I set off into the woods on the other side of the farm. I was a little nervous because of all the hunters out shooting, and when I saw something that looked sorta, kinda like a dog flash across the trail up ahead, I just turned around and headed back. The woods were very muddy from the rain earlier this week, so it wasn't a great loss. I did stop and inspect the underside of this tree that fell during the hurricane earlier this fall. There's something so mysterious and fascinating about the roots of a tree.
Closer to the shop, I gathered some sweet Annie seeds for a friend. She'll be surprised because I told her earlier that they seemed to be all gone. They were still growing under this corkscrew willow tree. I was thinking of all the interesting things those branches could be used for...
Most exciting of all to me at the moment, is this little Meyer lemon tree, and the blossoms that have opened today. It isn't very big, so it couldn't bear the weight of any fruit yet, but the scent of these blossoms are simply amazing. A lot like gardenias with a little sprinkling of citrus. I'm in heaven!

Another side of the coin

2011-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

When my sister and her family moved to this Christmas tree farm 20-some years ago, we were surprised on Thankgiving day to have a few people show up in the afternoon to cut a tree. At the time, it wasn't a particularly pleasant surprise, but not really a big deal. It isn't like we had to do much - Bob just hands them a saw or a ribbon to mark their choice.
Over the years, this has become a source of amusement. It has also become the official start to the season for us, and we've come to realize that it is a very special part of some families' holiday tradition.
I've been thinking a lot about it over the last couple of days because the Black Friday situation is so distasteful to me. I'm trying to figure out just how much of a hypocrite I am, I suppose.
To me, there is a big difference. The families come out after their dinners to walk off their full bellies on the beautiful hillside while they choose that perfect tree. It is a joyous occasion, and we get to be a part of it. Over time, we've watched the new generations arrive, and we've mourned along with some of them as they've lost loved ones that we've come to know. We don't have to leave our family, change our clothes, punch a clock, or engage in contentious discussions about prices and terms of sale.
The fact that everyone is happy and having fun is the critical difference to me. A little money changes hands sometimes. Sometimes they are only here to choose the tree and will come back in a couple of weeks to cut it and take it home. That they choose to spend part of their special day here, walking on these hills, kids running ahead and laughing, moms taking pictures, dads carrying the littlest ones... well, that's a blessing to us, and an honor to be where they want to be on this rare day of togetherness. Another difference is that we are home and this IS our life.
In the end, I'm okay with this situation. We don't go out of our way to encourage people to come today, nor do we tell them to go away. It just is. Some people watch football after they eat. We just do something a little different, and we love it.

Spending Money

2011-11-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

This post has been rolling around in my head for a while now. It has nothing to do with herbs, but everything to do with how we (and I think a lot of other people) get through life, so indulge me for a moment.
Recently there have been three instances where a bit of calling around has turned up huge savings for the same product or service. It seems to me that we, as consumers, need to do a little more of that conscious spending.
When I was very young, things were different. Businesses and service providers were made up of people "like us" and because of that, there was an element of fairness. If it became known that a business in town was gouging or treating customers badly, they weren't around very long. We just didn't put up with it and we didn't give them our money. We railed at the bills from monopolies like the phone and electric because we could not demand better service or better prices. All we could do was choose options that were less expensive (party line anyone?) or use them conservatively. When cable became available for tv, that was the first service that I can think of that was a non-essential thing that people wanted A LOT. They treated their customers like they were doing them a favor, and people accepted that. We took a day off work to wait for the guy to come hook up the cable. All day. Soon we came to accept that sort of service from everyone.
In a lot of cases, we've just become too busy to notice things. People rush to work, maybe dropping the kids off at day-care, scooping up groceries after work before picking up the kids and rushing home to cook dinner (or pick up some take-out), getting everything done at home, and falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day. Convenience is no longer an extravagance for a lot of folks - it is a necessity. And we pay dearly for it.
The worst thing I've been seeing in this latest round of "investigative shopping" is that when I fire a current provider after finding someone better, the old one offers me something similar, price-wise! This is infuriating!
A good example is my trash collector. My mother had chosen this company when she lived in this house, so when I moved in it came with the place. The price has gone up every single quarter in the past 6 years. Every single quarter. And then there' the fuel surcharge... it only goes up, no matter what the price of fuel does. This company has been cannibalized by ever larger companies, so when a small family owned company put door hangers up last week (LOVE their cost effective advertising, by the way...) with a price that was fully half of what I'm paying for better service, I jumped. The old company offered to see if they could "do better". I suggested they should have done that while I was still a customer.
We are currently in the process of changing out fuel tanks here on the farm after finding that since the ones we have are owned by the company, we are hostage to whatever price they decide to charge. We will again save over half on the cost of fuel, paying for the tanks in less than 2 deliveries. The old company *would* adjust the charge if we called and complained every. single. time. But why? Why not just treat people right?
Are customers really so easy to come by?
The last one (for the time-being) is the credit card processor I use for my business. After finding a less expensive option, my processor offered to beat the new price and reimburse me for an overcharge over the last 6 months. The check should have been here yesterday. If it isn't here by Friday, they will lose their chance - again.
Many of my friends are small business owners and we have several businesses here on the farm. We can't treat customers like this, and we wouldn't want to. So why would we accept that treatment?
I'm not asking the businesses I deal with to go into the hole to keep me, I just don't want them to continually cheat me. Apparently we need to start protecting ourselves with vigilance.
And here's the best part... I just got a 10% raise with these changes. That will make a real difference. It will also make a big difference to the companies that I've chosen because they aren't big faceless companies - they are small businesses. Do yourself a favor and look around a little bit. You might be very surprised (and maybe a little horrified).

And to add just a bit of humor, I just got the following in an email.....

Dear Sir:

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.

By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it..

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years.

You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.

My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an OFFENSE under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.

I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.

I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service.

As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further.

When you call me, press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me

#2. To query a missing payment.

#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

#4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.

#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.

#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required.

Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.

#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through

#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry.

The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client

Earnestly Autumn

2011-11-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Mornings around here are usually pretty laid back. As I pushed back the curtains to let in the day, it was clear that this would be a beauty. Staggering out to the kitchen to start the coffee, the sun shining though the maple cast a decidedly autumnal glow in the room.
One cup down, and the sun pulled me outside to look around.
Fortunately for all of you, there is no picture of that. Various layers of seriously unmatched clothing, hair sticking out at odd angles, and that whole, "what? I just got up!" look combined for what I am certain would scare children and small animals. A lack of neighbors can do funny things to a woman.
There are still a lot of violets growing in the yard. Mostly violets work on seeds at this time of year, but there is always a very small fall bloom, making the beauty of those blossoms all the more sublime.
The leaves have left the fig tree, but there are a few figs hanging on. These are the sweetest of the season. The buds are already waiting for next spring, and I admire the strength of them.
Blueberry leaves have a clear jewel-toned red that looks almost like fire at the far end of the yard. They are more striking than almost any flower that blooms in the summer, made even more so because they show this color when the landscape becomes nearly stark.
An echinacea somehow found her way to the back border from the front garden. The extended sunshine out back has suited her well.
The vitex berries stand against the vibrant blue sky. I've harvested a couple of times so far this year, and will probably gather some more later today to start another jar of tincture.
Tiny leaves of cleavers clump close to the earth. I adore the way this plant grows. Stem, then a row of leaves like a green flower, stem through the center of that, and it repeats all the way to the end. Even these tiny plants have that tacky feel when you run your fingers through them, the tiny prickles are already there.
The shaggy cones of the Douglas firs are covering the trees. It is an odd year out there. Some of the conifers have lots of cones while others barely have any. Not sure what to make of that - particularly since we were so flooded during the woolie bear caterpillar time this year. Never did see one of them! Usually I combine what they look like with the cones to come up with my own personal forecast. It's going to be a surprise, I guess.
I am THRILLED that this little stinging nettle plant is here. It is my third try at this plant, and the other two didn't pan out. This one is tucked in between the anise hyssop (could be a problem later since the leaves are vaguely similar...) and the porch so I can keep an eye on it. Earlier in the fall my brother-in-law lent a hand at the end of year garden chores, and this poor plant was whacked to the ground (along with my witch hazel and experimental hardy passionflower), but hopefully everything will recover with good strong roots.
The Bradford pears out front will eventually be replaced by some useful trees. One of them was split during the hurricane this year, and they just aren't very strong. It would be better to have fruit or medicinal trees out there taking up space. In the meantime, I have to say that their foliage is a thing of beauty. So many colors and shades on a single tree.
Next to the door, a barberry is a riot of reds, oranges, and yellow. A rusty colored mum plant struggles to compete.
It won't be long before the yard turns a pale straw color and the sky tends to steely gray. Winter is coming. The tree fields here a filled with families choosing the trees that they will come back for in another few weeks to decorate in their homes. Each day is so very special right now, so filled with the last precious glimmers of plant life for the year before they snuggle down into their roots to regain strength for another growing season. As they do, in some ways we humans will do the same. We'll settle in for the winter, planning and regrouping, learning and studying, so that we'll be ready for them when they return.

Stocking the Herbal Cupboard for Winter

2011-11-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a little while. We were so busy here getting out the last issue of The Essential Herbal magazine and keeping up with wholesale soap orders - and then setting up the little shop at the Christmas tree farm that there hasn't been much time.
So it should come as no surprise that *some* of us ignored the signs of impending illness in the rush of everything. As I watch folks cough and wretch around me, I've been busy making sure I don't join their ranks.
A couple of our favorites are syrups, and they are now bottled and ready. You can find the recipes HERE.
Syrups are really easy to make. The great part of it is that you can use any herbs that you would use for teas, tinctures, or any other preparation, and turn them into a syrup. It is very much like the herbal candy recipe I posted last year, but you can use only sugar or honey, and don't cook it nearly as long.
We also have tinctures on hand of the herbs we use most often. It is great to use foods as medicine, but when everyone around you is spewing germs, you may not have the time (or appetite!) to eat the amount of anti-virals necessary. Additionally, once you have become ill, it's good to have what you need already made up.
Blend up some teas so they are also ready (we have tinctures and teas available on our website, as well as the magazine and books that will help you learn to use and prepare herbs).
Lastly, be sure and listen closely to what you're telling your body. You'd be amazed how closely your body listens to you. Yesterday I was running some errands. The sky was heavy and gray. It was spritzing out, and everything felt heavy. I realized I was starting to feel a little achy (you know what I mean...). Immediately, in the brightest voice I could muster, I loudly, cheerfully said, "I feel GREAT!" Then I turned on the tunes, cranked them up, and sang along. Turned that vague feeling right upside down. And when I got home, I took a healthy slug of elderberry syrup.

Gail Faith Edwards at The Rosemary House

2011-10-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

We spent the day yesterday with Gail Faith Edwards, who gave a day-long class at The Rosemary House. The class was held in the tea room of Sweet Remembrances next door and selfishly, I was so happy the group fit into the tea room - intimate, comfy, and like a group of friends talking about their favorite subject. In fact, I did get to see some old friends and meet some subscribers I hadn't before. It was a wonderful day!
Gail gave an exceptional presentation. One of the things I have always loved about Gail is that when she speaks (especially) about herbs, her voice has a quality that reminds me of when I was young and my mother would tell me fascinating or exciting stories. There is that feeling of secrets being revealed. As the day went on, I noticed that she became more and more beautiful. Yes, I DO know how odd that sounds, except that on the way home I asked my sister if she noticed it too - and she exclaimed that she had been seeing the same thing. It is so clear how much she loves the plant realm.

Between the materia medica and the specifics for making medicine and treating conditions, she sprinkled the information with personal stories. It was when I realized that even though I've been acquainted with Gail for well over 10 years, I'd had no idea how humble she is. For instance, I'd never heard about her going to Bhopal to work with the people suffering from the massive chemical gas leak. The only reason we heard that story was because she was affected severely with some of the afflictions she'd treated after she got home, and she was describing her self-treatment. Some of the things she shared seemed to surprise even herself, and I think that came from the intimacy of the group. I am so glad to have been there. Even with 40 years working in herbs (which she says has only taught her that there is so much more to learn) she made everyone in the room feel more at ease with their own level of knowledge. It was a completely magical day and I enjoyed every morsel.
I was particularly fascinated with the segment on Baltic amber. Having read some of her writing on amber, I'd gotten some from her before and a small bottle of tincture. It was much more powerful to hear her talk about it. I don't think many people left there without some amber.My sister, Susanna, and Lorie after the class wrapped up.

My camera dropped last week, and it seems that the lens got jostled. That's disappointing, because I would have loved to have shared more with you here. Not that pictures of the scrumptious scones, spreads, soup, salad, and desserts would have expressed their flavors... not that the grins and smiles from the other attendees would have conveyed their delight in the class... but still.

I hope Gail had a splendid trip back to Maine. We certainly enjoyed her time here :-)
Many thanks to Susanna and Nancy for bringing herb experts to our area and for making it such a spectacular event.

Natural Bridge, VA

2011-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

There was another stop for the Essential Herbal contingent coming back from the SEWHC a few days ago. Driving along Rt 81, there were signs tempting us to stop at Natural Bridge, a property that at one time belonged to Thomas Jefferson. We looked at the signs wistfully until we saw the one for the butterfly house. That did it for us.
It was fun for a while, even if it was in a cement block basement with no windows. Then I started noticing the dead butterflies under the plants and began to wonder about the lack of caterpillars.
So I asked one of the youthful attendants if the butterflies were able to complete their life cycles by reproducing. "No," she said, "we don't have the plants they need here, and besides, there would be caterpillars everywhere eating the plants... and we'd need a greenhouse."
They just continually order in the chrysalis stage of butterflies, hatch them, and that's that. I might be over-reacting, but that just ruined the whole thing for me. A cheesy roadside attraction with no regard or respect for the magnificent living creatures that draw the crowd - that's how it felt to me. We left the display saddened, and continued the walk.
Along the way, there was a series of perhaps 150 steps down to the rock-walled creek that led to the natural bridge. Going down the steps we saw some lovely scenery as water coursed down the hillside beside the steps.
There was still lots of lush growth in the underbrush.
And finally, the bridge itself.
It was stunning, no doubt about that. The bridge is probably at least 100 feet high and breathtaking.
We skipped the wax museum and the dinosaur museum. The whole thing (except the actual attraction) had the flavor of South of the Border - the crazy village of hotel rooms/cottages on the border of North and South Carolina.
It was fun to walk around and see the plants and the bridge. The rest... not so much.

Asheville (NC) Botanical Garden

2011-10-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

After the SE Women's Herbal Conference ended, we (humorously dubbed "the Essential Herbal magazine staff") decided to wander around a little bit before heading home. Asheville was calling. We were completely enchanted by the town of Black Mountain, and Asheville has the same flavor ... x10 The area is filled with artisans and craftspeople. We just snooped around a little, but the vibe was very clear and open. Eventually we stumbled across the botanical garden.
In our local area, we have a couple of great gardens. One - Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve - is a series of trails that is awash with unbelievable spring wildflowers each year. Another is the Tanger Arboretum that adjoins Wheatland and the historical society headquarters. The former is wild, the latter mowed and formal. The Asheville Botanical Garden is a splendid combination of both.

I have not figured out all of the plants yet. Some were marked, and some were not in a stage that was easily identifiable, but it was beautiful and the breezy warm sunshine made us want to stay much longer.
Below, the seedheads of Common Wingset, a member of the aster family. About waist high, these were actually quite lovely.

A concrete table with benches snuggled up under a large tree next to the softly winding creek that runs through the gardens.
A large patch of sweetfern grows along the border in front of the gift shop. We were a little surprised to find lots of information and field guides on birds inside, but not very much on the local wild plants. I have a field guide specific to southern VA, but of course it was at home (along with my business cards - just a peek into how my brain was working when I left home last week).
Wild Ginger spread luxuriously under some Tulip Poplars and Hemlocks. I was envious. The deer in our woods keep both of our varieties nibbled pretty closely, and I imagine the roots are immense.
Fall is definitely underway. Beautiful painted leaves scatter the walkways and blew around us as we walked. Such an invigorating time of year.
Maryanne was taking a picture of something when she saw movement at her feet. This little one, a garter snake was happily enjoying some sunshine and didn't move away, allowing me to get within a few inches.
Some of my friends in the south seem to have trouble growing jewelweed, but that was not the case in the garden. Along the creek there was tons of it, getting ready to spring their seeds outward at the slightest touch.
Indian Hemp was quite common along the path. This was one of the marked plants.
The creek was sweet, babbling and bubbling, carrying leaves along the way. In one spot, platforms were hung from a tree by wires, and filled with birdseed so that from a deck, one could watch the little chickadees.
A bench with insets of stained glass along the path, decorated with trillium. When my daughter was in the Waldorf school, her nursery school teacher gave each of the children their own wildflower that indicated their possessions. Molly was a white trillium, and that flower has been special to me ever since.
I was amazed by the Bald Cypress trees (no, those aren't Brussels Sprouts) because we have several large Bald Cypress here on the hill, but none of them has yet produced these balls. I had to look it up when I got the chance to be sure that the name wasn't actually "balled" cypress. The tree is called "bald" because it isn't evergreen and loses her needles (at least up here in the north) each winter.
There were still a few wild Bleeding Hearts in bloom. Ours finish up before June here. Although... you never know. I haven't checked, and have been completely astounded that the tiny bluets in the backyard have not stopped blooming once since spring, even though they are a spring blooming wildflower. Weird year.
Under a huge hemlock tree, drifts of asters bloomed. You may notice how restful the whole garden feels. Families were visiting and there were people wading in the stream, running and playing, and it all fit together.
We also found a fairly large patch of wild Senna. I don't believe I've ever seen this before, or maybe just didn't notice it, but this was sort of thrilling to find.

The stop took us an hour or so and we were only a wee bit off the main road. It was well worth visiting!

The Essential Herbal Nov/Dec 2011 - what's inside?

2011-10-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

We're a little behind getting this cover and table of contents up so you can see what's on the way to your house. Yup, it's in the mail and should arrive by the end of the month (although it can be ordered at any time at www.essentialherbal.com).As you can see below, this issue is brimming with things that help swing into the next season, enjoy the holidays, stay healthy during the stresses of everything that entails, and some fun reading between all the information. It is a great issue!

Field Notes from the Editor
"This is the way it is; this is what we do."

List Article
Readers share family traditions that include herbs and spices over the holidays.

Calm Amid the Chaos, Tiffany M Psichopaidas
Simple traditions help us stay focused and centered in the midst of chaos.

Delicious Wintertime Remedies, Kate Ferreri
Luscious blends can make wintertime discomforts feel a lot better.

Celebrating Martinmas, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
Celebrate Martinmas with Martinshornchen and Weckmaenner after learning about the holiday.

Fire and Ice Balm, Marci Tsohonis
After lots of trials and tweaking, this is Marci's favorite balm for chronic pain.

Dreaming of the Medieval Physic Garden, Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir
Travel through time and space with Heather, to the gardens of medieval herbalists.

Goldenseal History and Use, Joe Smulevitz
Just what makes this shy, endangered plant so special?

Cottonwood Buds - A Winter Foraging Adventure, Marci Tsohonis
Let's get sappy about the cold winter woods!

Nutrients for Your Skin, Cindy Jones, Ph.D.
Learn simple remedies to keep your skin healthy and happy in the harsh weather.

Pomanders, Buena Tomalino
A fragrant, pleasurable craft to make with family or friends, for family and friends.

The Herbal Adventures of the Twisted Sisters, Part 5,
Tina Sams & Maryanne Schwartz
Our take on essential oils and making incense from natural botanicals.

Creating Sacred Gardens, Marita A. Orr
"We can create a space where we come into contact with all that lies both within us and outside us."

Sharing the Gift of Wisdom, Melissa Sidelinger
"...as I gain a deeper understanding of traditional skills and folk wisdom I realize how necessary it is to keep this knowledge alive in today's modern world."

Louisiana Lagniappe, Double Dates, Stuffed Dates, 2 Ways, Sarah Liberta
The grown-up herbie in Sarah embellishes these recipes passed down from her father's Sicilian grandmother.

Be Prepared, Karen Mallinger CNHP MH
Would you be ready if a natural catastropy came knocking on the door? Here's some help.

Holiday Gift Basket, Kelli Scott
Some great ways to share herbal crafts and medicines in gifts to loved ones.

SouthRidge Treasures, A Spice Necklace - The Magical Power of Spices, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Make a scentuous and lovely necklace to keep the holiday fragrances close to you.

Historic Herbal, Candy Comfits, Kathleen Setzer
These tiny tasty seeds are often seen in Indian restaurants, and now you can make them at home!

Holly and Ivy - A Duet of Green Allies, Amanda Dainow
These traditional greens are often an integral part of holiday celebrations, and they have much to share.

Winter Reading, Rita Richardson
Now is the time to study and plan the herbal paths to follow in the springtime.

The Story of Humans and Herbs, Jackie Johnson
Mythology, gods and goddesses, herbs - what's not to love?

Herbs of the Zodiac: Capricorn,
Susanna Reppert Brill/Bertha Reppert
This time around, those born betwixt December 22 and January 19 learn of the plants that are astrologically beneficial to them.

Order your subscription or renewal today, and get started on some of these empowering projects! Single and back issues are also available - as well as books and lots of herbal goodies. It's time to get your herbie on!
www.essentialherbal.com

Southeast Women's Herbal Conference

2011-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Every year there are a number of herb conferences. Some people get to one or two, some go to many, and for some, the one attended this year is the first. The feeling after an herb conference is always one of rejuvenation, of finding like minded people, and of being part of something greater than one's self. And so it was with the SEWHC.
For me, this conference was even more than that. We'd had a drawing for 2 tickets earlier in the year. After awarding the tickets to the winners Julie...
and Mary...Maryanne and I decided that we would go too. On the last day I got a chance to talk to them both about their experience, and both of them told me that they had found pieces to a puzzle, that the conference had helped them to define their paths. Truly, just being able to see them both attending their first conferences was enough of a joy to me, but the thing is, my life's work is about sharing the love and power of herbs. It is impossible for me to express how thrilled I am that both of these incredible women got exactly what they were looking for. What a gift to ME that is!
This was also the trip during which my sister and I realized that as much as we love being outside among the plants, we enjoy a clean, soft bed at night, a warm shower in the morning, and basically, a Super 8 IS camping at our age. Okay, I'll cop to that. Oh believe me, if you added it up, we've both spent years sleeping under the stars or in lean-to's, waking up with bugs in our hair and leaves and twigs in our creases and folds. We were sorry to miss the camaraderie, but also happy to be able to go back to the hotel and keep up with the word on the occupations taking place all over the world.
We enjoyed the conference very much on our own terms, and it was good.
So I will share some memories with you.
Jars of tea infusing in the sunChildren playing The class we took on wild fermentation with Charli VogtWatching Brooke Medicine Eagle drumming in the center of a women's circleJanna waking up on the last dayCeara Foley on herbs for farm and familyOne of the many expressive vehicles in the lot
The overflow of diners from the immense dining hall, many of whom chose the Nourishing Traditions meal options. The other food options were scrumptious too!I have scores of pictures of the mountains - which I adored. The winds were amazing, following the storms from earlier in the week, and they seemed to be blowing away layers of care and worry.
It was a wonderful conference and everyone was welcoming and open to new friendships and opportunities. It was very inspiring. Thanks to the crew at SEWHC and all your hard work. Amazing job - we loved it!