Sister Sage Herbs - Organic Medicinal Herb Garden

Veggies & Snow in West Seattle

2012-01-25T06:38:00.000-08:00

This is where our Hops lives.

The snow was so beautiful last week in my garden in West Seattle. The hoop house blew down in the last wind storm, and if hadn't done it then, it would have last night! This bed was our chicken coop area in 2008 and 2009, then we grew tomatoes in 2010, and broccoli last year. Now we have greens and the hops vine. I think we will grow a clover cover crop and then turn it under and plant potatoes this year. I got used to going through the gate for the chickens, it seemed like the natural way to go, then I found the bricks and made the kind of keyhole garden that you can see, now I don't see the need for the extra post. I would like to build it up a little higher so I don't have to bend down so far. My hops are in the bed, so I am not sure how long until they take over the whole place anyway.

Leeks were transplanted in September after the Tilth Harvest Fair

In the spring and fall I grow peas up the fence. This is a hard place to get water to in my garden, but I finally put in the automatic on a timer watering system last year so it will be set up in zones that can be turned on or by passed. I am also building up another bed between this one and my strawberry patch this year, I already have my leaves saved up, soon I am going to cover the area with bike boxes and put the leaves on top of that, then put a tarp over that for a few months. Hopefully I can just turn the soil under when it warms up and add compost to the top and plant right into it. We will probably find dandelions and buttercup galore. No doubt it would be easier with chickens. I am really tempted to ask a neighbor if we can borrow a few of their chickens for the week....

Green Onion in Seattle Snow!

I am so excited to get rid of even more of the grass! I will cover the rest of the area with more boxes and add chips on that for a few seasons to smother it all out. I also have some low growing clover seeds that I could grow there after all the grass is gone. The clover will nourish the soil and as a tough ground cover that can handle wheel barrow trips, fairly heavy foot traffic, and loading firewood each year.

Ahhhh... the luxury of winter Gardening!

Call your representatives!

2012-01-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

Marc & I are going out for a walk around West Seattle in the snow & visiting with our friends! We are in search of hills steep enough to snowboard down. We hope to see you on our rounds.
Please take time to become informed on the SOPA & PIPA bills that are going to be addressed as early as next week & call your representatives if you want to continue to read true content on the internet written by the people for the people.
Peace,
Jayne
According to Wikipedia,

What are SOPA and PIPA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the "Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the blackout. GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative process: SOPA on this page, and PIPA on this one. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the public interest in the digital realm, has summarized why these bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet.

New Year Wishes

2011-12-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2011, and Welcome 2012!

Happy New Year

At the Winter solstice the light and the dark is symmetrical, implying balance or equality. Each year I like to reflect on the year that has past and the one to come, and set some new goals.

I am so grateful for the help I have received from so many really amazing people this year. I am inspired and rejuvenated by the great work my interns have demonstrated learning from them as they teach me to share my knowledge. I am glad to hear some of my original interns are starting their own practices and bless them on their paths.
I am hopeful that 2012 will be fruitful and prosperous to all who come into contact with me. I will be doing all I can to walk lightly on earth and treasure her gifts and wonders.
peace,
Jayne

Elderflower Infused Cocktails

2011-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

I am preparing my mixers for the New Year's Eve Parties I am attending this year. I will mix it with soda water or mineral water and add it to my choices for a non-alcoholic beverage on New Year's Eve. They are great if the only choices for mixers is soda water or sugary pop, and you can easily bring them with you. I recommend them over ice with sparkling water, but I also enjoy them with hot water and honey. They are usually a pretty good concentration of flavor, so I can use a teaspoon or less per serving to liven up my vodka drink or make an herbal tea anywhere.

The tinctures are made by infusing herbs with vodka; the glycerites are made by creating a very strong herb tea & preserving it 1:3 or 1:4 with glycerine. Glycerine is sweet tasting, but not a true sugar and doesn't create blood sugar surges (highs/lows). Medicinally herbs are only meant to be taken by the dropper (30-40 drops), but some are appropriately taken in frequent doses consistently, as a tonic or tea. In other words, you aren't going to want to take a shot of these, but can't really overdose with it either.

Today I mixed an Elderflower glycerite I made this Spring with Hawthorn leaf & berry glycerite from previous years. I have some bright green Nettle's Tincture and some Solomon's Seal tincture, both made with my intern Emily this Fall. Nettles is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are readily available Solomon's seal is supposed to be good for repairing cartilage, and I made it specifically for a guy I met at the Herbal Fair this year. Then, I thought I should gift it to a few contractor friends for their various worn out joints! After all they have given to me this year (and many previous ones!) Now, All I have to do is find that guy's address in my box with the business cards...

I feel like Winnie the Pooh (TM I'm sure) right now and I am posing the question:
How long does it take to get organized? I am working on it though!

Great Herb Bread Recipe

2011-12-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite bread recipe. Well, at least it is a starting point. I usually make a starter of the "proved" yeast, 1 1/2 cup each flour and water and 1 teaspoon of sugar and a packet or tablespoon of yeast. I let that sit overnight. Or I split it up and continue making one loaf while allowing the starter to develop for the night or two. I don't really measure, but mostly look for consistency here. It will look like pancake batter. This is about the time my friend Joanna comes over and notices the bubbling brew. Then I add the salt just before mixing the other ingredients together. It should just form a ball in either a food processor or a mixer with the dough attachment- if you are mixing by hand, add more oil so it doesn't stick to your hands so much.

I usually make a double recipe then cook one and let one rise and get re-shaped for the next day. It stores well with a light coating of olive oil and it great for pizza dough.

Herb Bread
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups unbleached organic flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.

3 T crushed dried herbs, or fresh herbs (Rosemary. Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Fennel...)
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 425 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Originally this recipe came from the Mother Earth News website. I added the oil and the herbs. After awhile you will adapt it to your own tastes. What I usually do is mix it a bit firmer than this exact recipe, then put it on the pizza stone.
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-12-01/Easy-No-Knead-Dutch-Oven-Crusty-Bread.aspx?page=2#ixzz1h2pQnMaZ

Enjoy!

Perfect Gifts for a Farmer

2011-12-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

Want to buy a farmer the perfect gift? Breaking ground is sooooo much easier with one of these cool- handmade on Vashon Island- broadforks. All you have to do is step on it; then as you step off of it you pull it down & the soil comes up. You still have to pick out the weeds, but WOW! I love these. Especially after the long wet Winters we have here, it is nice to have something that fluffs the soil instead of pulverizing it with a tiller!

I also had my eye on his Cider Press... And of course, if you had the press, you probably need some quality apples to go with it. If you buy small trees, they may only cost about 20$, but that would take a long time to get fruit. I recommend signing up to adopt a tree at Curran Apple Orchard Park. Apparently, some folks gave this orchard to the city to make a park out of, and this non-profit takes care of the trees and teaches the public. You will learn how to care for the trees through the year at the quarterly work parties, and then you can pick all the apples from the variety you chose. My friend's mom adopted on this year, and I am thinking hard about it myself.

Solstice Office Cleanse

2011-12-21T15:57:00.001-08:00

I have been going through my office and finding reminders from my year. Notes from my herbal potions class, a Stonehenge greeting card, not to mention all the tinctures I have made for my personal use.
I have been organizing, taking stock, giving my thanks for the abundance in my life!

In graditude and peace,
Jayne

Quick Gifts: Herbal Salve

2011-12-20T06:43:00.000-08:00

One of the best things your can do for someone is to make a gift for them. You can make a great healing salve for dry hands and as a general ointment in the natural first aid kit with 2 cups of oil and 2 oz of wax.

ID: go outside and find a plantain plant.

There are two kinds that grow in my yard, but the thinner one with long pointed leaves are the ones doing best in this weather. The other one has short and rounded leaves that are tough as they get old, The one in the picture is the only one I found in my yard today. It doesn't matter which one you use. If you get a bee sting or splinter, you can take some of these leaves and chew them and apply them as a poultice. It will draw out the poison and/or splinter. I have used this many times since I started my farm, and it has worked well for me.

Take about 30 leaves for this recipe. Take only a few from each plant unless it is an emergency and there are no others nearby. Spread them out in a paper bag on its side (or on an herb drying screen) and let them sit in a warm area overnight to wilt.

Oils: It doesn't matter much what kid of fixed oil you use, but the better the quality of the ingredients, the better the finished product will be, I usually get Olive oil, but if you want to make a custom blend, get some avocado oil, sesame, or sunflower to add for differing the texture. You can add shea butter, but count this as part of the oil by weight- if you want to use 1/4 cup, put the oil into the measuring cup to the 1 3/4 c level, then add small amounts into the cup until it reaches 2 cups.

The next day put the plantain leaves in the oil and heat it on a double boiler. You could add more herbs if you have them already dried or wilted to the same degree. Try to keep the temperature at 110F or lower for about 4 hrs- a crockpot warm setting can be used, but keep your eye on it. (Do not leave the house with hot oil on the stove!) If the herbs are particularly moist leave the lip off so the moisture can escape. Strain this mixture and measure out 2 Cups of oil and put it back into a bowl on the double boiler. Don't squeeze it so hard the you get water into this bowl. Add at least 2 oz of good quality beeswax to the oil and stir until all the wax is melted (the smaller the pieces, the less time it takes).

When the wax is melted, take a small sample with a spoon and put it in the freezer. Check the texture and if it is too soft, put a little more wax into your mixture. When you are satisfied with the consistency, pour the mixture into clean jars or tins and label them. Leave the lids off until the mixture hardens up.

Benefits of making your own plant medicine

2011-12-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

Today I found a 4oz bottle with a sprayer attachment in my kitchen drawers, so I decided to make up a big bottle of immune boosting herbs that we can take for the next few weeks. I know the chances of catching a cold or the flu can increase around this time of the year since I will be coming into contact with lots of people at parties and my favorite coffee shop. Usually the experts recommend taking Echinacea 10 days on and 10 days rest. That will take us right about to the new year.
At the Northwest Herbal Fair this year one of the teachers mentioned that the main problem for herbal practitioners is that their clients don't comply with the recommendations. She noted that the clients don't end up taking the medicines regularly, but they think they are following directions. She recommended sending people home with the medicine and having them come back to get re-fills at the follow up visit. That way you can see how much of the tincture got used up. She said that if anyone in her family gets sick, she would down a 1 oz bottle in a day! Granted, some herbs are meant to be taken in small amounts every day or two; an acute issue such as fighting off infection should be treated with consistent doses taken for at least 10 days.

Back to the cold & flu formula:
I wanted to make it with this great tasting calendula and echinacea formula that I just recently strained. I had the calendula tincture from 2009, then last year I used the calendula tincture to soak my echinacea roots. They have been steeping for almost a year! I also had made an Oregon grape root glycerite from roots I harvested in the Snoqualmie forest, and a cleavers glycerite from herbs that were "weeds in my garden". The Calendula will contain the bacteria, and the echinacea and Oregon grape will help boost the immunity and fight the illness off, then the cleavers will flush the lymph system where most illnesses in the winter gets stuck in me.
I love mixing up my own tincture formulas. Since I am making it for the three people, I can add the herbs that I know we all can use.

Cleavers and the mustard greens

Happy Guadelupe Day!

2011-12-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today is the traditional day to honor Guadelupe, the saint of the oppressed. I heard this story today and thought that she would be most appreciated amongst the protesters of the world. My former intern is serving up 1000 burritos at the port protest today, and Guadelupe would be proud. Listen to the herstory behind the holiday and feast here: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/143579900/catholics-honor-virgin-of-guadalupe-for-feast-day
I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving meal in honor of all the people who helped the food arrive to your plate.
Today in the garden I found cleavers, peppercress, dandelion greens, and super small chickweed to eat. The food garden is still giving us great broccoli greens, collards are re-sprouting, and there are at least 7 meals of brussels sprouts. Inside the hoop house, the lettuce is so delicate and if I can direct some more water to it. I am grateful to have nutrition at my doorstep.
peace,
Jayne

The Last Calendula Flowers

2011-12-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

Punk Rock Calendula!

Calendula is one of my favorite herbs to grow and to use. This is the last picture I took at the farm. I let it all go to seed so it will come back up by itself next year near. The purplish pink flowers are Cosmos that have been self seeding for over 8 years! My friend gave them to me when she helped work on the farm one of the first years I farmed & told me that all farms needed Cosmos for the pollinators. They have re-seeded easily every year. The yellow flowers under the Calendula are Mexican Tarragon. It tastes like French Tarragon, but easier to grow from seed. I use them in culinary dishes with Chanterelle mushrooms and cream for a light aromatic flavor.

Amazingly, there are still Calendulas blooming in the hoop house in my backyard! It is very moist in there, so they are not as good for medicine or for drying, but they are great for adding to soups, rice & salads.

Natural Skin Care Class at Sugar Pill

2011-12-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

My friend Crystal Seltzer is teaching this natural skin care class tomorrow and is looking for a few more people to sign up! She is an adjunct teacher at Bastyr University and a wonderful person to talk to about all things herbal.

Glowing Skin: herbal skin care formulas for every skin type.

Thursday, Dec. 8th, from 6:30-8pm at SugarPill on Capitol Hill.

When our skin glows we feel at our best- we feel like we can put our best face forward and that we are ready to take on the day. And nobody knows this better than the cosmetics industry. They are a multi-million dollar industry that strives to tell women how they can have glowing skin. Unfortunately, skin care can be costly, and it can be toxic. Many of the products offered to us on the market are not really all that good for our skin, or our environment. But fear not! Glowing skin can easily be had and it doesn’t need to be expensive, toxic, or all that hard to make. In this workshop we will discuss recipes for all skin types and you will be walked through the step by step instructions on how to make a bevy of herbal facial and body products that are sure to bring out the glow in your skin. Handouts will be provided and samples will be given out for you to take home and try for yourself.

When: Thursday, Dec: 8th; 6:30-8pm

Where: SugarPill Apothecary on Capitol Hill

Cost: $30

Registration: To register, contact Karyn Shwartz at SugarPill Apothecary at 206.322.7455 or well@sugarpillseattle.com. Registration is limited, and classes with fewer than 5 attendees are subject to cancellation.

Gratitude to the Teachers

2011-11-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

Today is thank a teacher day, and I want to thank my college professor John Rashford, for helping me see that there are many paths in life, and many ways to walk that path. He introduced me to anthropology and the concept of ethnobotony. Who would have known that years later I would still be cultivating and researching herbs and food and how to use them for medicine? He has been teaching at The College of Charleston for about 30 years, and opening people's eyes to the differences and similarities among people that make us all special. Thank you so much for being you!
You can go to the storycorps website to record an interview with a teacher.

Looking back on this article about him in the school magazine, I realized was in one of his first classes, if not the very first one. I remember he came in with his guitar and sang a bit to us and told us stories about his travels in college. As we got to know him, we wanted to hear more. I remember going to his open office hours, and finding about 6 other students from the class there about once or twice a week. Sometimes we all piled in there, and other times we had to go outside to accommodate everyone who wanted to talk to him. He always called us colleagues, and allowed us freedom to digest some of the radically different concepts we were hearing for the first time. I know that the personal exchange and his gentle demeanor and warm smile were a welcome change from the usual way my past teachers had responded to students.

I am thankful for my great friends and family for teaching me about love and compassion, and to the plants for being my teachers again this year. Each year I learn more about growing medicinal plants and the importance of being resilient to change. I am thankful for my interns, my peers and other people who have helped me learn more about myself and my business as I continue to develop a practice of gratitude and grace. I hope to continue learning laughing and loving everything I do at Sister Sage!

In this hurried season of gift giving and buying stuff, don't forget that human connectedness means so much more than a gift. Hugs and kisses are both free and welcome gifts in times of stress. Create and practice patience, love, compassion and honor for yourself and others daily.
Peace,
Jayne

Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference

2011-11-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I am going to miss this one, I'm headed to Whidbey Island for my annual girls weekend. If you are going to be in Spokane this weekend, you should stop by the Spokane Falls Community College campus and lear something about integrating your landscape to encourage conservation and efficiency of household systems while growing your own food$ Inland Northwest Permaculture.com/.
If you do go, please let me know how it was and what you learned! Have a great weekend no matter what you end up doing.

Seed Collecting

2011-10-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

This year I have been trying to let as many of the plants go to seed as I can in order to harvest my own seed to make a gift pack for gardeners. One of my favorite plants to grow is catnip, and a couple of years ago it bolted before I could harvest much, but I cut it back hard and hoped for the best. It did come back, and all the plant material I had harvested dropped its seed right in the bag I had put it in. How convenient! So I packaged it up, put a sticker on it and gave it away as a business card to gardeners I met at my booth.

I left some seeds on the plants for the birds and the rest will land somewhere nearby and start my plants for next year naturally in the field. If they sprout up in the middle of the path, I will move them, but generally they tend to do better when they find their own space.

A few weeks ago I was on the farm (another Sunny day in the pacific northwest) and I took some pictures of the plants in seed. I really like this one of catnip.

Catnip Seeds (Nepeta Cataria)

Northwest forest plants

2011-10-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Marc and I went on a hike last week and I was mesmerized in the forest with all the damp loving plants. Here are a few photo's from my hike.

Crazy little salamander! (Plethodontid?)

Maybe I saw a Plethodontid Salamander... ?

Vanilla leaf, minors lettuce, bunch berry & Solomon's seal

Fall Festival Sale October 16th 11-5

2011-10-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Echinacea on Sister Sage Farm

Please come and check out my booth at the Washington CASH Fall Festival this Sunday, October 16th from 11-5 at The Center for Urban Horticulture. There will be artists and crafts people selling at the market, and some of the booths will be staffed by folks who have service business as well.

I will have gift packs for year end gifts, and infused oils, tinctures and salves. I will be happy to ship packages as well.

Home made beer with our own hops

2011-10-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Our Hops growing

We just tried our beer that we made straight from the vine, and it is amazing! Seriously, I know folks are apt to brag about things like this and how smart their kids are, etc. But It is sooooo tasty.

Home Grown Beer, Yummy!

I am really loving it! My only regret is that we don't have enough! We split it with our brew master Kevin and he is already down to two bottles..... We just started in on our 10. The good news is that we have more hops in storage and Kevin took notes, so we can make more! We dried the hops with our air filter stuck in the paper yard waste bag for a few days. the room was so fragrant!

Seattle Landscaping Services

2011-10-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Specializing in design, installation, and maintenance of Northwest Native, edible and medicinal gardens.

Whether you want to enjoy fruit from your backyard orchard or attract hummingbirds to your window, we work with your goals in mind to create spaces you and your family can enjoy throughout the year.

We do the hard work; you enjoy the healthful benefits.
Phone: 206-898-2101 email:
jayne@sistersageherbs.com

RIP Wangari Maathai- My Hero

2011-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

I went to see Wangari Mathaai in 2007 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle with a friend who served some time in the Peace Corps in Africa. I was so impressed with what she was able to accomplish with the help of women and plants (and a little money). She basically educated the women in plant propagation and set up small edible plant nurseries for each woman. She was required to raise the trees and also to teach the next woman how to do the same. They used grey water from cooking and washing to feed the plants, and eventually the trees got big enough to plant and harvest from. The women were able to harvest the fruits and provide more nutritious food for their families as well as sell the excess and buy other supplies for their household. It is such an easy plan, but it took time and education and lots of people. The trees also provided much needed shade for the people and animals of the household, and the soil started to become more workable between the trees.
Seriously, she was a genius and her Noble Prize was much deserved! After the speech, in the afterglow of good will that happens after a great person has moved you, we all were just smiling at each other with hope. The woman next to me told me that her mom had been one of the recipients of some of those trees! Wangari Maathai had literally changed her life. She felt like her family had been raised up from this movement, and that was the reason she was able to go to school in the US. It was amazing to be in the presence of such hope and greatness. I am eternally grateful for her work. May she rest in peace and may we continue with the forward thinking projects that would make her proud!

The City wants us to farm!!! Let's Go

2011-09-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the Ag Business Forum and learned a few things from each of the speakers... I saw a bunch of urban farm friends I hadn't seen in awhile, and met a few more at the event. It was great to see city officials thinking about this urban agriculture trend as a business trend and not just some dirty hippies! It seems like they have lots of enthusiasm for helping facilitate teaching kids about food, bringing healthy food to corner stores, helping with business plans and even permitting issues pertaining to growing food on private or City/ Parks property.
I am grateful for the effort and thought that went into the forum and hope the City of Seattle (and Richard Conlin) will continue to support programs that promote food security. I look forward to finding out what this group of activist- business owners & policy makers can do together to help more people get access to great fresh food from their own backyards!

I came home and opened my email from Rodale Reporting on their 30 year Farm Systems Trial. They have run 4-5 different farms with the same food, but different inputs. Two completely organic, one with manure & the other legume compost, a conventional with chemical based fertilizers and gmo crops, and one more recent no-till project. Check out the results!

FEED THE SOIL!!!!! (she will feed you back!)

Urban Ag Business Forum Today 4-6 at Seattle City Hall

2011-09-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am off to the Urban Agriculture Business Forum to see what kinds of food security policies/ resources the city is offering to those who are trying to grow their own food in the city. The forum is from 4-6 at Seattle City Hall. (Bertha Knight Landes Room, Seattle City Hall

600 4th Avenue)

Marc & I have been harvesting fruits from our friends' yards and dehydrating them for our winter snacks! We have collected Apples & Plums from friends, and I got a case of peaches from a roadside stand and dehydrated those as well! I even did one rack of the ripe strawberries I found still producing at the farm on Saturday! If I keep getting tomatoes I will start dehydrating those too, but I am still enjoying them in sauces.

My Intern Emily

2011-09-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Meet my intern Emily. She has been an awesome co-worker this Summer. She has helped me do everything from planting to weeding, harvesting and medicine making. She is already great at starting plants from seeds. She loves to go out and check on them each morning and seems to thrive doing that work. She lights up when she talks about the plants growing.
She came out to Vashon Island last week and helped me harvest perfumers' quality lavender from my friend's farm the other day. I mentioned to her that I wished I knew of a good Arnica patch nearby to harvest from, and she found one on a day hike not long after that.
We harvested nettles in the springtime together one of the first days she came to help out, and she made some tincture for her mom who loved it! She is on her way to becoming a great herbalist. Thanks Emily! I really appreciate your work.
(She is looking for a job at the moment...)

We harvested lots of lavender that will infuse the olive oil we use in the Busted Knuckle Hand Balm. I couldn't resist making bundles of lavender since I had that pretty pink ribbon that looked so good with them. The scent is sooooooo intoxicating!

The bundles would be so cute as a bridal bouquet, and I made some super tiny bouquets that would be great for men's lapels.

The house was so fragrant while they were drying, and I had to take them outside under the canopy to process them from the sticks so they are ready for oil.

Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair Sat 1-4

2011-09-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

I will be selling my products and talking about growing food gardens at the Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair this Saturday from 1-4 at Meridian Park. If you have never been to the fair, it is a huge farmer's Market and edible plant sale (including fruit trees) with great food and live music, gardening workshops, demonstrations and activities for all ages.
Please come by and say hello!

Freshly plowed field

2011-09-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Freshly plowed row

Oats, crimson clover and chamomile seeds are sown in this row. I hope to harvest all three and use them as cover crops to choke out the quackgrass. what a nutritious row of plants!


Clover and Chamomile seeds and my new car

My nephew Joey gave me this car while we were on vacation in Cannon Beach OR this summer. He made me promise I wouldn't give it to anyone. I had it in my pocket when I was on the farm the other day, so I took a picture of it right in the field. I took another in my backyard and sent it to his mom. They are getting a kick out of it.