by Rachel Delphine Berndt Common Name: Cleavers (also bedstraw, goose grass, gosling weed and hedge-burs) Cleavers (Galium aparine) is among the first plants to appear in spring. It is an annual plant in the Madder family and it grows in dense mats along hedges or in places with nitrogen-rich soil. It is covered in tiny hooks that cling to everything it touches – it doesn’t hurt, but it does feel strange! This clinging is a signature for Cleavers’ ability to move things that are stuck, stagnant or “clingy”. Cleavers is known for its alterative and diuretic properties. It gets everything flowing, helping move stagnation and cleanse toxins from the body. Cleavers is cooling and moistening and is a top herb for relieving irritations and heat related inflammation in the body. It has affinity for the urinary and lymphatic systems and is also known as an effective vulnerary, or “wound healer.” Internally speaking, cleavers is wonderful for clearing swollen glands, edema and cystic growths as well as relieving urinary pain due to infection, irritations or stones/gravel. Topically, it makes a wonderful remedy for minor burns and cuts as well as treatment for psoriasis and eczema. Additionally, Cleavers’ actions can be applied to the emotional body. It can soothe and calm emotional irritations, ease the pain of old emotional wounds, and can flush out anything that we may be “clinging” to that is no longer serving us. Cleavers does not keep well if dried, and is much more medicinal to use or tincture fresh. It combines well with herbs such as Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Usnea (Usnea spp.), Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Cornsilk (Zea mays), Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) and Couchgrass (Elytrigia repens). Cleavers Cleanse Juice Serves 2-4 1 quart jar full fresh cleavers, aerial parts, well washed 4 cups fresh or frozen pineapple chunks Water to top Place cleavers and pineapple in a blender, cover to top with water and blend until smooth. Strain for a thinner juice style drink or leave as is for a smoothie style drink. As cleavers is very diuretic it is best to only drink one cup at a time. You can store the leftovers in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for 24 hours. I learned this recipe from my herbalism teacher Trilby Sedlacek, RH (AHG). I have made it every year since. As soon as I start to see and feel the greening of spring, I head out in search of cleavers. I harvest the young plant (the older it is, the tougher it is) and I make this drink every day for the first two or so weeks of spring. It really does wonders for readying my body for the light, energetic seasons ahead while helping me release all that is old, dead and heavy. Rachel Delphine Berndt is a Bioregional Clinical Herbalist in Des Moines, Iowa. She is the owner of The Potager, an herbalism practice that offers hands-on workshops and intensive herbalism courses, educational wellness consultations and high-quality bioregional remedies. Rachel is sincerely passionate about teaching herbalism to others and has had the great honor of presenting at the Good Medicine Confluence and the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference. She also loves to write and you can find her herbal musings featured in publications such as Plant Healer Magazine. by Katja Swift of the CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism This time of year can be both so fun, and so stressful. We might feel really excited about gifts for loved ones, and seeing friends, and celebrations -- but there's also the stress of the hustle and bustle, and the sometimes complicated emotions that can go along with complicated family relationships. Fortunately, there's a sweet herbal remedy for both of those things! Elixirs are a blend of something sweet plus a tincture. You can use any sweet thing, be it a plain simple sugar syrup, maple syrup, honey, or glycerin -- but my favorite is herbal infused honey. They're easy to make, they're easy to keep with you on the go, and they even make great gifts -- you can make one big batch and presto! You've got a gift everyone will love, and an ally to lean on when you're feeling stressed! To make an elixir, you'll first need to choose the herbs you want to work with. You can choose any of your favorites -- nearly any herb goes well with a bit of honey! -- but here are some suggestions:
Once you've chosen a formula, you need to figure out which is the tincture part, and which is the honey part. This is pretty easy, especially this time of year, because in order to make infused honey, you must use fresh herbs -- honey won't extract dry herbs. But Sage, Tarragon, Ginger root, and Basil are easy to get your hands on at your local health food store, and you will probably find others there to choose from as well. To make an infused honey, just fill a jar at least half full with the fresh herb of your choice. (If you choose Ginger or other roots, make sure to chop them up or slice them first.) Pour honey in to cover them, and put the lid on. Now just wait for one to two weeks - you'll see the plant matter sort of wilt in the honey, and you'll notice that the honey becomes thinner - that's because it's absorbing the water from the plants, and all the goodness that comes with it. When you remove the herbs from the honey, you can use them in a cup of tea - anything left in them will come out in the tea water, plus the honey still clinging to them will sweeten your drink! Next, you'll need a tincture. It's not cheating to purchase a tincture ready made! And especially because tincturing usually takes a month, you might need your tincture to be ready faster than that. No problem! Check out the Herbstalk vendors list for some great product makers, or order it from Mountain Rose or HerbPharm -- it's totally ok! But if you have the time to make it yourself, it's easy: just fill a jar with the dry or fresh herb you want to tincture, and then pour in enough vodka or brandy to completely cover the herb. Cover it, and shake it once or twice a day for a month - presto! A tincture! You can get fancy and use rum if you prefer, especially if you're going for heavier flavors like Cardamom or Cinnamon - really any 80 proof alcohol will do! But vodka is flavor-neutral, so it's usually our standard: that way you all the plant flavor comes through. If you prefer not to work with alcohol, you can tincture in vinegar instead. (When you blend vinegar and honey together, it's not called an elixir anymore, it's called an oxymel, which is also fun to say!) Once you have your infused honey and your tincture(s), the last step is to simply mix them together! I like to put in equal parts alcohol and honey, but if that is too sweet for your taste, you can use less honey. So if, for example, you have a tincture of Chamomile, a tincture of Tulsi, and a Sage infused honey, you could put in 50% honey, 25% Chamomile, and 25% Tulsi. Or go crazy and put 33% of each one! The beauty of herbalism is that there's plenty of room for experimentation. And if that feels a little too free-form, don't worry - there's an app for that! We teach herbalism online by video, so that you can learn when it's convenient for you. The Herbalism 101 bundle includes videos covering more than 85 different herbs close-up and in-depth, as well as step-by-step instructions showing you how to make all the different kinds of herbal products and remedies. You can watch it anytime, on any device connected to the internet - you can even watch it in your kitchen while you make your herbal goodies right along with us! And there are weekly live Q&A sessions where you can ask us all your herby questions, plus a discussion thread you can type your questions into next to every video. Happy elixir creating! Katja Swift has been teaching herbalism and practicing as a clinical herbalist since 1996. In 2011, she and her husband Ryn Midura founded the CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism, a vitalist school with a three-year clinical training program. In addition to this program, they offer a one-year community herbalist program and community classes and workshops. Katja serves as adjunct faculty at MCPHS University and Northeastern University, and is also trained as a street medic and Wilderness First Responder. Learn more about her work and online herbal classes here. ifarm LLC is a restored 19th-century farm that grows organic herbs and flowers in a permaculture garden with over 200 plant species. They are half an hour north of Boston and offer many classes on herbalism and permaculture gardening. You can view their organic herbs here. What is permaculture? The word permaculture comes from “Permanent Agriculture.” Permaculture is a regenerative farming approach that takes clues from nature to create self-sustaining garden and livestock ecosystems. How do you apply permaculture at your farm? We don’t spend time tilling the earth, weeding our gardens, growing crops in rows, or harvesting with machines. Instead, we grow over two hundred plant species by hand within a half-acre that includes fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Most of our plants are natives that are highly resilient. The entire garden is mulched with compost and wood chips, and plants are free to migrate to the locations they like best. This integrated design behaves like a self-sustaining ecosystem, freeing us from unnecessary work so we can spend more time enjoying bountiful harvests. The garden works with fungi, birds, and animals to reseed itself, regenerate soils, prevent erosion, recycle nutrients, increase plant immunities, capture sunlight on multiple levels, repel pests, conserve water, and support wild pollinators. Yes, it does all that on its own! This permaculture approach allows us to raise crops that are essentially wild, high in nutrients and low in maintenance. You can see our medicinal and culinary herb availability here! What are the benefits of permaculture? It minimizes the work needed to plant and care for a garden, as the (mostly) native plants reseed themselves and have the support of healthy soils. Since the plants are allowed to migrate to the locations they like best, they are very close to wild, with lots of nutrients and minerals. It greatly minimizes the waste common to farms (topsoil erosion, runoff, fossil fuel usage, insect sprays of any kind), rehabilitates the soils rather than exhausting them, and supports pollinators year-round. Permaculture is uniquely suited to herbalism. Both see nature as a partner. Both recognize the value of all plants, not just those that offer food or beautiful flowers. Both appreciate the ways that nature creates abundance by mixing chaos with order. Native medicinal plants tend to be highly virile, growing very well with little interference from humans. They are excellent companion plants that do well in a diverse garden, especially aromatics and colonizers that repel insects and replenish soils. What are the challenges of permaculture? We feel that permaculture is an excellent option for individuals and businesses that wish to grow herbs. It offers high-quality herbs that grow well with little oversight. The challenge for a business is balancing garden diversity and chaos with the need for efficient harvesting. A large, diverse permaculture garden cannot be harvested as easily as a row-cropped field. How can I apply Permaculture?
For more information and support you can reach out to ifarm at info@ifarmboxford.com.
You can also visit their website at: www.ifarmboxford.com. by Josia DeChiara Back in September 2017, I decided to do some googling to find out what other organizations around the Somerville area were involved in urban farming and gardening work. I stumbled upon the Herbstalk website, began talking to Steph about various ways the two organizations could work together, and the rest is history! Groundwork Somerville is an environmental justice nonprofit based out of Union Square, whose mission is to create a cleaner, greener, healthier, more equitable Somerville. Our programs fall into three main categories: Youth Programs, Food and Farms, and Sustainable Environment. Within the Youth Programs, we have our Green Team and the Schoolyard Gardens. The Green Team works on projects in urban agriculture, environmental justice, and civic engagement. Green Team Members develop leadership and job skills while building a team and serving their community. The Green Team grows the leadership potential of Somerville youth to work for environmental and social justice. Our Schoolyard Gardens program brings year-round garden-based education to children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Groundwork Somerville manages gardens at all nine of the city’s public elementary and middle schools, a public charter school, and a public library. In both in-school and after-school programs, children learn to plan, plant, tend, harvest, and cook food from their own school gardens. After teaching a workshop at the winter Herbstalk Herbal Marketplace on sensory engagement and social-emotional skills development through herbs and gardens, Herbstalk generously donated funds for a large order of herb seedlings from Muddy River Herbals. As a tiny organization, we do not have the capacity to start our own seedlings, so having the opportunity to source and grow more uncommon herbs was incredibly exciting! We try to have at least a small herb section at each of our school garden sites, but typically are not able to include anything more than culinary herbs like mint, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Now, at all of our larger garden sites, we will have a deluxe herb garden, thanks to Herbstalk and Muddy River Herbals! The Food and Farms program is focused on our quarter-acre urban farm, South Street Farm, and a new growing space at ArtFarm, a former waste transfer site on Poplar Street being converted into a space for art and urban agriculture to cohabitate and create novel community spaces. At both of these sites, we grow food to supply the Somerville Mobile Farmer’s Market. The majority of this food is grown as part of our World Crops program. We currently have five mentor farmers, each of whom bring experience cultivating crops from their countries of origin. With their oversight, we are working to demonstrate the economic viability of cultivating culturally relevant crops for larger farms, as well as supplying these foods to the Somerville community through the mobile market. Included in our seedling order from Muddy River Herbals were epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) and culantro (Eryngium foetidum), two herbs that we are adding to our World Crops repertoire. Epazote is native to central and south America, where it is used both for culinary and medicinal purposes. Culantro is a culinary and medicinal herb grown and used in the West Indies, many countries in Latin America, as well as Vietnam. Our Sustainable Environment program is the most broad, and includes monthly “Cleaning and Greening” Days of drop-in volunteer site cleanups and our ongoing collaboration with Bike to the Sea, Inc. on developing the Northern Strand Community Bike Trail. This bike trail, when complete, will connect Everett, Malden, Saugus, Lynn, and Revere, creating a bike friendly path to the sea. How can one get involved with Groundwork Somerville? Thanks for asking!
Josia DeChiara is the AmeriCorps Youth Education Coordinator at Groundwork Somerville, coordinating the Schoolyard Gardens and Maple Syrup Project. Josia's childhood passion for playing with and learning about plants and soil turned into a degree in ecology from Hampshire College. Josia has worked for many environmental education programs over the years, and hopes to inspire awe for the natural world in many others. When not outside with children, Josia can be found riding and fixing bicycles, exploring swimming spots, contra dancing, making kombucha, or reading about traditional ecological knowledge. << a light-hearted interview featuring Herbstalk teachers & vendors >> Arthur Haines has been teaching in the field of human health and human ecology for over 20 years. He runs the Delta Institute of Natural History and his popular classes focus primarily on foraging, herbal medicine, and ancestral lifeways. He will be offering two classes at Herbstalk this year: "Flora for the Fauna" and a plant walk, "Walking with the Standing People." What is the main focus of your work within the realm of herbalism? Wild plants found on our local landscapes. Teaching people to use what is in their place as opposed to importing non-native plants from around the world. Bringing in plants from around the world to use for healing is a step in the right direction but it is still imposing our will on the landscape and it is still a reliance on industry. I like to foster (to the extent possible) learning to use what grows in your bioregion. What challenges did you face when you first started? There were a lot of challenges discerning myth from lore from evidenced-based research and what the value of each was. Finding mentors who could share their expertise and experience was also difficult. Where do you see the future of herbalism going in the next few years? Highly regulated and likely prohibited in some realms with people becoming more and more afraid of allowing people to practice healing in their own families and communities. This is not a vision I wish for, but based on my experiences, I am fearful of things continuing to trend in this direction. Do you have a favorite plant or two at the moment? Whatever I am eating at the moment, so currently, wood nettle (Laportea canadensis). Or maybe black locust as two family members have bows made out of this tree. What advice would you give to budding herbalists? Practice the medicine on yourself. Are there any non-herbal hobbies or interests that you love doing? We practice herbalism to have medical sovereignty but we want sovereignty in all areas of our life … so we gather our own food, we make some of our own clothing, we craft our own hunting weapons, and so on. Any guilty pleasures you’d like to share? I guess California bay laurel nuts because they come from across the continent. But they are as close to chocolate as I have had from a wild plant in North America. Finally, what would be your top five deserted island herbs? (the only herbs you could have around while stuck on a deserted island) Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), and hemlock reishi (Ganoderma tsugae). Thank you so much for sharing your some of your work with us, Arthur!
You can learn more about him at his website: www.arthurhaines.com Arthur will be teaching at Herbstalk on Saturday, June 2. View the full class schedule here! Our last installation of our "Herbs of the Enneagram" series ends appropriately with Tulsi, our Herbstalk plant-of-the-year. This herb matches with the final personality type of the Enneagram, the harmonizing and peace-loving 9. Learn more about all 9 types and the herbs that balance them at Herb Pearce's class on Sunday, June 3rd at 9am. View the full class schedule here! by Herb Pearce Enneagram Type 9 is called the Peacemaker and there’s nothing more peaceful than having a cup of holy basil tea, what I consider a Type 9 herb. The Peacemaker/Harmonizer likes to make harmony with everyone and everything and tends to avoid conflict. 9s love balance, inclusion, tolerance and acceptance and holy basil has those qualities. Holy basil also has foundation and strength, exactly what 9s need to balance out their sweetness, innocence and going-along-with nature. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), is often called holy basil, an herb that has been used for thousands of years in India treating colds, coughs and flu. It cleanses the respiratory system, relieves gas and is a rich source of an essential oil that eliminates bacteria, fungi and parasites. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is considered holy because the plant is an incarnation of the goddess Tulsi who offers divine protection. Many Indians have a home alter with worship ceremonies dedicated to holy basil, using tulsi with reverence and making meditation beads from the woody stalks. Tulsi is an essential element of the worship of Vishnu, Krishna, Rama and Lakshmi. It is often planted in the middle of the central courtyard of Hindu houses. Now found growing worldwide, holy basil is a woody shrub about 18 inches high with oval, serrated leaves and colors ranging from light green to dark purple, depending on the variety. The flowers are lavender and the fruit is composed of rust colored nuts. In traditional systems of medicine, different parts of tulsi — the leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds and even the whole plant — have been recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin diseases, arthritis, painful eye diseases, chronic fever, snake bites and scorpion stings. It’s also an adaptogenic herb that balances stress and many herbalists recommend it for daily consumption. In India it is often used as a substitute for coffee. Tulsi can be used to garnish food and sauces, as a tea, powder, supplement, juice, or essential oil. Its leaves are used in many food recipes. It may slow blood clotting as a possible side effect. I just had a cup of fragrant holy basil tea and it makes me feel wholesome. Why not take a break now and have a cup to relax yourself? Learn what’s it like to be a peacemaker with strength! References: https://chopra.com/articles/what-is-holy-basil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocimum_tenuiflorum https://draxe.com/holy-basil-benefits/ Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at herb@herbpearce.com. Herb will be teaching his class, Herbs of the Enneagram, at Herbstalk on Sunday, June 3rd! View the full class schedule here. We want you to have the best time at Herbstalk, so here is some logistical info that will help you make the most of the weekend. Read on for everything you need to know!...
We can't wait to see you for an amazing weekend of learning, sharing and celebration!!! Food provided by Farmacy Cafe all weekend:
<< a light-hearted interview featuring Herbstalk teachers & vendors >> Krystina Friedlander is a midwife and herbalist based in Exeter, New Hampshire. Through her practice she uses herbs to manage challenges that arise in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Krystina serves families outside of hospitals using herbalism as an essential way to help keep people low-risk and to nourish a healthy pregnancy. Can you tell us a little bit about how your herbal work began? How did you first get interested in plants or herbalism? I've been interested in herbalism since childhood, when I read Jean M. Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series, especially the first book. When I look back on my life, I can actually trace how profoundly those novels influenced me! I loved the connection between the young girl and her wise woman Neandertal foster mother, from whom she learned the herbal skills that enabled her survival. Though I can't say I spent time in nature beyond exploring my suburban landscape, I did find it enchanting. As an adult, I rediscovered herbalism after seeking a second opinion for a health challenge in 2011. My husband directed me to Madelon Hope, a Boston herbalist who he had studied with. I was astonished by the difference in the care that I received from her as opposed to the allopathic care I was so accustomed to; the level of attention, sensitivity and holism blew my mind. I began studying with her and Tommy Priester at the Boston School of Herbal Studies, and it radically redirected my life path. What challenges did you face when you first started? Quite simply, it felt overwhelming. I still feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of plants that surround me everyday, but I don't let it bother me as much. I go out walking and recognize quite a few, but there are many more I don't know. The more you know the more you know you don't know, and that's okay. I wanted to learn everything then, to tincture everything, to use everything. If you could go back in time to meet yourself when you were just starting on the herbal path, what would you say? Slow down, start small, and stay local. What is the main focus of your work within the realm of herbalism? My work is primarily with people who want to be pregnant, are pregnant, or are postpartum. I'm wrapping up my midwifery education this summer and will be certified and licensed midwife by this fall. I serve families outside of hospitals, so to me, herbalism is an essential part of my practice because it helps keep people low-risk by offering safe ways to stay within the realm of normal, as well as to nourish a healthy pregnancy. Can you share some of your go-to herbal books or favorite herbalists/teachers that you look to for inspiration? Absolute essentials for me are Aviva Romm's Botanical Medicine for Women's Health, Matthew Woods' The Earthwise Herbal books, and The Yoga of Herbs by Vasant Lad and David Frawley. I also love Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, which is a fun and helpful book for anyone interested in getting started with herbalism. Where do you see the future of herbalism going in the next few years? In the area of maternal and perinatal health care, I'm witnessing a greater appreciation for herbal remedies (or at least tolerance of) within the medical establishment. Although studies are lacking due to the ethics of researching on pregnant populations, we do have great information about herbs like ginger and echinacea. I suspect that we'll be seeing more research on herbal alternative treatments to pregnancy and postpartum complaints. Do you have a favorite plant or two at the moment? I've felt really drawn to tulsi this year (perfect timing since it is the Herbstalk plant-of-the-year!), and drink it daily. I'm also obsessed with South Asian cuisine and so my life is full of warming spices--I'm flying through ginger these days. What advice would you give to budding herbalists? Start with your kitchen. Literally! Open up your spice cabinet, because spices are medicines we use most frequently and--considering how important our digestion is to our overall wellness--it's an important place to start. That represents the sort of practical day-to-day herbalism that anyone can use. Learn more about how you're already using herbs. Are there any non-herbal hobbies or interests that you love doing? I've become a fanatic knitter this year. Any guilty pleasures you’d like to share? Dystopian feminist fiction! The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, Red Clocks, The Power, Parable of the Sower and not particularly feminist but another great post-apocalyptic novel is Station Eleven. What’s one fun thing that most people don’t know about you? I haven't touched it in a while but I'm secretly an amazing embroidery artist. I have this incredible piece I did of David Bowie from the cover of Diamond Dogs that would pretty much blow your mind. What would be your top five deserted island herbs? I'd live a sad, bland, meaningless existence without turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander. Aside from the obvious culinary uses, those four represent a wealth of anti-inflammatory, immune, carminative, anti-microbial, and so many other uses. The fifth I'd include is black cumin, or nigella sativa. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace, called it "the cure for all things except death." Finally, what made you want to be a part of Herbstalk? Boston's herbal community has grown significantly since I began my studies and I'm just in awe of the organizers' vision, energy and hard work in bringing us all together. Herbalism is plants, it's about being in our bodies, it's about our connection to the world around and within us, it's about connection with people, it's about challenging dominant paradigms about health and wellness, it's about decolonizing medicine and society, it's about justice and access to healthcare, it's about universal wellness, it's about our strands of history, and it's about communities. Thank you so much for sharing your work with us, Krystina!
You can learn more about her and her practice, Baraka Birth, at her website: www.barakabirth.com Krystina will be teaching an intensive class -- Midwives' Medicine Basket: Herbs for Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum -- on Sunday, June 3rd. View the full class schedule here! << a light-hearted interview featuring Herbstalk teachers & vendors >> Liat is the founder of Tamim Teas, the nation’s first herbal tea company exclusively dedicated to the benefits of medicinal mushrooms. She'll be one of our vendors at the Herbstalk Marketplace offering her array of wonderful mushroom-based tea blends. What steps did you take to start Tamim Teas? How did your work begin? I was just the average tea drinker - until I first heard about mushroom teas. My good friend contracted HIV and told me about how his herbalist recommended him to integrate medicinal mushrooms into his diet as a means to keep his immune system strong. It wasn’t long after that I, too, started making mushroom teas at home and learning more about all their amazing health benefits and long-time use in traditional medicine. I found that the taste of some of these medicinal mushrooms was not as satisfying as my other herbal teas, though. Simply put, drinking these teas was more about reaping health benefits than actual enjoyment. That’s when I had an epiphany, my spiritual ‘aha’ moment! I realized that if I carefully paired each medicinal mushroom with herbs and spices, I could not only add to the health properties but also make delicious herbal tea blends that I’d actually looked forward to drinking at any point of the day. I began by first making these herbal tea blends for friends and family, and slowly it become something that both health enthusiasts and tea lovers in my community were asking me for. That’s when I formed Tamim Teas and exclusively dedicated each one of my herbal tea blends to the benefits of organic mushrooms. Did you come across any stumbling blocks or challenges along the way? I believe that sourcing medicinal mushrooms from organic local farms ensures the best flavor and functionality. That being said, traveling to farms and getting to know my farmer is no easy feat. It takes time! Of course, it would be a lot easier to simply order mushroom powders or extracts online. But it’s disturbing to discover that most of what is being offered on the internet is from unknown sources, and in the same way that I wouldn't want to consume other foods from questionable sources, I would never want a mushroom tea without knowing that the actual mushroom came from a trustworthy New England family farmer. The second challenge is always a fun one – talking with people who have never heard of mushroom tea. Many people jokingly (or not jokingly) ask if it’s a psychedelic tea, not knowing about other types of mushroom tea that have long traditions of therapeutic use in eastern cultures. Others assume that all mushrooms have the same savory taste as the ones they eat and don’t realize that some - like chaga and reishi - are actually inedible, taste completely different than culinary mushrooms, and have been exclusively brewed as a tea for generations. It brings me no greater joy than to have people first learn about medicinal mushrooms through their sips of Tamim. Do you have any non-herbal hobbies or pursuits? I love dancing. I can’t go too long without closing my eyes and letting music transport me to another dimension. If going out to dance is not an option, I simply plug in my earphones and convert my living room into a silent disco. I'm a firm believer that 'to boogie is a life blessing'. What has been your main focus as of recent? Handcrafting a new blend! I love learning and working with new herbs, and when I found out that holy basil/tulsi was the herb of the year at Herbstalk, I knew I wanted to dedicate a blend to it! I have to admit, it took time and patience to create this newest blend. In fact, I concocted different tulsi-based blends almost daily for nearly two months, even when traveling abroad to visit family on Curacao. I finally nailed the perfectly balanced blend with nourishing tulsi, refreshing ginger, and both revitalizing lion's mane and maitake mushrooms. I am so excited to share this blend and release it to the public for the first time at this year's Herbstalk! Thank you, Liat!
You can learn more about Tamim Teas here and view the full line-up of Marketplace vendors here. The Market is open on Saturday, June 2nd from 10am to 6pm & Sunday, June 3rd from 10am to 4pm by Herb Pearce Nettle is often considered a weed but don’t overlook it as one of the most nutrient rich plants in the world! Type 8 in the Enneagram is called the Director, who tends to be bossy, in charge and strong in willpower. They tend to speak up, act on instinct and like things direct. Indirectness, roundabout statements and hinting can drive them crazy. I chose nettles as my Type 8 herb – with its strong flavor, richness in color and stinging hairs. Roman soldiers once rubbed stinging nettle on their skin to stay warm and be tough! 8s are strong but sensitive underneath their tough exterior. With their flat-out honesty they can hurt people without wanting to, as their directness can be abrasive and stinging. However, 8s are also nurturing like nettle and will take the shirt off their backs to help those in need. Nettle is both a food and medicine. It has a widely spreading rhizome and stolon underground (like the underground strength of an 8). The roots and underground parts are bright yellow, contrasted with the dark green of the leaves, abundant in Northern Europe, America and much of Asia. It grows especially in the Pacific Northwest but also in moist climates throughout much of the world. There are many literary allusions to nettle. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, part 1, Act II Scene 3). The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters quotes Aesop "Gently touch a nettle and it'll sting you for your pains/Grasp it as a lad of mettle and soft as silk remains". The metaphor may refer to the fact that if a nettle plant is grasped firmly rather than brushed against, it does not sting so readily, because the hairs are crushed down flat. In German, to sit in nettles means to get into trouble (as 8s can do without meaning to because they are outspoken and impulse action oriented). In French there’s an idiom that means “don’t push grandma into the nettles,” which means be careful not to abuse a situation. Nettles when cooked tastes like spinach and is rich in Vitamin A, C, potassium, manganese and calcium. It has plenty of amino acids and is rich in antioxidants. Soaking or cooking removes the stinging hairs. At peak time, the leaves can be 25% protein which is high for a leafy vegetable. Nettle recipes often are used in polenta, pesto and soups. There’s even a World Nettle Eating Championship (8s tend to love eating and competition)! Nettles has been used to treat just about everything. As a tea, tincture, extract or capsule, it can help to detoxify the body through its diuretic action. It also can promote healthy blood circulation and cardiovascular health. Nettle is also well known for helping to alleviate allergic reactions due to environmental irritants. So gather your nettle (with gloves) and go into action. Don’t be shy. Nettles can be great for 8s to remember their vulnerability and that stinging can hurt themselves or others. This is also a great plant for non-8s to remember to be strong and direct. Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at herb@herbpearce.com. Herb will be teaching his class, Herbs of the Enneagram, at Herbstalk on Sunday, June 3rd! View the full class schedule here. |
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