Wildcrafting

Haven't written a post in awhile but my friend told me she expected this in her inbox and she's holding me accountable. That was over a week ago though.

I was so glad I went! The Olympia Free Herbal Clinic organized their second annual Dandelion Seed Conference and fundraising adventure. I was lucky to obtain a scholarship to attend (although the entry fee is affordable compared to most conferences). I didn't know anyone there but ran into a tea seller (Bird's Eye Tea) I sometimes chat with at the University District Farmer's Market. She told me some of her stories about wildcrafting acorns, or driving to southern Oregon to harvest pine nuts, except there were none. That and Saturday's keynote, Heron Brae, “Beyond Ethical Wildcrafting: Remembering Our Human Place in the World”, who shared photos from her wild food foraging excursions while living off the grid -- I found most inspiring. She talked about the importance of giving back to the earth, such as replanting, or helping plants reseed themselves, for all that we consume of them.

One month ago I picked up The Front Yard Forager by Melany Vorass-Herrera at the library, and just started looking through it. There are some plants listed such as dandelion and clover that I am familiar with (I tried making dandelion fritters once) and many that I have yet to learn. Her basic claim is - why go out of your way to buy produce that has less nutrient value, is less fresh, and has more pesticides than the food you can harvest right in your neighborhood. I've always felt reluctance toward harvesting plants right in the heart of Seattle thinking they're polluted from the air, traffic, and other sources. She says to stay away from railways, but otherwise just to give the plants a good washing. Most of her recipes contain other ingredients you buy from the store though.

So you can't base your entire diet off wildcrafting, but there's value in rekindling your relationship to the plants around you. I suppose it would be good for me to be familiar with most of the plants I walk by in my day to day. So that is the big seed the conference has planted for me in the time that has followed.

Lettuce

I obtained a flat of lettuce starts from Cascadia Edible Landscapes for very cheap because they were sloppily seeded and needed to get in the ground. I parsed out 59 seedlings, some with terrible root structures. Somehow 48 of them are becoming full heads of lettuce, which means an abundance. I'm quite excited to be able to give most of these away though I don't have too many salad eaters in my life. Here is some of it: a kind of oak leaf lettuce.

I'm not sure, why don't more people enjoy lettuce? Unconsciously afraid of E. coli? Perhaps because there are only a handful of varieties at supermarkets, most with very bland taste. But if you spend a half hour reviewing a seed catalogue all the colors will make your mouth water. Invest in a different variety from the farmer's market each purchase, and give your tongue something to learn.

Selective breeding over the centuries has produced delayed bolting, larger seeds, leaves and heads, different tastes, textures, shapes and colors. These days research in genetic modification seeks to enhance herbicide tolerance, and resistance to  plant diseases and pests. However, lettuce varieties like to cross themselves (complicating things for seed savers). If they cross with wild lettuce they produce tougher, more bitter leaves. Should we take some cues from nature?

Lactuca sativa (Lac- "milk", sativa "cultivated"), of the sunflower family, was first cultivated by the Egyptians for oil in it's seeds, and was held sacred to the god Min, god of fertility. It was carried during festivals, in order to help the god "perform the sexual act untiringly". Indeed, lettuce is a wise choice for such a symbolic act, since it grows so easily! Although it doesn't preserve well and must be eaten quickly. In terms of feeding human health: lettuce offers plant protein, vitamins a and c, potassium, calcium, and iron. It also naturally absorbs and concentrates lithium. Medicinal benefits include treatments for pain, rheumatism, tension, nervousness and insanity. The lithium must somehow be involved with that.

Stinging Nettle

Drinking house made nettle kombucha as I write this. I harvested some baby nettle shoots recently at the Wolf Tree Natural Trail. I only got stung a couple times. Look at the texture of the stingers on those stems!

I've been drinking quite a bit of nettle tea these last few weeks. Trying to stave off Spring allergies, for they are effective antihistamines. I've been sticking it in stir frys and made a white pasta sauce. Here are more recipes: http://www.thekitchn.com/stinging-nettles-8-recipes-for-145582 

If you want to go wildcrafting you may find the plant in shady areas in larger parks. They crop up where soil is fertile, in woodland areas. Now is the time to go and harvest the young plants, which are nutrient dense and fresh. I remember the first time I attempted to harvest nettle from a guidebook many years ago while on a camping trip. I was pretty sure I'd identified the plant correctly but was too intimidated to sting myself. I've now come to appreciate the subtle sting sensation that lasts about a half hour, though I don't go out of my way for it.

I started to do some research in books and online since I recently started selling an "Allergies Away" tea with the plant at a local market. Nettle is also a diuretic, which may be a problem if you are taking other drugs such as caffeine, alcohol or pharmaceuticals - increasing dehydration. At the same time it aids in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar. Additionally it may alter menstruation - so it seems nettle is powerfully connected to blood. Something to pay attention to if you are consuming a lot of it. 

Garlic

We are still going to garden. http://herbdiaryseattle.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-weed-lot.html#!/2013/01/new-weed-lot.html We will not get much sun in our back or side yards. But we're still going to put things in the ground.

Anita cleared out a bed below the grafitti and lined it with large stones. She layed cardboard down on the little growth that is there.

I cleared out a bed by the side of the house that has pretty good soil already. Just not much light. But I stuck some garlic bulbs in there. The best time for planting garlic is in the fall (the babies I planted at Doppelganger are doing alright) but you can also plant in the spring. It might be early still but it's all for the sake of experiment. These cloves needed to be dealt with. Some of them have been planted with compost, some not. I'm wondering about putting mulch down since it's late February. http://www.garlicfarm.ca/growing-garlic.htm

Well, another garden from scratch! Oh well. Here is an easy article on "Starting A Garden".

Cough Relief?

I confess I purchased my first nonherbal cough medicine the other day. Some store brand expectorant. I can't say why I took this plunge when I truly believe in the power of herbal expectorants. Here is a long list of those plants including some which I currently have in stock at home: Cedarwood oil, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Garlic, and Red Root. I have been drinking this tea of ginger, garlic, red root, osha, echinacea and lemon everyday for a week. The garlic has been great as an antimicrobial for all that mucus in my lungs. I've honestly never seen red root before until I started looking at images online. It has a very pretty flower.

[Image taken from anniesremedy.com]

 

 

Perhaps the reason why it's been so difficult for me to get over this cold/flu is because I don't have enough information. I realized this after reviewing these articles by Rosalee de la Foret. There are many ways of approaching the treatment of coughs that I hadn't considered. Such as the distinction between stimulating and relaxing expectorants. I have been taking a lot of ginger but I've had a dry, unproductive cough. Oh well.

 

The best part is what I will do next time. I've never made my own syrup or cough drops before and I shall try that. Something to look forward to.



Flu, Change & Climate Change

I've been getting flu waves through my body over the last few weeks after making a significant hormonal change. On top of that I am moving to a new home. Change has a way of suppressing immune function if one is not careful to bolster that. In the past I have written about strengthening the immune system: http://herbdiaryseattle.blogspot.com/2012/09/echinacea-purpurea-dreams.html#!/2012/09/echinacea-purpurea-dreams.html or http://herbdiaryseattle.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-is-immunity-really.html#!/2012/04/what-is-immunity-really.html

I read an article today in Science News titled "More Severe Flu Seasons Predicted Due to Climate Change". One study just demostrated that heavy flu seasons follow warm winters. They studied flu and climate patterns since 1997 - a fair amount of time. I wonder if this is also true for places like Seattle with mild-warm winters. If the planet keeps getting warmer, though, perhaps people's bodies will adapt.

Still I am focused on right now. Which is to be well enough to work. Here are my top 7 natural healing techniques to rid the flu from my body, for good:

1. Clean drinks: no caffeine, no alcohol, just water - lemon water or tea, lemon ginger tea with a little honey to soothe my throat, warm salt water gargles; here are three tea recipes to consider
2. Clean food: stay away from mucus-forming dairy and soy, I am focused on simple soups like miso or lentil, with vegetables not stewed too long and full of nutrient-density
3. Rest: sleeping more even if that means putting tasks off, reading in bed, restorative yoga (Yoga Journal has a full category of poses on their website)
4. Aromatherapy: steam baths from the shower, lighting essential oils in my room like lavendar or eucalyptus, perhaps even using tea tree (as an antiseptic)
5. Spice: ginger in my tea, or garlic or cayenne in my soup, or horseradish. Somebody offered me an intense lemon garlic drink that I'm reading about now online that is great for fighting infections. A recipe is here.
6. Fresh air: even though I don't feel like going out in the rain, a bit of tempered exercise can only help move toxins through my system. A good excuse to take a little trip to the store for eucalyptus oil or tumeric spice.
7. Mind control: oh I will get better soon if I believe I can

New Weed-lot

I'm moving two blocks away to a studio beneath a house with a weed-lot in the back. The studio is street level and noisy, so potted plants out front are not likely to fare well. Unless they are super resilient. Something has to live there. Perhaps some climbing plants?

Then in the backyard it's still TBD how much light shows up. Perhaps we can install one or two raised garden beds and grow some greens, herbs or beans. Perhaps we can host some chickens. I think they could enjoy the graffiti.

There must be ways to turn this harsh urban landscape into something more nourishing.