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Inspiring Nature Connection 
​and Health Empowerment

Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #15 - Yaupon Lou

3/3/2021

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Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #15 - Meet Yaupon Lou
PictureYaupon growing at Temples Farm (one of the Yaupon Teahouse farms) with those saponin rich berries

If you have followed me (Abby) on social media at all lately, you know I've gone yaupon crazy! "What is yaupon?" It's a holly native to the United States and the only native North American source of (any noticeable amount) caffeine. It's been called the "Black Drink" and a "panacea" for good reason.

How does one go from being a commodity trader to a tea salesman and researcher? Lou met yaupon on a guided walk led by a naturalist (much like the ones I lead) on Ossabaw Island, a barrier island in Georgia a decade ago. The word, "Ossabaw," means, "land where the yaupon grows," in the language of the Guale Tribe who were the original inhabitants of the island.

"As soon as he started talking, I welled up and knew that my life had changed, that I was gonna be with yaupon for the rest of my life." 













​

Lou tells us how it was a sacred plant for ceremony, a stimulant, and health-supporting drink. Lou's mission is to introduce the general public to yaupon and its health benefits through his extensive research. He also goes into the controversy and the theory over the botanical name (Ilex vomitoria). I'll warn you, it's high historical drama!
​
"Part of our mission is to pay homage to that profound knowledge that the Native Americans {had/have about} this plant."


​It was traded far and wide. Like cacao, which it was traded for, it also contains theobromine. The plant is being studied for possible benefits to the immune and respiratory system, brain, as a blood sugar balancer, and cholesterol reducer, amongst others.

Lou and his wife, Lori Judge, co-founded and own The Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary, where they create delicious tea blends that are sold in loose leaf form, tea bags, and ready to drink cans (not "sodas" like I said in the interview), along with other locally made yaupon products. 

"We have the smallest leaves of the holly trinity, but the most magic."

Make sure tojoin us on Patreon to "nerd out" on the research that Lou is doing with yaupon while supporting the production of the podcast.

If you missed the plant walk at Temples Farm (the Yaupon Teahouse farm in Metter, Georgia), sign up for the email list here on the website, to get notified of upcoming walks and the women's herbal retreat we're planning for this summer. 

One of Lou's favorite Yaupon recipes:

Yaupon leaves
Wax myrtle (aka bayberry) leaves
Yaupon honey

Wax myrtle grows wild in the same habitat as yaupon. Infuse the leaves in just boiled water for 5 minutes or more. Add yaupon honey to taste. Enjoy the delicious health-supporting benefits often.

Lou's Bio:

Lou, a former rice trader, was introduced to a yaupon tree in a maritime forest. Lou knew his life was about to take a dramatic turn. He dove deep into the Yaupon ethnohistory and benefits, and has never looked back. He and his wife, Lori, own the first two modern yaupon farms, first yaupon processing factory, first Yaupon retail store and are the first to receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for yaupon.

"It was all about getting back into harmony with what nature provides."

Check out the Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary
Connect with the @yauponteahouse on Instagram 

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A scene from the Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary
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Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #14 - Herbalist Leslita Williams

1/22/2021

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I'm so honored that the first guest of the year could be my long time teacher, Herbalist Leslie Williams, RH. Amazingly Leslie and I have been working together for 16 years! She is one of the most knowledgeable Herbalists I know. I think I gravitate to her because, though she practices as a clinical Herbalist, she also practices and teaches a lot of folk medicine, works mainly with local and native plants, and includes invasive plant medicine.

As you'll hear, Leslie has quite the eclectic past. She grew up foraging, moved all over, and had many different jobs, including a bike mechanic and a Buddhist Zen cook. She, like me believes food is medicine.
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #14 - Meet Leslita Williams
"You don't have to in a Zen temple . . . to have cooking be a meditation in itself, the way you approach it with attention and . . . gratitude. . . . That's important: how we interact with our food . . . . Sometimes how you feel about your food is more important than what you eat."
Leslie goes on to tell us why she thinks local herbs are better, and shares some sustainable wildcrafting tips. She talks about how we can include invasive plants in our apothecaries, including kudzu, multiflora rose, privet, mimiosa, tree of heaven, and autumn olive. Many invasive herbs are potent medicine for current world health issues. 
"There's an incredible pharmacy and apothecary everywhere of traditional medicine that, if we understand it and how to work with it, it's right here for us."
Another reason I really appreciate Leslie is for her work with and teaching of Alcohol-Free formulas. She works with many folks who don't want to consume alcohol and reminds us that medicine comes in many different forms. Speaking of which, she's graciously shared her recipe for cherry bark oxymel. If you haven't tried oxymels yet, holy moly, they're amazing!

I'll leave you with some of my favorite words of Leslie's, a simple lesson that has shaped my whole life as an Herbalist and a teacher:
"If you use herbs at all, you're an Herbalist. . . . The world really needs you to be an Herbalist, and keep learning and exploring all the trees and plants out there. . . ."
If you like the podcast, please consider supporting it, by becoming a patron on Patreon (for as little as 5 bucks a month), and get Leslie's bonus interview all about Medicinal Trees.
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 Folk Method Cherry Oxymel:

Start with twigs of cherry tree, or peeled bark from branches larger than a pencil. It is easiest to peel the bark when they are fresh.

Fill a jar halfway with the peeled bark and/or twigs broken up or chopped.  Cover with apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and be sure all the cherry bark and twigs are submerged. You can cover this and wait a month, or if you are in a hurry you can warm the vinegar at a yogurt temperature, Not Hot, for several hours or overnight. 

Strain out the twigs and bark. 
Add honey to taste.  Recipes vary from one half the amount of vinegar to equal amounts to even more.  Taste it and decide. 
If you are not using honey, due to concerns about blood sugar issues, you can use food grade vegetable glycerin - again, to taste. 

​Store your oxymel in a cool dark place - it will keep for a year or more.  It is useful for supporting the body in times of any respiratory conditions - colds, coughs, flus, virus.
Leslie's Bio:
Leslie Williams aka Leslita - I grew up in north Florida with summers in western NC mountains. Life has been a wander through woods and prairies and city streets around the world, but I always come home to the southern USA. I teach about herbal, plant and tree medicines. I am a certified bicycle mechanic and a back porch musician and also a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild. Herbal medicine - for self, family, community, dogs and horses - is within reach of all of us and is empowering. I've practiced a zen sort of life for 55 years. Teaching people about holistic herbal approaches to life is my work.


You can find Leslie and all of her classes at 
http://www.ordinaryherbalist.com/
Instagram: @ordinaryherbalist
Facebook: Ordinary Herbalist

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Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #13 - Tyson Sampson of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

11/23/2020

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I swear I didn't plan this, but the timing was serendipitously perfect! Tyson Sampson and I recently recorded this episode of the podcast, Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft, just before Thanksgiving. I have to say Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday. I saw it just as a day about being grateful and eating good food. Knowing what I know now, though, the greatness has tarnished. 
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #13 - Meet Tyson Samson
I want to offer you some literal food for thought this Thanksgiving Day...
For many Indigenous people living in their tribal lands, Thanksgiving Day is a painful reminder of the forced policies of oppression resulting in multiple generations of grief and trauma. 


If you don't already know, The WANDER School recently became a 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization to help acknowledge where the knowledge we have about wild foods and wild herbs originally came from (much of it from Indigenous people) and to give back for that knowledge, ie practice reciprocity. (Find out more here.) We've been going to Qualla Indian Boundary in western North Carolina to visit some of the Cherokee tribe's citizens. We've been helping Tyson and his relatives process their herbs to provide medicine for their extended circles of family.

I feel so honored to have been able to have this discussion with my friend, Tyson. He tells us he is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians as he introduces himself and then translates from the Cherokee language into English. He tells us about the land where he was born, has returned to, and what it was like before the modern effects of colonization. 

"The history that occurred here disrupted a very long-lasting living system of life. It's really hard to comprehend . . . . It's not really anything you can imagine . . . ."

Tyson was raised by the women of his family, especially his grandma, great grandma, and their sisters. He got to listen to his elders speaking Cherokee from the time he was five. He said there was lots of laughter. But, over time, hearing the language spoken became less common. It made him think about what life might have been like and learn what happened to the Cherokee people.

"All of my life's experiences . . . {have} always pointed back to who I am as an Indigenous person."

This became even more true for Tyson in 2001 when he started to meet other "plant people" in western North Carolina. He hadn't been in the woods much since his elders passed. Then he met white people who foraged for plants because they had learned how in herb school. He realized then that, though he had always thought his people gathered wild greens simply because they needed to eat, the lessons taught by his elders were of great value. However, when he asked his new friends if they were foraging sochan (aka cutleaf coneflower [Rudbeckia laciniata], a traditional Cherokee wild green) they hadn't ever heard of it before. He wondered why this gap in knowledge existed.

"Sochan is a staple food for us . . . .  In the springtime, when we're interfacing with Cherokee people, we say, 'Have you had any sochan yet?' . . . Nobody knows that plant like we know that plant."

For Tyson Sampson, food and language are the defining pieces of Cherokee culture. 

"We have names for the plants and mushrooms and trees . . . those things know their names when they're said in Cherokee. . . . I don't come from a pow wow family. . . . What makes my family Indian is our relationship to the foods and the language."

Tyson and I share about the first meal he served me, what he calls a "Traditional Indian Dinner," and what that means to him. To give you a hint about how amazing it was, my daughter asked me if I was going to cry as I took the first bite. Then he goes into detail about Cherokee traditional corn and how it's traditionally processed, what he cans and pickles from the wild, and one of all of our favorites, ramps!

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Heirloom squash grown in the garden on Cherokee land that the tribe bought back
We talk about some new buzz words, "Traditional Ecological Knowledge" and Tyson's take on them, along with what it has been like for the Cherokee in Qualla Boundary to be in the middle of a pandemic. 

"It's just a web. . . . I think we're entering into a time where . . . on the surface we're taught to be so self-absorbed: self-reliant, independent. But really, I've had to question that and question that. . . . It keeps pointing back to this: . . . People need people, people need plants, plants need people."

If you love this podcast episode, please like, comment, and share with all your plant people. And don't forget to support the production on Patreon for as little as 5 bucks a month. You'll get the bonus interview from this podcast where Tyson teaches us about some of his favorite edible and medicinal Cherokee plants and mushrooms. This bonus episode is free to all Indigenous people. Just send Abby an email and you'll be sent the link. 

Please thank Tyson for all he generously shared with us by:
  • purchasing the recordings of the workshops he taught with his aunt, cousin, and fluent Cherokee speaker friend, Charles, from the Organic Growers School Harvest Conference in September: Cherokee Foods: Gathering and Wildcrafting, and Cultivating Traditional Crops (click here).
  • getting your own Body Butter (click here) that Tyson makes with ingredients from the Patchwork Alliance and herbs he gathers and grows (store is only open Thursday through Monday. ​
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An elk bull foraging on the edge of the Cherokee garden

Tyson's Bio:
​Tyson Sampson is a two-hearted individual whom has descended from the local indigenous matriarchy called the ᎠᏂᎩᎶᎯ (A-ni-gi-lo-hi). Their homeland is referred to as The Beautiful Painted Earth. His family is based here in their aboriginal territory most commonly known as the Great Smoky Mountains. Tyson has a background in the healing arts and communications. He has been of service to connective circles/family for 20 years. In multi-faceted contributions, he has worked on everything from documenting endangered language, holding mindful awareness presence, to sharing wild food practices and cultural sensibilities about his grandmother's people. He has contributed to efforts for residents of the Qualla Indian Boundary to have more intimate and legally protective relationships to plants/wild foods in this indigenous bio-region. Currently, Tyson is cultivating an apothecary for ethnobotanical accessibility, called Bigwitch Botanicals. He is also developing a broader collective to support traditional ecological knowledge for his fellow tribesfolk, called the Bigwitch Indian Wisdom Initiative.​

​Email Tyson here.
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Holiday Gift Ideas from The WANDER School

10/25/2020

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Whether you're decking the halls, lighting the menorah, preparing for a feast, or hibernating this time of year, keep in mind all the great gifts from The WANDER School,  a small yet mighty woman-owned and operated business that exists to inspire nature reconnection and health empowerment. 

For anyone on your list who is wild food or herb curious...we have LOTS to offer.

As you may be starting to plan your holiday gift giving, we wanted to make sure you know about all the GREAT gifts we have available for you and yours.

Read on, let us know if you have any questions, and as always...green blessings.

Abby's First Book...
​The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders:  $27 (plus shipping)

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The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders: Farmed and Foraged Herbal Remedies and Recipes is a helpful cornucopia of herbal information and recipes for building health and tending to minor ailments out on the homestead, in your cozy  apartment, on the road, and everywhere else.

When you order the book here, there's a place where you can indicate who you want the book autographed for!

This book is a special, useful, and a great addition to any herbal bookworm's bookshelf.
Buy it now for that homesteader, or wannabe homesteader, on your list!
Click here.

Abby's NEW eCookbook...
The Wild, Foraged Life: $15

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This book of time-tested recipes from wildcrafter and professional forager, botanist, and herbalist Abby Artemisia includes over 40 pages of wild foraged recipes from her famed kitchen!!!

This widely anticipated foraged e-Cookbook presented by The WANDER School is available for direct purchase and an EXPANDED version is available featuring extra exclusive content as a thank you gift for patrons who support The WANDER School on Patreon at $10/month or more...which brings us to our NEXT awesome gift idea.

Buy it now for that foodie on your list!
click here.

Just 5 bucks a month = access to EXCLUSIVE foraging and wildcrafting education from The WANDER School 

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Patreon is a crowdfunding platform that allows creative people to do creative work. Patrons commit to a monthly financial contribution that supports work they believe in.

Here’s how to sign your giftee up for a membership starting at just 5 bucks a month:

Step 1: Go to the Patreon page for The WANDER School!

Step 2: Decide which membership level you want to gift. Support starts at just 5 bucks a month, and Patrons get:
  • Access to patron-only videos and blog posts
  • Tips from Abby’s Kitchen
  • Herbal medicine-making tutorials
  • A behind-the-scenes look at The WANDER School's classes & events
  • Bonus clips from the Wander, Forage & Wildcraft podcast
  • Extended footage from Abby’s IGTV videos chock-full of botany and foraging know-how
  • Foraged Recipes not available anywhere else

Step 3: After you select the tier that's right for you, you'll create a Patreon account. Use your e-mail address to keep the gift a surprise, or collaborate with your giftee and sign up together!

Step 4: Give that gift! Notify your giftee of the login info (your email and password) in a secure way, and make sure they know how to access their rewards. Patreon even has has a mobile app they can use to start digging into all the good information from The WANDER School to inspire nature connection and health empowerment.

www.patreon.com/thewanderschool
Buy it now for that lifelong learner on your list!
click here.

Gift Certificates: $10 and up

Gift certificates can be used for just about anything from The WANDER School, including Botanical Property Surveys, workshops, plant walks, or herbal products. They're a great way to treat someone you love or say thanks! Just get in touch to let Abby know the details of your desired certificate and we'll get it to you!
Buy it now for that very specific person on your list!
click here.

Handmade Appalachian
Wildcrafted Products

Stock up on The WANDER School's wildcrafted Elderberry Sumac Rose Elixir to build your cold and flu armor all winter long, and definitely don't miss out on the Wild Oregano Salt that adds a touch of wild to any savory dish. Since the whole mood of 2020 is crazy, the Harmony Tincture is a must-have.

Check out all of Abby's herbal products here or browse below.

Virtual Gifts

Virtual Plant Walk

$35.00

Explore the Appalachians from your couch, and learn how to empower yourself with your own free and vital wild food and medicine!


Join botanist, herbalist and professional forager, Abby Artemisia, to meander through the abundance of wild food and medicine that can be foraged in the late summer/early fall.


Abby believes nature education is so important, especially information on wild edible and medicinal plants, to help us survive in these tough times. That's why she adapted her plant walks to a virtual format, to help you continue to thrive whether you're far away or COVID is keeping you away from group activities.


This plant walk, in the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, features plants that you'll find throughout much of the central and eastern US. Plants included: Sourwood, Sassafras, Witch Hazel, Black Birch, Hemlock tree, Blackberry, Ragwort, Violet, and Mountain Mint. For a special treat, the following mushrooms are included, too: a variety of Chanterelles and Leatherback Milkcaps.


Abby teaches you how to harvest the plants and mushrooms, including tips for a sustainable harvest. She tells you about making formulas like teas, tinctures, salves, syrups, and spices, for conditions including coughs, pain, viruses, skin irritation, stagnation, and more. She teaches the Family Method of Identification, giving you patterns to make it easier for you to start to recognize plants and how they're related. 


You'll get a private link to the video that you can access anytime and as often as you want but please don't share the link - as we offer SO MUCH free education already and every purchase is important to our small business.


You can even email Abby about the virtual plant walk with your thoughts and questions!

Shop

Virtual Botanical Discovery Session

$75.00

Take advantage of this seriously special offer!


When you’re walking around outside, and you think...

dang I wish I knew more about these plants!

More plant knowledge could help me survive, if it all came to that...

Your wish is granted. 


You can now join botanist, herbalist and professional forager, Abby Artemisia,

for a private virtual plant walk customized FOR YOU.


HERE'S HOW IT WORKS!



  • Buy Your Session (or Gift), choosing as many hours as you'd like. If you are buying multiple gifts, please checkout with multiple orders, so each gift recipient receives a unique order number.



  • Schedule Your Session: Book a time slot with Abby via email. You will need the order number* to schedule.



  • Prep for your session: Test the videoconferencing options agreed on at booking. If you don’t have data reception where you live, or you’d rather do it inside on your computer, just bring the plants you most want to know about (or several pictures of each one). That is very common! Just make sure you walking around outside and note the plants you want to learn about.



  • LEARN! Join the videoconference at your scheduled time to begin. During your Virtual Botanical Discovery Session, Abby will focus on a few plants to help you understand your connection to them better through some practical tips on identification as well as the benefits those plants can provide you as food and medicine.



  • Grow! Each Virtual Botanical Discovery Session lasts (1) hour. You can do a 2 or 3 hour session also, if you have lots to learn! You'd be surprised how fast an hour flies!


*Your order number becomes available on the thank you page after purchase below, and in the email you'll receive after purchase with the subject "Your downloads are ready!" You will need to note this order number to schedule.


THIS OFFERING MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

If purchasing a Virtual Botanical Discovery Session as a gift, make sure to note the order number you receive, and give THAT to the lucky recipient when you give the gift. You can just print or email out the PDF you receive after purchase to give to to the lucky recipient once you've added the order number details!



HERE'S WHAT FOLKS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT VIRTUAL BOTANICAL DISCOVERY SESSIONS WITH ABBY...


  • "I was really curious about the trees that were growing outside my window. I felt pretty lonely during quarantine, and they seemed to just keep me company. Abby helped me learn more about them." -Angela G, New York



  • "I had no idea that I could eat the weeds that I was pulling out of my garden! I just wanted to know more about them, and turns out now I have extra free food!" -Susie, Ohio



Shop

Investment Gifts

Get in touch with Abby if you know someone who might like a Botanical Property Survey (starting at $250 + transportation costs) or Short-Term Private Apprenticeship ($125/hour + materials) near Asheville, NC and beyond. If sponsoring an episode of the Wander, Forage & Wildcraft podcast as a gift sounds groovy, dedicated single episode sponsorships start at $400.
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Wanna Go on A Virtual Plant Walk?

9/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Empower yourself with your own free and vital wild food and medicine!

Abby believes nature education is so important, especially information on wild edible and medicinal plants, to help us survive in these tough times. That's why she adapted her plant walks to a virtual format, to help you continue to thrive whether you're far away or COVID is keeping you away from group activities.

This VIRTUAL plant walk, in the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, features plants that you'll find throughout much of the central and eastern US. Plants included: Sourwood, Sassafras, Witch Hazel, Black Birch, Hemlock tree, Blackberry, Ragwort, Violet, and Mountain Mint. For a special treat, the following mushrooms are included, too: a variety of Chanterelles and Leatherback Milkcaps.

Learn more here and register today.

Virtual Plant Walk

$35.00

Explore the Appalachians from your couch, and learn how to empower yourself with your own free and vital wild food and medicine!


Join botanist, herbalist and professional forager, Abby Artemisia, to meander through the abundance of wild food and medicine that can be foraged in the late summer/early fall.


Abby believes nature education is so important, especially information on wild edible and medicinal plants, to help us survive in these tough times. That's why she adapted her plant walks to a virtual format, to help you continue to thrive whether you're far away or COVID is keeping you away from group activities.


This plant walk, in the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, features plants that you'll find throughout much of the central and eastern US. Plants included: Sourwood, Sassafras, Witch Hazel, Black Birch, Hemlock tree, Blackberry, Ragwort, Violet, and Mountain Mint. For a special treat, the following mushrooms are included, too: a variety of Chanterelles and Leatherback Milkcaps.


Abby teaches you how to harvest the plants and mushrooms, including tips for a sustainable harvest. She tells you about making formulas like teas, tinctures, salves, syrups, and spices, for conditions including coughs, pain, viruses, skin irritation, stagnation, and more. She teaches the Family Method of Identification, giving you patterns to make it easier for you to start to recognize plants and how they're related. 


You'll get a private link to the video that you can access anytime and as often as you want but please don't share the link - as we offer SO MUCH free education already and every purchase is important to our small business.


You can even email Abby about the virtual plant walk with your thoughts and questions!

Yes, Take me to the Plant Walk!

Virtual Botanical Discovery Session

$75.00

Take advantage of this seriously special offer!


When you’re walking around outside, and you think...

dang I wish I knew more about these plants!

More plant knowledge could help me survive, if it all came to that...

Your wish is granted. 


You can now join botanist, herbalist and professional forager, Abby Artemisia,

for a private virtual plant walk customized FOR YOU.


HERE'S HOW IT WORKS!



  • Buy Your Session (or Gift), choosing as many hours as you'd like. If you are buying multiple gifts, please checkout with multiple orders, so each gift recipient receives a unique order number.



  • Schedule Your Session: Book a time slot with Abby via email. You will need the order number* to schedule.



  • Prep for your session: Test the videoconferencing options agreed on at booking. If you don’t have data reception where you live, or you’d rather do it inside on your computer, just bring the plants you most want to know about (or several pictures of each one). That is very common! Just make sure you walking around outside and note the plants you want to learn about.



  • LEARN! Join the videoconference at your scheduled time to begin. During your Virtual Botanical Discovery Session, Abby will focus on a few plants to help you understand your connection to them better through some practical tips on identification as well as the benefits those plants can provide you as food and medicine.



  • Grow! Each Virtual Botanical Discovery Session lasts (1) hour. You can do a 2 or 3 hour session also, if you have lots to learn! You'd be surprised how fast an hour flies!


*Your order number becomes available on the thank you page after purchase below, and in the email you'll receive after purchase with the subject "Your downloads are ready!" You will need to note this order number to schedule.


THIS OFFERING MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

If purchasing a Virtual Botanical Discovery Session as a gift, make sure to note the order number you receive, and give THAT to the lucky recipient when you give the gift. You can just print or email out the PDF you receive after purchase to give to to the lucky recipient once you've added the order number details!



HERE'S WHAT FOLKS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT VIRTUAL BOTANICAL DISCOVERY SESSIONS WITH ABBY...


  • "I was really curious about the trees that were growing outside my window. I felt pretty lonely during quarantine, and they seemed to just keep me company. Abby helped me learn more about them." -Angela G, New York



  • "I had no idea that I could eat the weeds that I was pulling out of my garden! I just wanted to know more about them, and turns out now I have extra free food!" -Susie, Ohio



Yes, Take me to the Plant Walk!
0 Comments

Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #12 - Jennifer Galbraith & Meadowlark Farms

9/1/2020

1 Comment

 
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Jennifer Galbraith is a fantastic Herbalist and owner/operator of Meadlowlark Farms School of Folk Medicine in South Carolina. She teaches folk medicine and grows herbs to make into delicious, nourishing herbal products. 

Catch the Patreon bonus interview with Jennifer where she talks about teaching kids about plants.

We have a special BONUS for YOU!

Usually, only patrons get access to bonus footage from the Wander, Forage & Wildcraft podcast. But THIS ONE is free to EVERYONE, so don't forget to check it out! You'll even get a special coupon code for Jennifer's homeschool curriculum designed to introduce kids to herbal medicine!

Listen to the episode and get the BONUS footage at www.patreon.com/thewanderschool
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #12 - Meet Jennifer Galbraith
In this episode Jennifer tells us all about her journey into herbalism and what folk medicine means to her. She likes to focus on teaching to help others on their paths, as there weren't people in her area teaching when she wanted to learn about herbs. We share that mission of empowerment!
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We go on to let you in on the tips and tricks we've learned along the way about how to make a living as an Herbalist. Jennifer shares about a favorite herb, black walnut, and its medicinal benefits for people and pets. I share my secrets for processing them more easily. Jennifer says (about black walnuts), "Bitter isn't bad!" And I wholeheartedly agree, which leads us into a discussion of the importance of bitters and my favorite product in Jennifer's Herbal Apothecary Store, Roasted Roots Coffee Alternative. She tells us about the awesomeness of adaptogens and shares her super nourishing recipe for Adaptogen Tea, a necessity for most of us right now.

For even more herbal goodness, Jennifer teaches about a few more wildcraftable herbs, including one most people don't know is medicinal: sweet gum balls (those spiky things that fall off the tree).

I believe that a lot of Herbalism is really going and doing it and getting your hands on the herbs and plants and finding out what they do for you."

"I love to teach children, because I think it's so important to start young in learning {while} they're outside playing in the yard . . . with different plants . . . learning that those have a purpose . . . ."

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​Jennifer's Bio:

Check out Jennifer, her online herbal curriculum, and her apothecary store, at Meadowlark Farms School of Folk Medicine. 

From a young age, Jennifer has been drawn to the world outside her window. She has loved the way that the natural world can influence a person’s mood and fresh air refreshes the lungs. It was not until she was older and started to explore the concept of homesteading and natural living, that Jennifer came to find herself in love with the idea of herbal medicine.

Jennifer spent several years as a personal injury paralegal, watching the effects of modern medicine on injured clients. The passion to learn how to better help not only those clients, but also her own family and friends, led Jennifer to the Herbal Academy of New England where she immersed herself in her studies and began to seek out classes, books and any other source of information she could find to locate a more natural answer.

Once she started to see the more natural approaches, she started offering these herbal remedies to her family as well as others through her herbal company Meadowlark Farms. It has since been a great pleasure for Jennifer to see her husband, children and friends curb the side effects of prescription drugs including helping a dear friend recover during chemotherapy.

Jennifer is passionate about gardening, wild crafting, homesteading and raising our children in a chemical free world and teaching others to do the same. Knowing that with all of the new technology and discoveries, sometimes the best solution to a problem comes in the knowledge we learned at our grandmother’s side. She invites you to join her as she digs dandelion root and smells the aroma of salves, teas and poultices warming on the fire. 

Check out Jennifer, her online herbal curriculum, and her apothecary store, at Meadowlark Farms School of Folk Medicine. 
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Plant Learn & Chill?

8/22/2020

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So you've binged TV shows, RIGHT?
And you're so sick of Netflix?

GOOD. TV is boring. Plants are AWESOME.

We've got an EMPOWERING lineup for you to "Plant Learn & Chill" at whatever level you can support The WANDER School's important work of RECONNECTING people to the WILD.


  • Catch up on all the past Book Club recordings! Starting at just 5 bucks a month, become a Patron of The WANDER School on Patreon to get all the past and future book club recordings, plus all the other bonuses only patrons get (see the awesome list below). There have been 8 so far! Each book club session lasts about 45 minutes. Yes, you read that right. You'll get 6 hours of in-depth exploration and discussion about The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders with Abby Artemisia! For just 5 bucks a month! Sign up now.
  • Catch ALL the past episodes of the Wander, Forage & Wildcraft podcast! There are 11 episodes of the podcast MADE to empower you on your wild path. Each episode is SO good. Did we mention that access to this listener-supported resource is 100% FREE thanks to our patrons? We are  currently seeking 3 additional patrons at the "PODCASTING" level ($30/month) to support The WANDER School on Patreon to fund the upcoming season of post-production.

Ok? Ready to COVID-responsibly Plant Learn and Chill? Forward this post to your favorite friend(s) in a fun and flirty way, and start the most empowering binge EVER!

p.s. Now is a great time to
order your copy of The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders (if you don't have one yet). And hey, if you get your friend a copy too, this helps Abby AND the postal service. Order now.

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Rescheduling Our First In-Person Plant Walk Since Quarantine...

8/9/2020

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Lately I hear myself saying and thinking two things daily, “It’s a difficult time to be alive,” and “Now more than ever.” I believe these both deeply in my soul. 

Over the last few months, every single event I was supposed to teach at through the end of the year has been canceled. That being about 90-95% of my income, has been a crushing financial hardship. And at the same time, I’ve been asked, by students and potential students, when I will start teaching. There is hunger for this knowledge as we need it, “now more than ever” to not only survive, but try to thrive through this uncertain and often scary time.

Sweet friends who wanted to support the important work of providing opportunities for people to learn more about the wild edible and medicinal plants growing in abundance around us, volunteered their new home, a 112 acre farm in Burnsville, NC. So I scheduled a walk and got excited to see you again and teach.


In-Person Plant Walk Rescheduled from 8/15 -> 9/12
Why the reschedule?
Well, a week before the event, I have discovered that I was possibly exposed to COVID 19. I have debated with myself the best way to approach the walk. I thought maybe if I got tested and the test came up negative, that would be enough. But the research on the accuracy of the testing is inconclusive and quarantining is still recommended for at least a week and a half. So even though I will get tested next week and I’m asymptomatic, I’m choosing to postpone this walk. 


As someone who teaches about natural health care, I feel it would irresponsible of me to do anything less. Plus, “now more than ever” I think we need to have as much compassion as we can muster. And if we can’t muster up compassion for each other’s wellness, safety, and getting our own needs met, then how can we continue to grow? 

One of my team members and I have been discussing the deeper meaning of the acronym WANDER in The WANDER School. The WAND part (Wild Artemisia Nature Discovery) is like a wand to help us magically create the ER, empowerment and reconnection, like an ER for good health to prevent emergencies. I want so badly to help you empower yourself with your own health, and by not offering this walk, I’m trying to do that, but also offering virtual options (on the website [that will continue to expand], discovering the  plants around your home and apprenticeships, and ongoing botanical education on Patreon). We have to be creative with our own wands, inventing new ways to reconnect, with each other virtually and in small groups, and in nature every moment we can. 

It’s a difficult time to be alive, but now more than ever, we have to band together to support and empower each other. What can I do to help empower you? How could you use more compassion right now? Let me know. Wishing you health, body, mind, and spirit. 

Green Blessings,
Abby Artemisia of The WANDER School

p.s. Here's a FREE spring botany walk I made for y'all!

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Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #11 - The Crazy Botanist: Derek Haynes

7/28/2020

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Derek is an ethnobotanist and he explains to us, in the eloquent way he speaks, what that means. He calls himself, "The Crazy Botanist" and you can find him at @thechocolatebotanist on Instagram where he posts a plethora of videos. My favorites are when he shows us the massive number of plants in his apartment and on his patio.

Listen now!
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #11 - Meet Derek Haynes, The Crazy Botanist
(Check out the bonus interview we did on Patreon of Derek showing us his plants and talking about how to have your own Urban Victory Garden.) I found out about #blackbotanistsweek from him. Check out the hashtag on Instagram for lots of amazing posts from Black plant people.

When I asked Derek Haynes if he would expand on what I'd heard him say in one of his many knowledge-packed videos that he generously gives to the public on Instagram, he described the subject as "The plants' impact on Black people, and Black people's impact on the plants." Beyond hearing about that, I also asked him to speak because, we need to remember where the knowledge we've learned about plants comes from (often Indigenous people and slaves or slave descendants), and give back in gratitude.
We can do that by amplifying those voices and literally giving what we can. So, today I want to amplify Derek. I'm sure you'll be glad I did, after you hear what he has to say.

"If we put education out there in the world for all to get, then we all can grow and cultivate better connections . . . "
-Derek Haynes


From the relationship of plants with people in Africa before the American slave trade, to cotton, to the Gullah people in the southeastern US, rice, peanuts, and beyond, there's so much so many of us don't know or don't think about when it comes to the plants in our daily lives and how they got here and flourished. As Derek says, ". . . without the shipping of slaves, eleven and a half million bodies displaced from Africa and spread out like dice, we wouldn't have any of the American wealth or the generational wealth that some white people feed off of today." He talks about the vine threading through history that links the labor of Black people to the wealth of white people today. I invite you to listen, really listen, and think about how this affects your life today and how you can give back.

Derek tells us that George Washington Carver wasn't just the "Peanut Man," he was a proponent of Victory Gardens, crop rotation (which led to the peanut's fame), cooperative extensions, and organic gardening.

"I feel tasked with informing the world that, for Black culture, we have to be grateful that there was a slave who found a way to pollinate a vanilla bean . . . because you wouldn't have any vanillla-flavored anything if it wasn't for him: a twelve year-old slave figuring it out. You wouldn't have a lot of these grains and plant items that you enjoy if it wasn't for slaves, women braiding these seeds in their hair, because how else did the seeds make it over here from Africa? . . . We have to experience that. We have to be grateful for that." - Derek Haynes


"That's a big thing: to give back. . . . There has been . . . a history that has existed where Black ideals will be had . . . knowledge will be utilized, and Black hands will be left empty." You can give back by supporting Derek and donating to Haynes90 on Venmo and $Haynes90 on Cashapp and reposting his and other Black voices on Instagram and checking out and sharing the posts tagged #blackbotanistsweek


Derek also talked about one of his favorite things to do with plants: make fermented sodas. He gives us the down low on how to make them and his favorite plants to make soda from, including why he loves ginger so much. Then, he graciously shared his recipe for (non-alcoholic) ginger beer.

Derek Haynes's recipe for Ginger Beer

Making the ginger bug

Ingredients:

ginger
water
sugar

Instructions:

Shred or chop up ginger. Mix equal parts ginger and sugar into mason jar. Add enough water for the solids to float, and to dissolve the sugar.

Cover with cheesecloth or some breathable fabric.

Stir daily, adding a tablespoon of sugar. Ready when bubbly.

Making the ginger beer

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of ginger
2 cups of sugar
1 gallon of water
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup of ginger bug

In a pot, add shredded or chopped ginger, and 1 gallon of water.
Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add lemon zest and juice.

You can refrigerate overnight or allow to cool to room temperature. Strain solution and add 1/4 cup of ginger bug.

Place in a warm dark area in a lidded container (mason jar, beer bottles, etc.)

NOTE: Check daily on the soda, opening containers daily to release built up pressure.

Soda is ready when bubbly.

If any foul smells arise, discard soda and retry.

Derek's Bio:

A graduate of North Carolina State University, Derek Haynes’s passion for Botany is readily seen by anyone who meets him. The Crazy Botanist, as he is known, found an allure for plants at a young age. The New Bern native utilizes his creativity, and background, to present botanical tenets on Instagram and Facebook. Haynes believes that plants can help foster community, and communication.

Haynes gives back to his community volunteering with local community gardens, and creating and maintaining relationships, especially within the community of Black plant enthusiasts.

Again, if you appreciate Derek and the knowledge he shared, please support him by sharing his posts on Instagram, and donating to his work at Haynes90 on Venmo and $Haynes90 on Cashapp.
Become a Patron!
or make a one-time donation via PayPal.


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Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #10 - QTPOC Talks & Meet the Crew of SV Tulsi

6/9/2020

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Wow, y'all, the world has completely turned on its head! First coronavirus and now #BlackLivesMatter protests the world over. I hope you are safe and healthy and my biggest hope is that we come out of this better and more compassionate than before, more in touch with nature and love, and what really matters when it truly comes down to it. 

I'm so glad I waited to post this episode because it's so perfectly timely for what's going on in the wide world right now. This episode of the Wander, Forage, and Wildcraft podcast was conducted in a new and creative way. Back in early March, I interviewed the serendipitous crew of SV (Sailing Vessel) Tulsi, discussing many things BIPOC. Haven't heard the acronym "BIPOC" before? It stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This interview focuses on my new friend, Owl, his podcast, QTPOC Talks,  and why he felt the need to start the podcast. 

Since this podcast was recorded, Owl and his partner, Brian, have lost their housing and been forced to move. Please help them by donating to their gofundme fundraiser to help them relocate.
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #10 - Meet QTPOC Talks and the Crew of the SV Tulsi

​On this beautiful almost spring evening, SV Tulsi was anchored in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, Florida. The hosts/captains of the boat are Erica Klopf and Greg Wilkerson.
Erica is doing fantastic work as a permaculturist focusing on spreading edible plants throughout Florida. Greg is moving from being a western medical nurse toward a more herb inclusive practice. 

Owl Rare, besides hosting the QTPOC Talks (QTPOC is an acronym for Queer and Trans People of Color) podcast, is an Herbalist, making herbal skin products that are especially suited for the needs of Black skin. They are also a yoga teacher, artist, and figure model. They and their partner, Bryan Oliver Green, are from Philadelphia. Bryan is a writer, filmmaker, and teaching artist. He tells about the organization that he has taught for, Scribe Video Center. Bryan says Scribe puts media in the hands of marginalized  and disenfranchised people who often don't have access to things like filmmaking. It also teaches them to tell their stories, something so important right now.

Melissa Honeybee has worked with indigenous people in herbalism in Hawaii and beyond and wants to support the plants and unity of all people. And then there's me. I want to be a better ally to all people. As my dear friend and co-teacher/co-founder of the Sassafras School of Appalachian Plantcraft, Becky Beyer, says: much of the knowledge we have about plants and their benefits originally came from indigenous people, slaves, and other marginalized folx. In exchange, for that knowledge, we can give gratitude by asking ourselves how we can be of service to their descendants. I love this! I'm currently getting ready to ship some herbs and herbal medicines to native elders in North Dakota and others on the front lines of the protests, along with trying to expose the work of BIPOC people to a larger audience. (Wanna help? Email me for more info.)

Owl started QTPOC Talks to "bridge the gap between media and artists." They say the algorithms are set to disadvantage a certain type of person. You don't see too many Queer/Trans People of Color glorified for what they're doing. Then they said that "anything that's easy isn't worth doing." And I totally agree. It's time to do the hard work, to stand up against racism and prejudice, and as Owl says, know when to use our voices and when to be quiet to give marginalized voices room to talk and be heard. 

"Being compassionate and understanding when another
human being is sharing their energy with me,
having an open heart and open mind,
is really what's needed." - Owl


There is so much more to say here and so much more to the interview, including the struggles of attaining education as a Person of Color, skincare for Black folx, and food as medicine. I don't want to go on, I want you to listen, really listen, to what is said and think about how you can go forth to create a better, more compassionate world.

Please donate to Owl and Bryan's relocation fund. 


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Click the pic to easily donate to their gofundme

​If you'd like to support this podcast, which I provide free of charge to help make the world a better, healthier place, please join the Foraged Family on Patreon. As a reward, you'll get my educational video of Erica Klopf showing and talking about prickly pear cactus, along with how to forage and cook it. 

To connect more with Owl and see all the amazing work they're doing, check out:
OwlRare on Instagram
Adventures with Owl website

QTPOC Talks

Check out the super cool project of SV Tulsi and their floating concerts on YouTube. 

I also want to be an ally by giving more exposure to People of Color's voices, so am including just a tiny bit of the huge amount of BIPOC resources and knowledge that's out there. Please include your faves in the comments, so we can all continue to learn. 

Knowledge from BIPOC folks:

The BIPOC Project -  "People of color have always understood the need for our own spaces without white people present, for our own safety and healing. The BIPOC Project expands on this fundamental understanding and seeks to directly address the gaps in building authentic and sustainable solidarity."

​Anti-racism for Beginners - "Diving into the world of anti-racism for the first time can be confronting. It may feel challenging to understand your place and where to begin with educating yourself. Luckily, there are endless resources online to help you learn about anti-racism work, dismantle the unconscious biases that exist within yourself, and take action to create a more just society." 

The Creative Root -  "Offering affordable online classes, one-on-one wellness consultations, and seasonal small-batch herbal products. We are a community-based & Black woman owned/operated company."

Botany Everyday - A by donation ongoing online botany course offered by my dear friend and incredibly talented ethnobotanist/biologist, Marc Williams. He also runs the nonprofit Plants and Healers International. 

@countrygentlemancooks - Offering botanical education and insights into what it's currently like to be a Black botanist (on Instagram)

On Being (NPR Radio Show) Notice the Rage, Notice the Silence - In this episode, Krista Tippett interviews Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies about the book and his work with intergenerational trauma, how it shows up in the body, and how we can heal it.

On Being Tending Joy and Practicing Delight - Krista interviewed writer Ross Gay. "The ephemeral nature of our being allows him to find delight in all sorts of places (especially his community garden). To be with Gay is to train your gaze to see the wonderful alongside the terrible; to attend to and meditate on what you love, even in the midst of difficult realities and as part of working for justice."


@iamtabithabrown - Fantastically witty, Tabitha Brown, shares her healthy recipes, moments with her family, and features products from Black-owned businesses. She is hilarious and has helped lift my spirits during these dark times. 

@sheinatacarnhall - Offers knowledge on Crystal Medicine Healing and Crystal Tarot Readings on Instagram

Farming While Black - Spotlighting the work of Leah Penniman, "educator, farmer/peyizan, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2011 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land." Check out the great webinar she presented for the American Herbalists Guild on The Plants of Black Freedom.

@inheritblooms - "Herbalist. Daughter of the dust & diaspora. I show you how to take charge of your health w/ plants, ritual & reverence, so you can live life on purpose." Also delicious recipes with herbs and foraged foods (on Instagram). 
​
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    About Abby

    Founder of the WANDER (Wild Artemisia Nature Discovery, Empowerment, and Reconnection) School, Botanist, Herbalist, & Professional Forager, Abby Artemisia, lives in rural Appalachian North Carolina. She learned about plants playing in the Midwestern woods of Ohio, working on organic farms, an herbal apprenticeship, a bachelor's degree in Botany from Miami University, and running her own tea business. She teaches about plant identification, native plants, and working with plants for food and medicine throughout the country. Her mission is offering nature and herbal education to create healing through connection with the natural world and each other. She is the author of The Forager's Wild Edible and Herbal Plant Cards and The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders. She is the host of the podcast Wander, Forage, and Wildcraft, founder of The WANDER School, and co-founder of The Sassafras School of Appalachian Plantcraft.
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