Disclaimer: Audra and I are both Herbalists, not doctors. As such, we are and will not prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or make claims about any herb or product. This podcast and article are not about any specific virus, they focus on our experience with herbs, especially in association with viruses, and what we've seen work in past experiences with ourselves and others.

Audra starts off this episode of Wander, Forage & Wildcraft (the podcast for sharing stories, tips and tricks from foragers and wildcrafters around the world to empower you on your wild path) telling us about her healer's journey.

She came to herbalism as many of us do, by going through a healing crisis. She's grateful for her journey with Lyme because it's made her the Herbalist she is today and able to help others. As the founder of Beautyberry Apothecary, Audra is a big believer in bioregionalism.

My favorite product of hers is Florida Sunshine, a delicious, immune-supporting bioregional tincture. She ethically wildcrafts the herbs in her herbal remedies. She tells us about the plant that her namesake business was inspired by, the beautiful beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and its herbal magic. 

Audra also talks about what it's like when your passion becomes your business and when it doesn't turn out the way you think it will. We talk for awhile about how important herbalism is right now, how it's like a puzzle, and what the definition of an herbalist is today.

Audra and I go deeper into her fabulous article, Community Herbalism for Trying Times: Herbs for Respiratory Health. We discuss how prevention really is the best medicine, how it's the simple things that we often forget, like, "focusing on what's nourishing us." I love that we mentioned how important it is to remember about how this is affecting our nervous systems and giving ourselves permission to rest and not be productive. Please allow yourselves the space to do that, and know that I'm sending huge hugs to my virtual foraged family. Give yourself the gift of nervines, as we talk and Audra writes about. Audra's  floral nervine tea that she describes (so we can make our own) made me swoon!

Also included are Audra's favorite lung/respiratory herbs, recovery tips, resources for where to buy herbs, and an incredibly helpful summary of all the tips at the end. And I super apologize for saying "awesome" so much : )

If you want to catch the bonus interview I did with Audra all about demulcent herbs: what they are, why we need them, and some of her favorites; join our wild community at Patreon, support the podcast production, and get so much ongoing botanical education.

Now for two of Audra's favorite herbs as food tonic recipes:

Papa’s Chicken Soup and Herbal Bone Broth
Homemade chicken soup is my go-to food when I need deep nourishment, especially if I’m dealing with an acute respiratory infection. I also love it for times when I’m feeling generally run-down, stressed, or when my digestion is feeling a little weak. It’s just good preventative food-as-medicine! When I was growing up, if any family member came down with a cold or flu, my dad would make the whole house a big pot of chicken soup, hence this recipe’s name (and my nostalgic love for it!). I’ve since adapted my dad’s recipe to my own needs, adding herbs and mushrooms into the mix. I spent many years making this recipe regularly as a part of a healing protocol to restore my gut health and still find comfort in it seasonally. May it nourish you in these difficult times!
(This is a true folk recipe, one I’ve never written down before! It’s a two-part process that yields both a large pot of herbal chicken soup and a large pot of herbal bone broth. Use your largest stock pot and adjust the amount of water you use accordingly.) 
 
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2-3 onions, chopped
1 head of garlic, chopped
6-10 large carrots, sliced
1 head of celery, sliced
A splash of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil of choice
Black pepper and salt to taste
Filtered water, enough to fill your pot
 
Herbs and mushrooms (use what you have access to, but my favorites include) :
2-4 dried reishi slices
4-6 dried astragalus slices
6-8 dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms
A small handful of dried burdock root
A small handful of dried nettle 
A large pinch of calendula flowers
A large pinch of dried seaweed like dulse
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Any fresh kitchen herbs I have growing in my garden, chopped; I usually use a rotating cast of: parsley, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus), sage, thyme, dill, fennel leaves, spanish needle (Bidens alba)

Instructions
 Chicken soup:

1. Place the chicken in your pot and cover with water.
2. Add all your herbs and mushrooms, except the fresh kitchen herbs (we’ll add those in later); add a splash of apple cider vinegar here, too. 
3. Cover and bring to a boil. 
4. Once boiling, turn down to a low heat and allow to simmer until the meat is fully cooked, usually about 45 minutes - 1 hour but use your best judgement. (Alternatively, you could use a pressure cooker, which cooks the chicken while making an incredibly delicious stock in a very short amount of time. I love this method!).  
5. Remove the chicken and allow it to sit until it’s cool enough to pull the meat from the bones. Once cooled, separate the meat and set it aside, and reserve the bones and cartilage, as well as the water which has become a rich chicken stock.
6. Meanwhile, while the chicken is cooling, begin to cook the base of your soup. In a separate large pot, add butter, 2 chopped onions, and half a head of chopped garlic, and simmer until the onions become translucent. 
7. Add the turmeric powder, celery, and carrots, and saute until the carrots are about halfway cooked/soft. 
8. Ladle the chicken stock into the second pot over the veggies, filling it ¾ of the way. You’ll want to reserve all the herbs and mushrooms from the stock to add to the bone broth in part 2, so feel free to strain the stock through a sieve if necessary. 
9. Add the cooked chicken meat and the chopped kitchen herbs. Allow the whole pot to simmer until the carrots and celery are fully cooked. 
10. Add salt to taste, and black pepper as desired. 

 
Bone broth:

1. In the original pot, add the chicken bones to the stock (if any of the stock remains). Add more water if necessary to fill the pot. If you strained the herbs and mushrooms out, add them back into the stock. Consider adding another chopped onion or half a head of peeled garlic at this point for more nutrition. 
2. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to help pull the nutrients out of the bones. 
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer, covered (with the lid cracked) for up to 24 hours. (Alternatively, you could simmer the broth in a slow cooker for 24 hours, which would be very low maintenance, or make it in a pressure cooker, cooking it for about 3 hours on high pressure).
4. Strain and store! Drink a cup, warmed, daily or add to recipes. Will keep in the fridge about a week, or much longer in the freezer (Pro-tip: if you intend to freeze the broth in glass jars, only fill them about ¾ of the way to prevent the glass from cracking; consider freezing in ice cube trays.)

Audra's Bio:
Audra Locicero is a community herbalist and medicine maker, and the proprietor of Beautyberry Apothecary, a seasonal, small-batch herbal products business based out of sunny Sarasota, Florida. Her passion for the natural world, her love of gardening, and her own personal healing crisis led her to pursue herbalism as a hobby and later a career. The focus of her herbal practice is two-fold: to provide information to her community about the ways gentle herbs, nourishing foods, and a balanced lifestyle can support overall wellness; and to create vibrant place-based remedies that highlight the unique plants that thrive in Florida’s many bioregions. Through this work, she aims to spark interest in earth-based medicine and empower individuals to take charge of their health; to make community-based herbal medicine affordable and accessible to all who seek it; and to foster a greater sense of connection, understanding, and care for the non-human world. Her herbal knowledge stems from years of self-study and self-healing, as well as her completion of a three-tier community herbalist training course from the Florida School of Holistic Living. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from New College of Florida, has worked on farms and in plant shops, and has attended out-of-hospital births as a midwife’s assistant. Alongside her work as a community herbalist, she is currently pursuing a career in conservation and hopes that whatever form her work in the world takes, it is always forwarding her goal to protect and preserve the Earth’s greatest gifts. Her role as an herbalist is ever-evolving, and she’s excited to see where it will lead her next!

​If you like the podcast, please like, subscribe, comment and share!

If you're able, support Wander, Forage & Wildcraft financially by becoming a patron starting at just 5 bucks a month or make a one-time donation, so I can keep this education free.

Please comment with your thoughts, how you're coping right now and the herbs that are helping you make it through, and share this with everyone who needs it (ie everyone).

As promised, here are a bunch of articles for your own research on what to be aware of and what to do/herbs and supplements to take for prevention and if you get the virus:
​
COVID-19 Resources - American Herbalists Guild - A huge collection of articles and resources from a wide array of herbalists and others
COVID-19: An Integrative MDs Commonsense Approach - Aviva Romm - A collection of articles written by MD, Herbalist, and Midwife, Aviva Romm, including info on the virus and pregnancy and breastfeeding, autoimmune disease, general symptoms, and how to talk to kids about the virus
COVID-19 Community Care Center - Herbalista Free Clinic - As always, an incredible breadth of knowledge on a wide variety of topics, from dealing with the virus in community, to sanitation guidelines, and a plethora of recipes (including hand sanitizer)
Herbal Treatment for Coronavirus Infections - Stephen Harrod Buhner - A good explanation of how the virus works, many suggestions for specific herbs and formulas, though some herbs are Asian and may not be readily available in the US
An Herbalist’s Note on the COVID-19 Virus - 7Song - A helpful resource for herbalists, especially those who work with clients/in clinics
Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) - Oscar Sierra - some great preventative measures that you might not have heard, with helpful herbs for the virus, and some good info on zinc and how to take it
What’s the Deal with Elderberry and Cytokine Storm? - Larken Bunce - answers questions that have been coming up lately about possible adverse effects of elderberry, with folks with autoimmune issues and the general public.
Coronavirus Resources - Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism - various resources and a free webinar with Matt and Phyllis Light 3/23
COVID-19 Resources - Heartfelt Tidbits - Info on the virus, activities for kids, how to get or give help (from a fabulous nonprofit in SW Ohio that supports immigrants and refugees)

To close, I want to let you know that I understand what you’re going through and support you. We're all feeling so much and it's important to let ourselves feel it, honor it, and make space for tons of rest. I’m sending you my love, virtual hugs, and healing herbal energy.

​Please comment with your thoughts, what is working for you, and any resources you’ve enjoyed that you’d like to share with our community. And if you appreciate this information and you can, please support this important work, especially now when it makes the biggest impact, by becoming a patron on Patreon (as low as $5/month) and the upcoming online education I’ll be offering. Are you on the WANDER School email list? If not, sign up now so you’ll know when all this cool education is released. In the meantime, thanks for being you, being awesome, and stay healthy. ​

You can now check out the latest episode of the listener-supported podcast I dreamed up: wildcrafters and foragers around the world share their stories, tips and tricks to empower you on your wild path.

​Give it a listen below (or listen and subscribe to Wander, Forage & Wildcraft on your favorite podcast platform). ​

If you like what you hear, you can become a patron on Patreon for as little as $5 per month to support production of the podcast and get extras, like the recording Bill did with me about The Nutty Buddy Collective, a multi-generational project he helped co-create with the "goal of working with community partners to bring native crops to local tables at an economically viable scale, in an ecologically viable way."

About the Episode:
It was nuttin' but a pleasure and honor to interview Bill Whipple, who came up with the title for himself of "Disruptive Hybridizer" while we talked. He was one of the intiators of the Acornucopia Project , of which he says (in this episode) their dream is to, "foster small independent, autonomous nutteries in the region that can support one another." Bill was a street performer in the past. This, along with his love of nuts as a way to inspire community relationship, shine through in our impactful and entertaining conversation. 

Here (above) Bill sits, cutting x's into chestnuts from West Virginia for us to snack on while we talked in his hand built tiny home, surrounded by the literal fruits and nuts of his labor. I felt right at home! We drank his signature beverage, "Trea", tea from tree leaves grown on his farm (listen to hear all about it) on his birthday, while he wore a pink tie under what he calles his "elf jacket" with a slice of bitternut walnut that he made into a button. 

Acorn Chocolate Pudding 
(the gateway to acorn consciousness)
From The Nut Book - A Manifeasto of Community Nut Processing by Bill Whipple
Acorns aren't just for baking. They stovetop into amazing soothing and nourishing foods, like rues and puddings. Use it as a thickener to make a savory version of this called "forage porridge".

ACORN FLOUR- 1 CUP  (I prefer red oak)
H2O - Start with 4 cups (hickory broth is best)
powdered chocolate - 8 tbs (roasted dandelion is more authentic)
sugar - 8 tbs (maple syrup would rock the boat here)
salt - 1/2 tbs
cinnamon - 1/4 tsp (spicebush would be the real deal but use less and work up, its potent!)
vanilla - 1/4 tsp (from native, temperate, vanilla trees of course! ;)
Coconut oil - 2 tbs (black walnut pulverized into a butter would leave the competition at the gates at any county fair contest)

Simmer cracked hickories and strain off meats from the top.
Blend with a little hickory broth. Add rest of strained broth and blend.
This is your base to slowly add acorn flour while humming:
"Stir, stir, stir the pot gently o'er the flame. if you won't, or if you don't, there's no one else to blame"

Add everything else to taste. The more creamy yummy added, the better it will be. This will set up and jiggle just like real store-bought jello!

Bill's Bio: Bill Whipple considers himself a "disruptive hybridizer". He has made it a life's work to transform contradiction into compliment. He has been commercially growing biologically grown fruit on his West Virginia farm for 33 years. He moved to Asheville in 2000 and began to revive and develop the Edible orchards in public parks. In 2014 a band of these enthusiasts created the Nutty buddy Collective who are growing select native nut genetics in what he calls "Forchards" (forest/ orchards). These orchards will become models for the perennial tree crop agriculture that will replace the travesty we call annual commodity agriculture. Tying this together is the Acornucopia Project which is a "nutwork" of visionaries who are developing processes, products, and infrastructure that will make the nuts crops accessible to the people.
​

​

Episode #7 of Wander, Forage and Wildcraft is here! 

You can now check out the latest episode of the listener-supported podcast I dreamed up: wildcrafters and foragers around the world share their stories, tips and tricks to empower you on your wild path.

​Give it a listen below (or listen and subscribe to Wander, Forage & Wildcraft on your favorite podcast platform). 

If you like what you hear, you can become a patron on Patreon for as little as $5 per month to support production of the podcast and get extras, like the recording Kelly did with me about piñon pines.

About the Episode:

I've been following Kelly's work for awhile and, honestly, having a little bit of travel and plant nerd envy of the work she does. Her work with the Ground Shots Project is nothing short of freaking amazing! Our podcasts share similarities of interviewing and spreading the word about folks doing cool work with plants, however she travels the world doing it. 

More specifically and in her own words, "The Ground Shots Podcast is an audio project that features conversations and storytelling about our relationship with ecology through the intersections of activism and creativity. This includes field recordings of folks in their element, music recordings, interviews, story captures, and more."

She asks the important questions, like, "How do we do our work in the modern age, when the urgency of ecological and social collapse sometimes feels looming? How do we creatively and whole-heartedly navigate our relationships with one another and the land?"

In our interview, we talked about this and more, including Madrone berries (a fave tree of mine in California), the land-based web of interconnection, how farming led her to foraging, how foraging revived her grandmother's traditions, how wild foods reflect the regional flavor, how she learned to forage sustainably with United Plant Savers (a fantastic organization) and the risk of foraging in the western U.S., along with reseeding as a way to wildcraft ethically. I loved our conversation how our foraging and wildcrafting can actually benefit plants if done in an ethical way. We also talked about the piñon pine and its edible nuts, how to forage and process them, and the medicine you can make from the resin. We finished the episode with her story of a Juneberry/serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) foraging adventure. 

We talked about her love of foraging piñon pine in California. She generously shared her recipe for Savory Winter Squash Pie with Pine Nuts (below).

Kelly's Bio:

Kelly Moody grew up in rural southern Virginia near the border of North Carolina in tobacco and muscadine country. She went to her grandma's house daily as a child, where fresh biscuits and iced tea were a regular necessity. Her other grandma was a determined plant lady who started a nursery business on the outskirts of their small rural town, which remained open for almost 50 years. Kelly grew up hiding with her sister in the tropical greenhouses, taking craft classes in the small nursery workshop, shelling green beans and canning tomatoes. These experiences of being on the family farm, working with plants and creating followed Kelly into her adulthood.

Much of the past decade she has spent living in different places and studying plants, ecology and craft, writing about the land, growing food and herbs, or honoring her wanderlust and love of learning new plants by traveling cross country in various incarnations.

She received a B. A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies in 2009 from Christopher Newport University in Virginia. For over a decade she has studied herbal medicine, ecology and botany with teachers like Rebecca Golden in southern Vermont, Paul Strauss and Chip Carrol at the Goldenseal Sanctuary in southeast Ohio, Luke Learningdeer and Marc Williams in western North Carolina. She apprenticed with Juliet Blankespoor and attended the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in Asheville, NC in 2013. She helped manage the gardens at Dancing Springs Farm in Asheville, NC from 2014-2016. She studied book arts and paper making at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She has taught hide tanning techniques for classes held by the medieval bookbinder Jim Croft at his rural Idaho homestead from 2017-2019. She has completed a handful of ecological activism focused artist residencies and workshops including Signal Fire's month-long Wide Open Studios program during the summer of 2017 in the Pacific Northwest and in the fall of 2019 in the Southwest. Her teaching over the years has included classes on hide tanning, plant ID, wild foods, medicine making, natural dyes, nutrition and gardening.

Kelly’s interest in both storytelling and cross-cultural dialogue comes from both an upbringing in the rural south filled with story, and by the inspiration of meeting people on the road during large periods of nomadism. 


Links:

Of Sedge and Salt, Kelly's website, blog, and Ground Shots podcast episodes
Of Sedge and Salt Patreon site to support the podcast and her work
Kelly's Piñon Pine Plant Profile
Find Kelly on Instagram @goldenberries
The Ground Shots Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, etc.

Links to organizations mentioned in the episode: 
Zach Elfer's Nomad Seed Project
United Plant Savers
Signal Fire

​A delicious regional recipe from Kelly: 
Savory Winter Squash Pie with Pine nuts

First, bake several favorite winter squashes cut in half, open face in the oven for 20-30 minutes. 
Take squashes out of oven.
Chop bacon into small pieces and sauté to brown. Remove bacon, and leave oil in pan.
Sauté leeks, black walnuts, piñon pine nuts and garlic in bacon fat. 

In a separate bowl, smash winter squash into a consistent mush, removing skins if you desire. At this point I add some salt to taste, as well as melted butter or ghee into the blend. After this, add leeks, bacon, pine nuts and walnuts to blend. 

I generally don't do gluten so I improvise different kinds of interesting crusts. In this case, I had a few wild foods to add to my crust mix. I mixed a half of cup of honey and a pinch of salt to homemade Yampah root Perideridia gairdneri flour, blue corn grits and gluten free baking flour. I slathered the crust mix into a an oiled glass dish pushing the dough up the sides (its more of a honey paste than dough). You could add pine nuts to the crust here, too.

Pour the winter squash mix into the open crust, smoothing over the top. Crack a handful of pine nuts and place them on top of the pie. I also add walnuts here!

Bake on 400 F for 30 minutes or so. Take out, let cool before eating.

If you want to learn more fascinating piñon pine details, become a patron on Patreon to hear our bonus interview material. 

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

So, for anyone on your list who is wild food or herb curious...look no further.

It's never too early to start planning your holiday gift giving, and with Small Business Saturday right around the corner we wanted to get you thinking about gifts we have available. Read on, let us know if you have any questions, and as always...green blessings.

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!

It's special, useful, and a great addition to any herbal bookworm's bookshelf.

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. 

For any tense moments of obligatory gatherings this season the Harmony Tincture is a must-have. For every meal, and especially the heavy holiday meals, Bitter is Better is the non-alcoholic bitters formula that helps digestion when you take a squirt before digging in. 

Kiss chapped lips goodbye! Get a Pucker Up Lip Balm for you, whomever you'll be kissing, and all your friends.

Check out all the handcrafted items from Abby's apothecary here or browse below.

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:

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

This 98-hour program is one weekend a month (May to November) from 10 AM to 5 PM at the Hawk and Hawthorne, 20 minutes outside of Asheville, North Carolina.

Two women foragers, medicine makers and craftswomen, have come together to offer a folk understanding of herbalism and foraging. They see the folkway as the way in which working with plants for food and medicine every day can become a natural ritual of life. It can become a lifeway. The curriculum is extensive. 

Admission to the Sassafras School Class of 2020 is $1280 before 1/1/2020 and $1480 after.

Have your heard of this crazy cool thing called Patreon? 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, kind of like public radio, but without the annoying pledge drives. 

I just revamped my Patreon site to make it more fun and valuable for you, with the goal of making wildcrafting, foraging, and herbal education accessible for all, along with my podcast, Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft. I know not everyone can afford to go to herb school, or can even afford $5 a month to get the education bonuses I'm offering on Patreon, but everyone deserves knowledge. Won't you please support me, by doing good to help me do good in the world?

And if you can afford just 5 bucks a month or more, you'll get herbal education all year long, plus as a heartfelt thank you, patrons of The WANDER School get...

• Access to patron-only blog posts, vlogs, and videos, including wild & herbal cooking classes
• 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
• The heartwarming knowledge that you're helping out a single mom-owned business with single mom employees and small business contractors

Patrons join us in inspiring nature connection and health empowerment in a way that’s accessible to everyone despite background, experience, location, or financial status.

You wouldn't believe how much it costs to bring free education to the world! There's paying a podcast editor to edit every episode, and my assistant to post it to all the platforms and get it out to you, the cost of paying a site to host it, and website costs for the blog, plus graphic designers and more. Every little bit you give helps so much and keeps this education available for all of us.

Will you become a patron today?
Support starts at just 5 bucks a month!
Check out all the different tiers and herbtastic rewards at
www.patreon.com/thewanderschool

Episode #6 of Wander, Forage and Wildcraft is here! 

You can now check out the latest listener-supported podcast I dreamed up: wildcrafters and foragers around the world share their stories, tips and tricks to empower you on your wild path.

​Give it a listen below (or listen and subscribe to Wander, Forage & Wildcraft on your favorite podcast platform). 

About the Episode:
Cindi is a dear co-teacher friend of mine and owner/operator of Cindi's Sacred Garden.
We met a couple of years ago at the Southeast Wise Woman Herbal Conference, here in Western North Carolina. I connected immediately to her open, generous spirit, and her immense knowledge and love of native herbal medicine. We have so much to learn from the people who originally inhabited this land (the United States of America). 

This episode begins with Cindi telling us a charming and hilarious true story about her introduction to herbal medicine. Then, she tells us about the Menominee and her own practices of sustainable and ethical wildcrafting. One of the things I admire most about  Cindi's teaching is her inclusion of ceremony, in the tradition of her Menominee elders. She'll be practicing and teaching this during our Tree Medicine Walk & Workshop that we're co-teaching in Marshall, NC on October 26, 2019 (get your tickets here). She tells us a little about a harvest ceremony she performed with a local plant and how the medicine comes when we or others need it. 

We also talked about one of both of our favorite herbs, goldenrod, and its health benefits. She graciously shared her recipe for goldenrod oil (below).

Cindi's Bio:
Cindi Quay, Traditional Herbalist, descendent of the Menominee Nation, and Founder of Cindi’s Sacred Garden, located in Black Mountain NC, has been practicing her respected Native American Traditions with our plant nation for most of her life. Opening herself to being a Student with Nature, Cindi has learned “hands on” to identify many herbs during all growing seasons, and for greater than 30 years, she has traveled around the USA to identify many different healing plants. Cindi went into business full-time in 1997 and has develop organic and natural Skin Food skin products and Fresh Earth Medicines. As an instructor, Cindi teaches many groups about herbs, growing, connecting to and healing oneself through our plant nation. She has deep knowledge of not only the plant allies but of other healing modalities that can be incorporated into daily healing and deeper understanding of our vital connection to Earth Mother. Cindi teaches with Native American Spiritual groups, Indigenous Tribes, Woman Gatherings, Holistic Practitioner’s, Garden Clubs, Plant Savers group and school groups.

Some of her other many offerings and leadership roles:
• Herbal Plant Teacher, New Echota State Park, GA “Take a Walk With Cindi”
• Herbal Plant Teacher, HERBalachia Herbalist lifestyle program, Erwin TN
• Herbal & Woman’s Health Educator, Unity Gathering, Dover NY
• Spirit Plant Walk, Southeast Wise Woman Conference, Black Mountain, NC
• Board Member of Indigenous Woman’s Knowledge ~ Advisor
• Cultural Exchange & Education, Charleston, SC
• Instructor of Herbal Studies & Plant Identification, USA/Turtle Island
• Spiritual Intuitive Native Healer
• Private Consults and Herbal Walks to learn traditional herbs
• Herbal Workshops for the professional for detailed help on making products

Cindi maintains her deep connection with her Native Nation, learning and sharing with Medicine people the plant knowledge that needs to maintain oral traditions. You can find more information at:
Cindi's Sacred Garden website 
Cindi's Sacred Garden Facebook Page
Email Cindi

An Herbal Recipe from Cindi:
Cindi told me about one of her favorite herbs: Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and how she loves it for colds, flus, allergies, and sinus infections, along with UTI's. She also gave us her lovely recipe for traditional goldenrod oil, which she makes from the leaves and flowers for muscle spasm, arthritis, and more.

Goldenrod Oil:
*Has been shown to improve circulation, known for anti-inflammatory & antiseptic benefits
*Great massage relief for muscle cramps, sprains, sore muscles, powerful on sore neck muscles, uterine cramping & chest colds.
*Great for all sorts of skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, acne, sores, scabs, dermatitis & wounds.
*Very beneficial in promoting restful sleep, calming & soothing to the mind, relieves stress, anxiety & nervousness.
*Brings Circulation to areas congested, such as extremities, ankles, fingertips.
*Helps inflammation of edema symptoms.    

**Aroma is reminiscent of fresh, balsamic, peppery notes, which makes it a relaxing oil.

What you will need:
1 - Quart Jar – cleaned
4-6 ounces (by volume) of fresh picked and dried Goldenrod flowers/leaves
Organic Olive Oil to fill the Quart Jar.
Unbleached wax paper

Make sure your goldenrod, if harvested fresh, is not wet and has had time to dry any moisture from the flowers/leaves. Add to your cleaned quart jar.

Cover the entire plant material with olive oil. 
Place unbleached wax paper cut to cover top of quart jar, and then apply jar seal. This helps keep any interactions between the plant/olive oil and the metal of the jar seal.
Mark your jar with the date you made your oil, and then mark the date 4 weeks later to strain.

Strain through unbleached cheesecloth please. 

Your oil is now good up to 2 years if kept in a cool, dark dry place. 

By Cindi Quay/Traditional Native Herbalist & Owner of Cindi’s Sacred Garden.

That Workshop...
Join us on October 26th for our Tree Medicine Walk & Workshop in Marshall, NC, where I'll be teaching the botany and western medicine of the many tree species on this gorgeous land, and Cindi will teach us the traditional Native American medicine, along with how to harvest in a cermonial way. We'll make some tree medicine to take home for our winter first aid kits.
Register now and watch for future class we'll be co-teaching!

​

Tis the season . . . for spicy lattes! As the temps drop and a chill fills the air, there's nothing better than a cozy sweater, a bowl of nourishing soup and a warming beverage. Why have a pumpkin spice latte, filled with tons of sugar and who knows what in the ingredients list, when you can create your own tastier, foraged latte with a much cooler name and health-supporting ingredients practically for free? 

I call the fire engine red berries of the Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), "spiceberries," mostly cuz it sounds cool. They are easy to harvest, if you can find them at exactly the right time (that bright red is important), right around the autumn equinox (now) in Appalachia. Though it can take awhile to harvest plenty, because they're small. The most important point of processing them, is to do it quickly! They have a lot of volatile oils, meaning they go rancid super fast.

It's hard to dry them enough without a dehydrator, but you could try it in an oven on the lowest setting. Dry them until they are dark red to black, feel completely dry all the way through, and you can bite through them easily. They should taste like allspice, which they were substituted for way back in the day when the spice trade was difficult. Though I'm sure native folks were aware of them much before that. 

Here's my recipe for Spiceberry Spice:

Be aware that the taste of spice berries is strong. Some people are more sensitive to it than others. Start with a smaller amount first, if you wish. Also, feel free to change the amounts of any of the other spices to your personal taste.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp* powdered spicebush berries
2 tsp powdered cloves
2 tsp powdered nutmeg
2 tsp powdered cinnamon
2 tsp powdered ginger

Simply mix together and pour into a spice jar with a shaker lid.

It seems spiceberries go rancid faster once they are powdered, so I usually don't make any bigger batches than this for personal use. 

I'll let ya in on the secret of how I make my lattes. Be aware, every forager I know, including myself, is a foodie! 

1. Make cold brew coffee (plenty of recipes on the internet). For a 12 ounce latte, I use 8 ounces of cold brewed coffee.
2. Heat the coffee if you want. I love the taste of cold brew, but like it hot.
3. Add a decent dash of your Spiceberry Spice to 4 ounces of warmed milk of your choice (coconut is especially yummy), realizing that you might have to try some different kinds of milks or brands because some froth easier than others.
4. Add some sweetener, if desired. A teaspoon of local honey is my preference.
5. Froth to your heart's content! My inexpensive workaround for this is an immersion blender (possibly my favorite kitchen tool).
6. Pour the milk on top of the coffee slowly. 
7. Add a small sprinkle of Spiceberry Spice on top to make it fancy! 
8. Enjoy!​
   

This is also an awesome spice for roasted squash or pumpkin/squash soup.
​
Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Other fun things to do with spicebush:

• Trim the twigs and dry them for a tasty simmered warming tea all winter long.
• I don't like the taste of the leaves as much as the twigs, so I like to dry them and add them to a pot of water on the kitchen stove or wood stove for some natural aromatics to keep my respiratory system moisturized during the dry indoor days. 

Wanna learn more about spicebush? Check out my friend and co-founder of our Sassafras Appalachian School of Plantcraft (2020 applications now being accepted, hint hint) Becky Beyer's blog all about it (on her website, Blood and Spicebush). Then, go harvest some yourself, of course making sure you have 100% positive ID, or get someone like me to show you. 

Other cool tidbits about spicebush:

• It's in the same family as sassafras (Lauraceae, or Bay Laurel, like bay leaf) and their flowers look pretty identical. 
• Both sassafras and spicebush are host plants for the native spicebush swallowtail butterfly. (Check it out; they're gorgeous!)
• The plants are male or female. So only the females get berries.

​Happy Foraging!
​

​Episode #5 of Wander, Forage and Wildcraft is here! 
You can now check out the latest listener-supported podcast I dreamed up:  wildcrafters and foragers around the world share their stories, tips and tricks to empower you on your wild path.

​Give it a listen! 
(You can also listen and subscribe to Wander, Forage & Wildcraft on your favorite podcast platform). 

 
​About the Episode:
It's very possible, especially if you're from Appalachia and interested in plants, that you've already met Marc Williams. He's known the world round as an expert in many things botanical. But not only that, he's a good friend and a respected teacher of mine!

It was such an honor to interview ethnobiologist, Marc Williams, at his home in Weaverville, North Carolina. Marc explained what the title ethnobiologist means to him, along with sharing his journey to becoming one. He, of course, talks about foraging, but goes deeper into some of the complexities, like how do we know what quantity of native plants are sustainable to harvest, and foraging invasive plants isn't as simple as we'd like to think sometimes. 

Marc and I discussed academic education versus life education and our experiences in each. He's had some amazing teachers through his many years of education and shares about them, as well as his own tips and tricks for foraging, especially in such a biodiverse region as western North Carolina. He was kind enough to share this unique recipe for wild bean dip (aka hummus), along with some good botanical and herbal info on its ingredients. 

Marc is always a wealth of information and we had so much to talk about that we couldn't fit it all in. He'll definitely be back soon! Let us know what you think of the episode and your experience with the recipe in the comments below. Thanks for listening!

Wild Bean Dip (aka Hummus) Recipe
by Marc Williams

Ingredients:

4     c Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas or other type of bean
2/3 c Oil (Olive, Sunflower, Safflower)
1/2 c Lemon Juice or 1 c loosely packed Wood Sorrel (Oxalis species)
1/3 c Tahini
1/4 c Fresh Herbs (2 Tbsp dry) i.e. Parsley, Queen Anne's Lace*, Cilantro, etc
2      Tbsp Spices such as Paprika, Cumin, Turmeric
2      Tbsp Miso
2      Cloves of garlic or similar amount of other Onion/Allium family member
        Sea salt to taste

Instructions:
Puree ingredients in food processor, adding oil and water, if necessary, while the machine is running to help with blending.

*As Marc talks about in the podcast, Queen Anne's Lace is in the Carrot family, a family that has some deadly members (like Poison and Water Hemlock). Please only add it into this recipe if you have 100% positive identification! If you are uncertain about identifying it, substitute one of the other named herbs. Always forage safely! You can check out my video about Queen Anne's Lace on Instagram here. 

More about Marc Williams:
​Marc Williams is an ethnobiologist. He has studied the people, plant, mushroom, microbe connection intensively while learning to employ botanicals and other life forms for food, medicine, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture with a minor in Business from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. He has spent over two decades working at a multitude of restaurants and various farms and has travelled throughout 30 countries in Central/North/South America and Europe and all 50 states of the USA. Marc has visited over 200 botanical gardens and research institutions during this process while taking tens of thousands of pictures of representative plants. He is also Executive Director of Plants and Healers International www.plantsandhealers.org and on the Board of Directors of United Plant Savers. He has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of students about the marvelous world of people and their interface with other organisms while working with over 70 organizations in the last few years and online at the website www.botanyeveryday.com  Marc's greatest hope is that this effort may help improve our current challenging global ecological situation.

Thanks for being here!
If you like the stories, tips and tricks on my listener-supported podcast AND want to hear more from wildcrafters and foragers around the world, please consider making a one-time or recurring donation here.

Until next time, I'm off to find new ways to empower YOU on your wild path. 

Botanical Property Surveys are one of the most fulfilling parts of my job: seeing landowners and stewards gain a whole new perspective on their land. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Wow, I walk past that plant every day and never knew it was edible/medicinal! Knowing what they can and, just as importantly, shouldn't eat, is a true moment of enlightenment.

I always tell folks, "Make it a party! Invite your friends, family, neigbors, whoever you want." My botanical property surveys include at least two hours of a private plant walk on your land, learning what's edible, medicinal, and poisonous. Some people bring small flags to label the plants or a map of the property to help jog their memory after the walk. Then I send you a spreadsheet after the walk, including all of this information, plus notes on the edible and medicinal aspects we discuss and more. (Find out more info and schedule here.)

​On the property survey pictured above, in North Carolina, the host invited his neigbors and had a barbeque afterwards. Near the end of our walk on the late summer mountainside, I started talking about hen of the woods mushroom and how delicious it is. As nature magic often happens, within minutes we were walking on an old, abandoned logging road next to a giant red oak tree when it was impossible not to notice the cluster of hen of the woods growing right in the middle of the road! They love to grow on red oaks and were growing on the roots under the road. We had a delightful lunch of barbecued mushrooms!

Magical Mountain is truly an appropriate name for Tracey and Peter's Farm! I was amazed at how agilely they scaled the mountainside. They wanted to find a way to live on their land full time and were thinking of creating a native nursery. They wanted to know what plants were already growing that they could propagate. They're pretty knowledgeable and already knew a lot about the plants that are there. But, there were some surprises...like this big witch hazel grove! We found some edibles they didn't know about and some rare medicinals, along with identifying some dryad's saddle mushrooms they had been wondering about. They were excited to know what they were and cook them up for dinner! I love dryad's saddle because a dryad is a tree nymph. It's so fun to imagine them riding on the mushrooms!

"Abby is amazing!!! She surpassed all my exceptions for my land survey! We can now use our property to its full potential since Abby has identified our edible and medicinal plants! She is an expert and was able to answer all of our questions thoroughly. I would recommend this for every house hold and also makes a great fathers day gift!" - Rachel E.

Rachel and her husband got a survey for themselves and one for their parents in Kentucky, too.

On another property survey in North Carolina, for two next-door neighbors, we were in a lush, biodiverse forest by a flowing stream. The owner said she had just bought some pawpaw trees to plant and thought that area seemed like the perfect place. A feeling of nostalgia came over me as I'm originally from Ohio and have sweet memories of foraging midwestern pawpaws . I told them I'd never seen pawpaws growing wild in this region. More magic! Her neighbor looked down at a big-leaved plant and asked what it was. I racked my brain in disbelief, thinking it must be a magnolia. I rolled the leaf in my hand and sniffed, a pawpaw! There was a whole patch of them right where they wanted to plant some! Later we found lobster mushrooms and much more. 

This lovely child wanted to learn more about plants from a real-life "sage". That was quite a title to live up to! They really enjoyed learning about how they could eat sassafras leaves directly from the tree like the animals, and it would actually help the tree to heal faster. Thanks to her teacher for recommending me! I have high hopes for her herbal future. 

"Spending time with Abby is a gift. She is of-the-Earth. She helped us get to know a property that was new to us. Our survey piqed our senses and helped us to plan how we would move forward with loving on the land. So thankful for Abby bringing people and nature closer together." - Virginia R.

Ready to learn what food and medicine is growing on your land? Get all the details and schedule here.