A Gardener's Weekend!

This weekend there are two wonderful events with gardening workshops galore, to get pumped for the spring season!

On Saturday, March 26, from 11 am - 5 pm, the Boston Natural Areas Networks will be holding their 36th Annual Gardeners Gathering at the Curry Student Center at Northeastern University. From their website: "Gardening workshops for community and residential gardeners for both beginner and experienced gardeners. Enjoy networking, door prizes, info gallery, community garden awards, and more! All invited to join with more than 300 community gardeners to welcome spring. Free event, all welcome, walk-in registration..." For more information about the event, click here.


On Sunday, March 27, from 10 am - 4 pm, is Bountiful Brookline's annual Spring into Gardening event at the Pierce School at 50 School St., Brookline, MA. A day full of workshops, panels, keynote speech given by Greg Watson, a demonstration area, children's activities, and more. General admission is $10/person, $20/family. Or if you volunteer at the event for 2 hours, general admission is FREE. If you're interested in volunteering, contact bountifulbrooklineevent [at] gmail.com. For more information on the event, go here.


I will be teaching a Food Preservation and Fermentation Workshop at Spring into Gardening at 2 pm: "This workshop will provide a brief overview of various methods of food preservation, including drying herbs, canning, and fermenting. Emphasis will be on fermentation. This workshop will include a demonstration on how to make sauerkraut."

I am looking forward to the workshop and I hope to see you there!

Book Talk with Author Eric Herm: "Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth" 3/13

I am happy to be hosting the following event with The Urban Homesteaders' League this Sunday:

Book Talk with Author Eric Herm: "Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth"


When: Sunday, March 13, 2011, from 3 - 4:30 pm

Location: Brookline, MA. The location is close to the Harvard Ave. stop on the B (green) line and the Coolidge Corner stop on the C (green) line. For the address, please RSVP (RSVP details are below).

Description:

Join us for a book talk, Q & A, and signing of the book Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth, with author and 4th generation farmer Eric Herm, who lives on a farm in West Texas.

Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth examines commercial agriculture's strain on our natural resources, delicate ecosystems, and the farmer. As a fourth-generation farmer, Eric Herm deals with the harsh economic realities and complicated legislation facing farmers, as well as the undeniable health impact of GMO crops and excessive chemicals on all living creatures. Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth provides ample resources of natural, healthy alternatives that will inspire the farmers’ transformation from corporate-motivated producers back to the flesh and bone guardian angels of the Earth.

About the Author:

Eric Herm grew up on a cotton farm near Ackerly, Texas. He left the farm to pursue other interests, traveling to various places across the world before returning to his roots. Upon arriving back on his family farm, he noticed many changes in not only the landscape but the methods of commercial agriculture that were causing more long-term problems. He began searching for answers to these problems, slowly discovering healthier organic methods which provided the inspiration for his book, Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth.

For more information about the book, please visit the website: http://www.sonofafarmer.com.

To RSVP: RSVP through The Urban Homesteaders' League, on Facebook, or by e-mailing me at info[at]herbalmedicinebox.com.

I am looking forward to the event, and I hope to see you there!

Herbal Apprenticeship

Last year, I took an Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies in Arlington, and I really enjoyed it! My teachers were Madelon Hope and Tommy Priester.

The Herbal Apprenticeship was one weekend a month, from April - October. Saturday classes were from 10 - 5 pm, and Sunday classes went from 10 - 4:30 pm. Every month, we covered a different system of the human body, and the herbs used to address those systems. The systems we covered included the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and immune system, and more. Lunch on the weekends were potluck feasts.

We were exposed to herbs through numerous ways throughout the apprenticeship. Things that we did included going on plant walks to learn how to identify medicinal plants,

Wild Solomon's Seal

doing a medicinal steam,

Medicinal Steam
Photo courtesy of Shawn Westendorf

going on a shamanic plant journey with Tommy,


and learning how to make flower essences.

Gathering queen anne's lace for a flower essence

Other topics that we covered in the program included learning how to make medicinal tinctures, infused oils, teas, salves, floral waters, and more.

When I first applied for the Herbal Apprenticeship, my only main exposure to herbalism were the pre-made herbal tea bags sold in stores. One year later, I now know a lot more about herbalism than when I began. What helped a lot about this apprenticeship is that it is very hands-on. It is one thing to read about an herb, and quite another to identify the plant in the wild and to use it! Both instructors were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the material. I also enjoyed meeting and connecting with others in the program, and I am sure we will keep in touch.

The Herbal Apprenticeship gives a very good foundation in herbalism, and next year I am hoping to take the Advanced Herbal Training with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. This program is a more intensive course for those with a background in herbalism, and offers diagnostic classes, herbal clinics, and two intensive weekend trainings with prominent herbalists.

If you are interested in taking the Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies, now is the perfect time to sign up for the 2011 class! (The Arlington class is full, but the Jamaica Plain class, which runs from May-November, is still open). For more information about the program, go here. To register, go here. Please let me know if you have any questions about the apprenticeship, I highly recommend it!

NE Women's Herbal Conference Part II: Kitchen Cosmetics, Herbal Skin Care, and an Herbal Shampoo!

Although this is much delayed continuation about my experience at the New England Women's Herbal Conference, I want to discuss one of the workshops that I attended.

There were many workshops at the New England Women's Herbal Conference that I enjoyed, but one that stood out to me in particular was Kitchen Cosmetics and Herbal Skin Care with Dina Falconi, author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Every Body, and founder of Falcon Formulations. At this workshop, we learned how to make body creams, salves, lip balms, facial scrubs, facial mists, deodorant, and more, all using natural ingredients! For example, salves and balms can be made just with oil (such as olive oil) and beeswax, and a basic cream is made with liquid oils, solid oils, beeswax, and water. Recipes for herbal body products are all covered in her book, as well.

I really enjoyed this workshop, and making your own personal care products is actually not hard at all! In addition, just like my food, I like knowing the ingredients that are going into my personal care products, because I will be using on my body. One major point that Falconi emphasized throughout the workshop was that many people today may over-wash. For instance, our bodies sweat for a reason, and we do need to be exposed to germs in order to develop resistance against them.

After attending this workshop, I was inspired to make some of my own herbal body care products. And, for my last weekend of my Herbal Apprenticeship at The Boston School of Herbal Studies in October, we were required to make an herbal product for everyone in the class, which was the perfect opportunity! I ended up making a variation of the basic shampoo recipe from Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair for everyone in my herbal class, and it turned out great. My hair has never been better, and there is no way that I will be purchasing commercial shampoo again. I have provided the Falconi's Basic Shampoo Formula below for your convenience, but as for her other recipes, you're just going to have to buy her book, which I highly recommend!

My first herbal shampoo batch

Basic Shampoo Formula(1)

Ingredients:

• 6-8 oz. herbal infusion of choice (for ex., 1 tsp. nettle leaf, 1 tsp comfrey root [cut], & 1 tsp basil infused in 8 oz water)
  
• 3 oz. liquid castile soap
• 1/4 tsp carrier oil of choice (ex. olive oil, almond oil, etc.)
  
• Up to 60-70 drops essential oils of choice (ex. tea tree, lavender, rosemary)
  

Directions:

• Make herbal infusion with herbs and water, let steep for 4 hours and strain.
  
• Pour strained infusion, liquid castile soap, carrier oil, and essential oils into a jar or squeeze bottle, cap and shake. It is ready for use. Always shake these shampoos before use. Makes about 9-11 oz. of shampoo.
  
• If you don't use up the shampoo within a few weeks, refrigerate to prolong shelf life.

Variations:

• The amount [and types] of essential oil you will use will depend on the ones you choose and the effect you are trying to obtain. You can omit the carrier oil if your hair is very oily, or add more if your hair is very dry. Additional ingredients, such as aloe, tinctures, etc., may be added to this basic shampoo recipe to adapt it for various hair and scalp needs.

As a heads up, 9-11 oz. will last you a lot longer than a few weeks. And because homemade care products have shorter shelf lives than commercial products, you may consider cutting this recipe in half when you first try it, or plan to share it with others! In addition, tea tree essential oil is great to use in herbal products because it is one of the strongest essential oils in terms of its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, so it is a wonderful natural preservative. Finally, different essential oils, carrier oils, and herbs all have different properties, so it is great that this shampoo can be so customizable to address individuals' different hair types.

Speaking of essential oils, now that I have completed my Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies, I am very much enjoying the Aromatherapy certification course that I am currently taking, which is another course with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. The class meets one Saturday a month from November-February, and I am learning so much more from these hands-on courses through The Boston School of Herbal Studies than I could ever learn from a book or online! If you do want a book to get you started on aromatherapy, however, one recommendation is The Directory of Essential Oils by Wanda Sellar.

I hope that some of you will consider making your own kitchen cosmetics and herbal personal care products, and please ask me if you have any questions!

Source:

1. Falconi, Dina. Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Every Body. Woodstock, New York: Ceres Press, 1998, p. 52.

23rd New England Women's Herbal Conference - Part I: Overview

I had a wonderful time this past weekend at the 23rd New England Women's Herbal Conference.

This was my first time at the New England Women's Herbal Conference, but I wasn't alone. Attendees ranged from newcomers to old-timers, and women who had no previous experience in herbalism to herbalists who have been teaching and practicing herbalism for years. Over 500 women attended the conference.

This was the last year that the New England's Women's Herbal Conference was held at Sargent Center in Hancock, New Hampshire. The food at the conference was catered by Blue Heron Restaurant & Catering, which focuses on sourcing local, organic, and sustainable foods whenever possible.

The conference began on Friday with an opening circle, music, and greetings.

Rosemary Gladstar giving an opening speech

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were filled with workshops, and morning activities began as early as 7 am. Most workshops were 1.5 hours, although there were longer 3-4 hour intensive workshops as well, allowing participants to work more closely with individual teachers and to explore particular topics in more depth.

Workshop time

Numerous vendors were at the conference, selling herbal products, natural care products, books, jewelry, and handmade crafts and clothing. In addition, on Saturday, there was a Great Barter & Trade Faire, where participants could bring their own homemade items to barter, trade, and sell. I ended up purchasing a sari (fair trade and made from recycled silk) from EcoQuette and Rose Petal Elixir from Avena Botanicals. (I missed the roses this season, but I plan to make my own rose elixir next year!)

Outside vendors

Vendors under the tent

Friday and Saturday night, there were music and stories; and on Saturday, a fire circle with dancing.


The weather over the weekend was perfect for tenting, although it did begin to lightly rain Saturday night and into Sunday. However, my friend and I had the great opportunity to stay at our friend's beautiful home and practice, at Back to Life, Chiropractic and Alternative Services, run by Stephanie Clark in Hancock, NH.

The house and practice

Herb garden

Treehouse

Although the weekend was tiring, the conference was definitely well worth going to. Stay tuned for a recap of some of the workshops that I attended!

Welcome to http://www.herbalmedicinebox.com!

Hello readers,

As I mentioned before, I am really enjoying the Herbal Apprenticeship that I am taking with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. I like it so much in fact, that I am hoping to learn and write more about herbs. Thus, I am transitioning http://wholesomecuisine.blogspot.com to Herbal Medicine Box at http://www.herbalmedicinebox.com! Don't worry, all of the old links still work. And of course, I am still interested in food, foodie events, gardening, farms, and the like, so expect to continue reading posts on these subjects. The plan, however, is to focus more on herbalism!

I hope you will enjoy the journey with me, and keep on reading!

Taberna de Haro

It's been a busy summer with two part-time jobs and numerous classes and activities, but I am very glad to have gotten a job as a waitress at Taberna de Haro, a Spanish wine and tapas restaurant, in May. Although I have had no previous experience with the Spanish language or cuisine (I am now taking a beginner's Spanish class at the Boston Center of Adult Education), and a 200+ wine list is never easy for anyone to master, there are many things that I enjoy about working at the restaurant.

The outdoor patio seating is a definite plus during the warmer months.

In addition to working with a fabulous staff, as a foodie, I love all the locally sourced items on our menu. All of our beef comes from River Rock Farm, based in Brimfield, MA, and is grass-fed and raised without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. The organic eggs are from Country Hen based in Hubbardston, MA, and our bread is from Iggy's, based in Cambridge. Occasional special menu items include local produce from Siena Farms and the owner, Deborah Hansen's, garden. Several other items on our menu are locally sourced as well.

Some of my favorite tapas include the Arroz negro (black paella with ali oli), Espinacas a la catalana (sauteed spinach w/ garlic, pine nuts, & golden raisins), Gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic and olive oil), Almejas con jamon (big local clams with ham, white wine, & EVOO), and of course any of our beef dishes (hey, you gotta love it if it's grass-fed!).

I love all things fermentation, so learning about Spanish wines is a blast, although it is still a somewhat overwhelming task. One of our wines, Les Sorts Jove from the Priorat country, is made by carbonic maceration, in which fermentation takes place within whole grapes in a carbon dioxide rich environment, as opposed to the normal winemaking process, in which grapes are crushed and fermented with yeast. Pretty cool! Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Taberna de Haro is located at 999 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446. Check out their tapas menu and wine list. You can make a reservation online or by phone at (617) 277-8272, and say hello if you stop by!