The appearance of dandelion flowers can be a signal for some to get out the lawn mower, but for us herbalists, it’s a call to make fritters!
Guest blog – by Mercedes Miles Mack
Working with my ancestors feels like being in the sun. It feels like being in alignment with the person I have always dreamed of being. Plugged into mystery, magic and play; the real allure of being alive.
by Jovial King
Are you fantasizing about starting a garden this year but not sure where to begin? Not to worry! There are many ways to participate in the gardening resurgence even if you don’t know the first thing about soil science or pollinators...
This whole new way of life has been a good reminder that we can’t control the circumstances around us, but that we can control our reactions and how we take care of ourselves.
Spring is here as far as the calendar is concerned, but it is still quite chilly and brown in Vermont. It is what we call “mud season”, when the snow melts and everything is brown and mucky as the earth thaws and comes to life once again.
Spring is a time of waking up; of bursting forth into the world. Winter’s stillness is replaced by a surge of energy and action...
The seeds plants make encapsulate the future: a new generation, a whole world of potential. While starting seeds indoors, or scattering them over bare ground, or pushing them into furrows and feeling the cool soil on our fingers, we hope that this potential will turn into reality through the process of germination: maybe, if we're lucky, in a few days or weeks seedlings will sprout and we can watch new life unfold.
My grandfather (the American one) had many diverse interests, ranging from sports, to finance, and many in between. I fondly recall his passion for history: walking around Kansas City, he'd point out historical markers and talk to me about the Santa Fe Trail, and the lives of pioneers who set out westward to seek their fortune. While I have misgivings about that chapter in US history, I am still grateful for how my grandfather taught me to imagine the footsteps of those who walked a city street or farm field years and years ago.
Having herbal vinegar on hand allows us to infuse our favorite herbs into our everyday meals in a quick + tasty way. They add a medicinal kick to salad dressings, or on grain dishes and greens, or are delicious mixed with sparkling water for a drink called a “shrub.”
We believe our kitchens are our sanctuaries--a place where we find nourishment, creativity, and healing. For many of us, the kitchen is also home to our herbal apothecaries, which in itself allows the lines between our food and our herbal medicine to blur, and where they truly are one.