Herbal Salve Sampler

Wildcrafting herbs has been part of my life since I was a little girl and my grandmother made us all pull over on our way anywhere to pick "a mess of poke" or the occasional, "Oh heavens! Pull over James! There's a whole stand of Lambs Quarter out there, I can see it from here! We can use that for dinner!" My wise grandmother knew more about herbs than I did. I had no idea you had to boil poke before you could eat it or it could poison you. Without regard to the reckless abandon with which my grandmother allowed me to jump out of the car to help, she turned it into lessons I was never to forget.

While a young mother with a budget of $50 a week for eight, I learned to scavenge what was in the woods around our home. With the help of a local herbalist, we ate extremely well for "poor folk".I can't say I've always been interested in herbs that didn't come in pill form.

I cannot say I always wanted to know every single plant that grew within walking distance. I just knew that somewhere inside, I knew I would come back to "the old ways". I have often been "intellectually interested" at best. But I have watched the plants that grow on every property I have ever lived on, planted things no matter where I've been. I have watched the way people do things; asked a LOT of questions. I haven't always followed suit... I mean am sincerely NOT a fan of chickweed tea, I don't care how good it is for me; but everyone can develop a tolerance for what is good (for you!) and it becomes better tasting the better you feel. My website and my products are built for those of you who know that without the use of herbs we are just somehow, more vulnerable.

I feel stronger when I use herbs every day. I feel more accomplished when I grow my herbs myself and I feel happier selling organic homegrown herbs to people. I feel more comfortable in my own skin in at the farm. How do you feel? Does something always nag at you, urge you? ... to go out there, to be responsible for your health? Does something tell you that the anti-depressants that the doctor prescribes are NOT working? Feel like you should DO something but you are just not sure where to begin? Do you feel there is simply a way to feel better; more energetic? Healthier somehow?

I KNOW that feeling. And I have tried to harness it here. There is a reason you feel that way... it is up to you to decipher exactly what it is that compels YOU, but there IS a reason. Some of it is very tangible. Our food supply is in peril. Pesticides are damaging us in ways we are only beginning to understand. People die every single day by the thousands of diet induced disease. This begs the question, "Is it our food supply?" or "Is it the irresponsible way we put anything down our throat without fear of consequence?"

I think it's a lot of both.

I watched my grandmother a lot when I was a young girl. She was walking around barefoot in the yard with her hands out to her side, looking up at the sky. I asked her what she was doing. She said, "I'm grounding myself." I thought my grandmother was weird till the day she passed from this world. It was only after she was gone that I picked up on her innate wisdom. It somehow thankfully stuck in my brain's hard drive.

Years have improved my knowledge and my skill has followed suit. I have moved many times in my 60 plus years and I have become intimate with many herbs. If I'm not an expert on anything, I AM an expert on how to find and grow an herb I would like to use. I've been very poor and I have made do with what I could find growing in the woods and prairie about me to start it all out. My point is, I have covered a lot of ground and hopefully you can benefit from my experience.