Working With and Learning From Nature
Nettle: The Prickly Medicinal Herb
Episode 30: If you’ve ever wandered into a patch of Nettle, you probably remember its ferocious sting! But, did you know that Nettle is a nutritional powerhouse and herbal medicine rock star? Renowned for its tiny hairs and formic acid bite, Nettle is a plant…
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Meet the Geranium Family!
Episode 29: Robin Parer loves Geraniums. An avid horticulturalist, Robin started a nursery in 1983 with 32 Geranium plants. Thirty five years later, Robin’s nursery contains over 650 members of the Geraniaceae Family. Robin has traveled through leech infested Australian swamps, explored Hawaiian craters, and…
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The Lovely Loquat
Episode 28: Have you ever heard of Loquats? In this episode, farmer, educator, and author Ken Love talks about this sweet and prolific fruit tree. Found throughout the world, Loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) are easy to grow and maintain. Also known as Biwa and Pipa, Loquats have…
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Lovely Lavender: How to Grow and Use This Aromatic Herb
Episode 27: Learn about Lavender with farmer Lori Parr. Lori, aka Lavender Lori, farms Lavender in Western Montana on Rosalie Ranch where she distills her own brand of essential oils and hydrosols. Lori is also the author of the soon to be published book, Lavender Farming…
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Native Herbs of the Appalachian Woodlands
Episode 26: Learn about native Appalachian herbs in this interview with educator, designer, and farmer Trevor Piersol. Co- founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, Trevor grows perennial fruits and medicinal herbs, with a focus on easy-care native plants, in his home state of Virginia….
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Hawthorn for the Heart
Episode 25: Have you heard of Hawthorn? Herbalist Bonnie Rose Weaver is a big fan and in this episode fills you in on why she loves this plant! Hawthorn, Latin name Crataegus, is a heart tonic extraordinaire. A member of the Rose family, (like…
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The Edible, Medicinal Thistle
Episode 24: Thistles! To many of us, they are those annoying, prickly plants that “bite.” Classified as a noxious weed in many areas, thistles are the topic of this podcast with Thistle admirer Katrina Blair, author of the book The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, 13…
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Marvelous Mallow
Episode 23: Katrina Blair, author of the Wild Wisdom of Weeds, shares the many medicinal, culinary, and cosmetic uses of Mallow. We focus on Malva neglecta, a common weed found around the world. In many places, Malva is known as an invasive species, so why not utilize…
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Durian: The Aromatic King of Fruits
Episode 22: Imagine leaving your regular life behind and traveling for a year in search of a ripening fruit. This is what Lindsay Gasik did and it changed her life. The fruit she was searching for is Durian. One of the largest tropical fruits, Durian…
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Relax and Calm With Lemon Balm
Episode 21: Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, is an easy to grow herb with many uses. To learn about Lemon Balm, I spoke with Kami McBride. Kami is an herbalist, herbal medicine instructor, and creator of the Living Awareness Institute. Kami has 27 years of…
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The Power of Pulses
Episode 20: Have you heard about Pulses? The edible seeds of legumes, Pulses are, in the words of my guest Dan Jason, a “simple, beautiful, nutritious, and versatile crop”. Easily grown without herbicides or pesticides, pulses are resilient, need little water, and increase soil…
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Paw Paw- The Forgotten Fruit
Episode 19: Have you ever eaten a paw paw? If you haven’t, you’ll probably want to, after hearing this interview with Andrew Moore, author of the book, Paw Paw In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit. Paw Paws are North America’s largest, edible, native fruit. Growing wild…
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The Beautiful Rose
Episode 18: Our plant for this episode is the Rose. Roses are edible, medicinal, and therapeutic. To learn about this beautiful plant, I spoke with Linda Buzzell Saltzman, an Eco-Therapist and Rosarian who grows roses in and around her backyard food forest. Linda talks about…
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The Amazing Yeast: Tiny, Ubiquitous, and Invaluable
Episode 17: Our plant for this episode is not a plant. It’s yeast. Tiny in size, huge in utility, yeast is all around us. Found in the Ecuadorian Rainforests, the Arctic, and on our skin, this single-celled member of the Fungi Kingdom is part…
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