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Greetings fellow foragers, herb nerds, nature lovers, off grid critters and forest folks,
I wanted to say hello, it's been awhile and also to give you some updates on the forest farms, forest school and upcoming classes!
We have been filling the long daylight hours with a lot of projects. Clearing the forest of debris left over from the logger before our time. Loggers are responsible to clear their mess to prevent forest fires but this logger never came back to fulfill his duty. We have done so many burn piles and land clearing. It's insane! Layering that material in HugoKulture garden beds. For those not familiar with that term, it is a lasagna layering of dead and living plant material that decompose and create a rich soil with the help of beneficial bacteria, micro-organisms and mycelium. We are also throwing in the old hay left in the barn. This is a great way to recycle waste and create free soil! Once those forest floor beds get established, we will transplant native plant species that we have been propagating from existing plants and continue to grow our forest farm. This land management is kind of meditative for Jason and I. It is a delight to see trails established and discovering new plants as we branch out and steward the land. This forest will be our forever classroom and a permanent home of Freeborn Family Forest School. We will be hosting many classes and forest school for children and their families in the near future.
Jason weed whacking. Everything grows larger and faster on the mountain!
I have two upcoming classes. The link to sign up is below. I will be hosting a Sauerkraut making class on August 26th and a Fall Foraging class on September 10th. 2-4 pm. These classes are in popular demand! Sign up soon to ensure a spot.
It brings me so much joy to teach what I have learned. I have taught hundreds of people the art of fermentation and foraging in the forest. Teaching meaningful and practical folk medicine brings my life so much purpose and gratitude. I love hearing testimonials from my former students.
I am in the process of writing my first book, Where The Wild Things Grow. Respond to this email if you would like to be one of the first people to view this book. I have 92 plants and mushrooms that I cover and that grow abundantly in the forests that surround us. I would like to get as many reviews as possible before I bring it to print. I am self publishing through Amazon as this is the best way to get the most readers. This book will be the staple of the forest school and will be a reference to the foraging classes that I teach. Each plant that I cover will include: Common names and the scientific name, description, where it grows, when to harvest, how to work with it, healing constituents (I get super scientific!) and historical connection (I am finding out so many cool historical anecdotes!). This lost knowledge is pouring out of me and I am finding out so much more about the plants that I work with. Many of these plants have so much history and indigenous wisdom that has been lost over the years. My mission is to connect people to plants in order to heal the planet. These herbs are powerful and can change your life. I hope that this book can inspire you to go out and forage for your own food and medicine. This will be the first book and many. I plan to write children's books about the herbs we learn about. A recipe book as well called, The Wild Kitchen. I also have some ideas of foraging kits that include a forest school notebook and custom pen made from wood and plants from the forest. This was inspired by my custom pen made of St. John's Wort and Yarrow in a resin made by my friend Alex, owner and operator of Westwood Pen Co. Check out his work! What an amazing young man. Tea sets with engraved mugs and hand woven tea strainers I envision in many fellow foragers backpacks! So many creative ideas that bring me so much joy to create and relish in. I am combining all of my talents together: writing songs and stories, wild crafting plant medicine, teaching about all the plants and connecting children and their families to nature.
Here's a little sneak peak into the book:
Devil’s Club Oplopanax horridus Araliaceae (Ginseng) family
Where it grows: You will find this beast of a plant growing near creeks and springs. It likes to get its feet wet. Found in old growth shaded forests. It is an important plant for restoring the forest ecosystem when soil has been disturbed from logging, animals and human footpaths.
Description: The name describes the spikey nature of this plant. It has sharp needle-like spines on the rhizomes and thick stems which can cause skin irritation. An erect and beastly deciduous plant with large leaves that are shaped like a maple leaf. White flowers blossom in spring and bud into red berries in mid to late summer.
When to harvest: The roots and rhizomes is what I prefer to work with. Harvest in fall or early spring when it goes into dormancy.
How to work with it: I was very intimated to work with this plant as the needles can get stuck in your hands and harvesting around it can be very tricky. Thick gloves are key! There is also something deeper about this plant. You must be ready to work with it as it will reveal deep rooted trauma and suppressed emotions. For a while, I just sat with this plant as it is very healing just to be around it. Waiting for the right time to work with it. Lately, I have been feeling Oplopanax calling me and asking to work with it. Now it is time to for us to heal ancestral trauma. As a Healer, Medicine Woman this is the medicine that I need. As Healers and people who are empathetic, we can sometimes take on other people’s emotions and pain. Oplopanax can help protect us and remind us to stand strong and rooted in the truth and cause.
In its botanical name, Panax, refers to it being a cousin to American and Asian Ginsengs. It has similar adaptogenic compounds to its ginseng cousins and can make one feel strong, resilient and grounded. These compounds include several saponins that can mimic the ginsenosides compounds found in American Ginseng and Asian Ginseng. The inner bark of the stems and roots is where to find the medicine. It can be used as a decoction or tincture for treatment of arthritis and achy joints. Applied topically as well for the conditions mentioned. Like Arrowleaf Balsam Root’s expectorant qualities, it can aid in the treatment of tuberculosis and coughs. Make sure to breathe in its aromatic essence as you forage in the forest. It is tantalizing and very grounding at the same time.
Oplopanax is still used by the Inuit to treat Type 2 Diabetes. The Saponin compounds can support blood sugar balance and help the stomach absorb nutrients. Oftentimes, traumatic events can wreak havoc on the stomach and then that affects the nervous system and can cause the body to shut down slowly overtime. Oplopanax tonic can address this and help tonify and heal the digestive tract.
On a deeper level, this proud perennial of the old growth forest can help protect us on a spiritual level. Just like the spiny strong stalks themselves, taking in this medicine can help us stand strong and help us heal deep emotional trauma.
Healing Constituents: Devil’s Club contains antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and antimycobacterial properties. Oplopanax horridus healing constituents include saponins, sesquiterpene (equinopanacene) and sesquiterpene alcohol (equinopanacol) as well as acetylenes indicating its antifungal and antimycobacterial properties. Kariyone T, Morotomi S. The essential oil of Echinopanax horridus, Decne et Planch [in Japanese]. Yakugaku zasshi [Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan] 1927;546:671-74. Antimycobacterial is worth noting in the treatment of tuberculosis as the disease can become resistant to antimycobacterial drugs.
Historical Connection: Devil’s Club was held as sacred and spiritual for over 30 linguistic groups in North America and Canada. These First Nation tribes span from the Oregon coast to coastal and north Alaska, Canada and to the East of Montana and Idaho. A prominent plant in the First Nation culture and has been revered as medicine for thousands of years. Traditionally, it has been used to treat over 34 physical ailments. Pacific Northwest tribes would make fishing hooks out of Devil’s club and as a face paint paste for ceremony. It was used by shamans to ward off witchcraft and harmful entities. Oplopanax has a connection to the spiritual realm and has been used as a tool for spiritual practices such as protection, purification, and spiritual power. (Nancy Turner, Traditional use of Devil’s Club).
We are still waiting to hear back from the show, Homestead Rescue to see if they will come out and film an episode on our homestead. This would be an opportunity of a lifetime so keep us in your prayers. The writer strike in Hollywood may have something to do with the delay in response. We had a good interview with the producer and our chances are looking good. Living off grid and on a mountain presents its challenges. The historical cabin we live in is sinking into the earth. Our road washed out last spring and needs a lot of repair. The water system needs an upgrade. Solar energy is the future of off grid living but is very expensive and we are not there yet. We made a lot of sacrifices to live like this and could use the help of the Raney family. We really enjoy watching this show and would love to meet this hardworking, homesteading family. Small world: My aunt and uncle Dunaway were the Raney's neighbor in Alaska. I grew up visiting their farm in the summer. So many awesome childhood memories in wild Alaska. I think I met Matt Raney way back in the day. How cool is that?
So much to accomplish! There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. But nature teaches us that it does not hurry yet everything gets accomplished. There is a synergy in the changing seasons and right now it's crunch time!
Forest school image: Ghost Pipe and Western Deer Mushroom
See you on the trail!
-Mountain Medicine Mama Jessica
I look forward to reading your book! As well as any books that follow. My best to you!
I would love to your book!