It's Been Way Too Long
I haven't posted in a long time. I offer no excuses. But now I am writing from a new location with a ton of new info. I'm in Portland, OR. Home of green. Home of precipitation. I couldn't be happier. I've only been here a couple of weeks but have already gotten into things. Such as... I took a class at PCC all about soil. I learned about pH, soil structure/texture, macronutrients, mulching, composting, and many ways to ammend the soil for desired effects. I learned that Portland soil tends to be acidic clay--so different from the desert soil I grew up on. Learning how to increase drainage and create a good loamy soil will be my challenge when I start planting (oh, to buy a house and have a yard...). The one thing I need to look up on my own is the till vs. no-till issue. I read John's copy of One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukoka, which made a very strong and philisophical argument for no-till. But every gardening book I've seen lately casually refers to tilling in the compost, organic fertilizer, etc. as if, well, duh. So I'll get back to this issue as I learn more. Last week I also went to the TLC Farm at Tryon State Park. It's a gorgeous rainforest looking place with an intentional community farm right in the middle of it. I went to participate in what was advertised as "Permaculture Thursday," but mostly I cut back blackberry bushes (a nasty native weed here). I met some very nice Americorpse people there who lent me some gloves. My wounds from pre-glove work are finally healing. I know, I should've brought my own gloves. Lesson learned. This weekend I had the opportunity to make a little money cleaning up the garden behind Kristy's workplace. I filled three yard bags with the leaves that fell all winter. I weeded what I could and swept it all up to look nice and inviting again. It was the last beautifully warm and sunny day we had. I had my ipod in my pocket, Pixies in my ears. I enjoyed the work very much. Tonight I will go back to PCC to take a class on basic garden design. I will write about that soon.

Yarding With John

Last Sunday I went to my friend John McAndrew’s house in El Derado (just outside of Santa Fe). He is revamping his yard and garden, and I asked if I could help. First he showed me the area that he plans to mulch. He explained that the weeds in that area should be cut down but not pulled out as that would cause unnecessary trauma to the soil. So we spent some time cutting the weeds and leaving them where they fell to decompose and help enrich the soil. From what I understand, John will lay cardboard down and then cover that with manure. In the spring, he will make small holes in the cardboard (if it hasn’t fully decomposed) and plant seeds. This mulch will provide for excellent growth.

After we cleared the weeds, John dug a shallow trench outside his yard to mark the power lines that run out to the main street. As you cannot really dig along that line, it was a nice idea to mark it with some tall plants and grass. After the trench was dug, he threw down something called Yum Yum Mix to help enrich the soil. I followed behind him with a mix of rye, grass, and poppy seeds. I kicked the dirt of the trench walls over the seeds as I went to hopefully protect the seeds from hungry creatures. Some will inevitably get eaten, but enough should survive to grow the line of vegetation John is hoping for. He then showed me some small lavender trees on the other side of his house. He was adding Yum Yum to the soil, but not at the base of the tree. I asked why, and he explained that by adding the nutrients to the soil at the leaf line, the outer most edges of the roots will receive that nutrients as the rain carries it down through the soil. Good to know.

I hope to learn as much as possible about gardening this way… spending good time with a friend, talking about life and plans, and hopefully being of some help!

Medicinal Herbage

A couple weekends ago I took a very interesting class at Ecoversity called Backyard Medicine Chest. It was taught by Carole Tashel, and in it we discussed five plants that could be grown (or found) in your backyard. First we talked about the different ways to prepare herbs: tea, poultice, extract (tincture)—both oil and alcohol, salve, as well as eyewash and bath. Then we looked at some of the healing properties of the following five herbs: Chamomile, Yarrow, Mullein, Peppermint, and Comfrey. Carole showed us what each plant looked like; she had dried leaves and flowers with her as well as some prepared tinctures with the roots or flowers inside. We also took a walk around Ecoversity and found many of these and other healing herbs growing wild and in their gardens. I enjoyed tasting some wild plants I would never know to be edible let alone healthful. Carole even cooked us up some Mallow right there in the outdoor kitchen. It was actually quite tasty.

Before I begin on the details, I just want to say that the way I imagine this working for most urban people (since I wouldn’t count on finding the three herbs that grow wild -mullein, mint, and yarrow- everywhere) is to grow these herbs in a small garden. From what I understand the tinctures can last up to 10 years! I have read about something called a spiral herb garden, which I think would work great in a small garden and when I learn more about it, I will post it here.

The following is taken from Carole’s handout FIVE HERBS IN HEALING:
Topical Healing—
Yarrow: (leaf) antibacterial, heals cuts, stops bleeding, anti-inflammatory (wash, salve, fresh-leaf poultice) stops nosebleeds (crushed fresh leaves up nostrils)
Mullein: (leaf, flower) shingles (poultice)
Chamomile: (flower) anti-inflammatory (strong tea)
Comfrey: (root) astringent, prevents scarring, stops bleeding, pain reducer, heals bruising (“drawing” poultice, wash of tea or tincture)

Pain Relieving—
Yarrow: headaches, cramps (tea or extract internally)
Peppermint: (leaf) cooling for burns, sunburn (tea wash or bath)
Chamomile: poultice for pain, strong tea for cramps, nerve pain
Comfrey: (root) bone pain, cracked bones, ligament pain (poultice)
Mullein: (leaf) poultice or salve

Muscles/Bones—
Comfrey: (root) fractures
Mullein, Yarrow: (flower) use oil on sore muscles, stiff neck
Mullein: (root) bone pain, cracked bones, ligament pain

Cardiovascular/Fluid Balance—
Yarrow: tea (cold) or extract, internally for fluid retention; extract for high blood pressure

Eyes/Ears—
Mullein: flower oil for earaches (even better w/ garlic; treat earache only if eardrum is intact); will soften and dissolve impacted wax
Chamomile: steeped teabag for eye inflammation (over lid)

Nervous System—
Chamomile: relaxing tea for anxiety, frazzled nerves or insomnia; tension headaches, nerve pain. Balancing to emotions.
Mullein: (flower) antispasmodic, sedative, facial nerve pain, TMJ pain, inflamed nerve tissue
Peppermint: relaxes body, clears mind, senses

Gastrointestinal System/Liver—
Peppermint: (tea or extract) gas, nausea, vomiting, mild cramps
Yarrow: indigestion, poor appetite (unsweetened cool tea, small sips)
Chamomile: indigestion, nausea, stomach flu, mouth ulcers, stomach ulcers, IBS. Try w/ fresh ginger root.

Respiratory System/Colds & Flu—
Mullein: (strain the tea) inflamed, tight lungs, coughs, bronchitis, asthma, excess mucus (tea or extract, especially the flowers). Mild expectorant.
Peppermint & Yarrow: (leaf/flower) cold/flu/fever (hot tea)
Peppermint: clogged sinuses (tea as steam inhalation)
Chamomlile: nervous cough (tea as steam inhalation)

Urinary Tract—
Mullein: (root) incontinence, dribbling, strengthens trigone muscle; painful urination
Yarrow: tonifying for urinary tract infections/inflammation; diuretic

Women’s Issues—
Yarrow: menstrual cramps (unterine/ovarian sedative), delayed menses (not due to pregnancy), excessive menstrual bleeding (cold preparations), inadequate progesterone (extract). Prolapsed uterus (DO NOT USE DURING PREGNANCY)

Kids—
Chamomile: (2 months or older) teething pain, colic, ADHD, stomach cramps, colds, anxiety, irritability; may bathe in tea.


Gathering and Storing Your Harvest—
General rules: don’t pick when they’re wet; don’t dry or store herbs in direct sunlight.
-Flowers: pick individually every morning, place one layer think in straw baskets line with paper towel (or on screens).
-Leaves, Flowering Stalks: cut large leaves off near the stalk, string with needle and thread, and hang to dry. If there is a stem, group 6-8 stalks together, and rubber-band at the cut end. Hang herb bunches upside down out of the sun, where air circulates.
-Roots: dig after the first fall frost, or in the spring before the plant leafs out. Allow dirt to dry, then brush off (don’t rinse). Chop into quarter-inch pieces at a diagonal, spread to dry or prepare your extract.
When herbs are bone dry, break up minimally to fit into dry glass jars, discarding stems. Label and date the jars; replace herbs in one year.

Making & Taking Medicines—
General rules: Use glass, enamel or stainless steel only.
-Tea: boil 1 cup water. For flowers, seeds and leaves, add 1-3 teaspoons (smaller amounts for children) dried, crumbled herb (twice that amount of fresh herb), turn off heat, cover and steep about 10-15 minutes. For roots, simmer 1-2 teaspoons per cup water for 10-15 minutes. Strain.
-Infusion: This is an overnight method, which yields a stronger medicinal tea. Place 1 tablespoon dried roots or 2 tablespoon dried leaves/flowers/seeds in a pint mason jar. Pour 8 oz. boiled water over plants and seal well. Allow to sit overnight (or at least 4 hours), strain.
-Eyewash: Boil 1 cup purified water, add ¼ teaspoon salt. Turn off heat, add 1 scant teaspoon desired herb. Cover, steep 10 minutes. Strain through paper filter. Wash eyes with warm solution using sterilized glass eyedropper. Make fresh batch every 2 days. Must be stored in refrigerator. Use 3 times daily for 2 days.
-Herbal Bath: Boil 2 quarts of water, place a rounded handful of dried herbs (twice that if fresh) into the water, turn off heat. Cover, steep 20 minutes, strain into warm bath. Bathe 1-2 times daily for 15-20 minutes.
Poultice: Pound or bruise fresh herbs slightly. If using dry herbs, crumble moisten with boiled water, Add some comfrey root powder (or flour, or ground flax seed) to help herbs
stick together. Oil skin to prevent sticking. Place herbs on skin, cover with a clean cloth, remove after 20 minutes. You can also wrap herbs in a cheesecloth and place on skin. Use 2 times daily for 2-3 days.
Infused Oil: Fill a clean, dry, small glass jar with fresh herb or chopped fresh root and cover with olive oil. Stir with a chopstick to remove air bubbles. Cover loosely with muslin or cheesecloth, leave in warm, dark spot. Wait 4-6 weeks, then strain through filter paper.
Simple Salve: Put infused oil into small pan (reserve some on the side in case you need to adjust the thickness). For every ounce of oil, add ¾ to 1 tablespoon grated beeswax. Warm over low flame until was melts, pour into small container, let harden. If consistency is too soft, add wax; if too hard, melt again ad add oil.
Simple Alcohol Extract: Use clean, healthy plants. Fill a jar with chopped plant parts, loosely packed, then fill again to the top with Everclear or Importer’s Grain Alcohol (Vodka ok). Label the jar with the date and plant name. Let sit (out of direct sunlight) for 4-6 weeks. Strain by pouring through a funnel into coffee filter over second jar (brown glass).

Here are some random notes I took, which I hope is helpful to anyone who may read this…

Good books: Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West (Moore)—if you live in Santa Fe, and The New Age Herbalist (Mabey).

Sprinkle comfrey root powder right on to a (clean) cut to stop the bleeding.

To strip leaves easily, make a triangle with your thumb and first two fingers and pull them down along the stem (which you’re holding with your other hand).

Add vitamin E to a salve to act as a preservative.

Eat a few dandelion leaves a day for general health (vitamin A, C, Bs, iron, zinc, etc.)
-Make a yummy salad dressing by chopping up and covering the leaves in some apple cider vinegar, blend, and keep in a jar for 4-6 weeks, strain, add some garlic and olive oil.

Dandelion root enhances the binding capabilities of probiotics and is good for digestion. It is also a mild laxative.

Good Eatin’ Weeds: Mallow, Dandelion, Purslane, Amaranth, and Lambsquarters. Fight our demineralization (our soil and produce has become less healthful) by eating wild herbs.

Whew, that’s a lot of typing! Thanks Carole!

Overall, I learned that there’s a lot to be done with only 5 herbs. I look forward to a time when I can grow these myself and then put ‘em to good medicinal use.

First Time's a Charm!

I can't imagine more than one or two people (including myself?) ever reading this blog, but here goes... I wanted a place I could devote some thoughts to my new field of interest: permaculture and other earth-based vocations. What is that, you say? "Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and meintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resiliance of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way" (Mollison). What you talkin' 'bout Willis?

Many lifetimes ago, when I was about to start college, I thought I was going to be an ecologist or environmentalist or farmer (the pesticide/gov't subsidy-free kind). I even did an apprenticeship in my senior year of high school with a couple of plant and seed nuts from the UofA. To sum up, I was first enrolled at the UofA through the College of Agriculture. So what happened? How did I end up with a Masters degree in poetry? The enchanting sirens of the liberal arts education drew me into the Modern Languages building. Plus, I really didn't care for serious math or science.

And how is it, you may ask, that I am (teetering on the edge of 30) coming full circle to this field? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I've realized how little working in a bookstore means to the rest of my life. Maybe I don't plan on being one of the few Americans making a living with their poetry. Maybe I'm thinking about children and feel a renewed responsibility to do something good while I'm here (earth). Maybe it's the way Kristy and I got lost up near Taos while looking for some hot springs and ended up at the Earthsip Biotecture. And how I ended up reading all of Michael Reynolds' books (he's the inventor of the Earthship, which is a completely sustainable home) and attending a three-day workshop. Mostly, I think it's Santa Fe serendipity that has brought my attention to some old ideas and a ton of new ones through a school here called Ecoveristy. They have an Earth-Based Vocations program that I am considering enrolling in. The intensive, ten-week course covers: Permaculture Design System, Natural Building, Land Arts & Community Activism, Renewable Energy, and Sustainable Land and Garden. It may surprise my poet friends, but all of these excite me.

The next course begins in late February, so I started doing some reading in the meantime. First I read the book Against the Grain: How Agriculture Hijacked Civilization by Richard Manning. A very good read, even if you're not "excited" by this stuff. It's all about the history of agriculture and how we got into the mess we're in re: food production, diet, pesticide use, droughts, bioengineering of food, etc. When I say history, by the way, I mean this guy goes waaay back. It's a good education on human evolution and development if nothing else. I've been picking my way through various books on permaculture, including Earth User's Guide To Permaculture by Rosemary Morrow (great drawings), Permaculture In A Nutshell by Patrick Whitefield (mostly good if you're British), and last but not least Permaculture: A Practical Guide For A Sustainable Future by Bill Mollison (Mr. Inventor of the term). These books are all fascinating. I get to a point though where I can't get my head around some things without being there and doing it, which is what I hope to do at Ecoversity. A really cool book by an author I've read and loved before is Second Nature: A Gardener's Education by Michael Pollan. Pollan also wrote The Botany Of Desire, which is one of my favorite books. Second Nature chronicles his personal history and relationship with the garden through the four seasons. Pollan discusses a lot of the history of gardening (all over the Western world) as well as postulating about the future (what's our role as gardeners; what about national land reserves and the like). He's got such a great voice that, again, you wouldn't have to be crazy for this stuff to enjoy the book.

I'm hoping to add blog entries the more I read and find out about all of this. I may use the blog for something later--something for the school, or to write more, who knows. I also want to put things up here that other people may benefit from (i.e., articles on growing food on urban small plots). We shall see. So, thanks for reading so far (if you're out there)!