Plants are medicine, food is medicine...

This is week 27 of the yearlong #freepermaculture course
Disclaimer: nothing on this website is presented as any sort of medical advice, and if you’re bleeding, in intense pain, or otherwise concerned about an undiagnosed set of symptoms, for cryin’ out loud, go to a doctor! The internet is a place to learn and interact, not to replace the help of a qualified professional. Same goes for herbalism. You can learn a lot of basic skills on your own, but to truly unveil the magic of plants, you’ll do well to find qualified experts to work with, who will help you make informed choices about your own healing and/or teaching journeys.
Artwork by Kt Shepherd

All plants are medicinal!

Welcome back! Watch this quick video to get started:

This is a pharmacy, an apothecary:

AND SO IS THIS:
AND SO IS THIS:
BUT ALSO THIS:
AND THIS IS ONE TOO:

​All plants are medicine, all food is medicine. Your food is either healing you, or it’s making you sick. There is no neutral. That being said, some plants are more medicinal than others, especially when it comes to establishing your own herbal apothecary for home remedies, nourishing teas, and first aid. Here are my own “Top 10” medicinal plants I ALWAYS grow, no matter where I am living.
And, for now and future reference, here’s an excellent guide to common medicinal plants.

Harvesting and processing medicinal plants

Crystal Stevens is an herbalist, a teacherm a farmer and homesteading mama, author of Grow, Create, Inspire, and a member of the PWG faculty. She writes about a wide range of topics associated with using plants and food as medicine. ​
Here are some of the articles she’s published on our blog, about how to process your medicinal herb harvest:
As a PWG faculty member, Crystal mentors students in our Permaculture Certification program, which teaches the content in this course, with added emphasis on your personal design project AND dedicated 1:1 time with one of our expert teachers. Learn more about that course here. (It isn't free, but we have a sliding scale and do our best to work with people with lower incomes).

Every village needs a witch...

Sarah Wu, also on our faculty, runs the Village Witch Project, which offers teachings in deep ecology, herbalism, and permaculture, from a radically ecofeminist perspective.

VICE did a recent feature about Sarah and her projects, and in this podcast, she discusses her work with herbs, community, and the Envision festival she organizes at her permaculture center in Costa Rica.

By way of review...

So many of the classes in our yearlong #freepermaculture adventure have crossover with this topic! Here’s a quick reference list of links you can use to circle back around:

Hands-on

  • Research the medicinal uses of your 3 favorite flowers.
  • Research the medicinal uses of your 10 favorite foods.
  • Attend a local herb walk and/or herbal medicine workshop.
  • Create a plant press to document and learn about the plants around you.


Come join us in our Facebook group and/or our independent #freepermaculture forum.

Relevant Links and Resources​

Check out this Fascinating Tedx talk about flavor, bitterness, medicine, and poison:
For folks who have a harder time getting outside, for whatever reason, here's a piece about Bringing Nature Inside
Here's a lovely article, focused on providing useful information all about Herbs and Flowers for the Aging

See you next week!

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The #freepermaculture project is brought to you by Heather Jo Flores and the Permaculture Women's Guild. If you love this course, and want to see more resources like this made available, you can make a donation in any amount, here.
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