Herb Mentor Radio

Linda Runyon is an expert in wild foods and has been teaching since the 1970s. Though she has a lifelong love of nature, she really learned her stuff when she spent 13 years with her family homesteading in rural New York State, without indoor plumbing, electricity, or running water. Linda has turned her amazing life story into many publications, namely her wild foods field guide called The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide (formerly From Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea) and a brand new DVD called Linda Runyon’s Master Class on Wild Food Survival. She is also the creator of Wild Cards, the deck of edible plant playing cards many LearningHerbs.com folks have come to love. For Linda’s return to HerbMentor Radio, we spend nearly 90 minutes on a virtual herb walk. We cover lamb’s quarter, and how to make flour. Also, dandelions (and dandelion french fries!), red clover, cattail, and milkweed. We even take a trip to the Southwest to visit prickly pear cactus and tumbleweed. Linda also reveals the secret to processing and eating thistle! Of course, there are many more wild food nuggets to chew on as well. Visit Linda at http://OfTheField.com.

Sandor Ellix Katz is the author of Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movement. Starting with sauerkraut, Sandor has been fermenting foods for over 14 years. As an avid cook, gardener, herbalist, and nutritional enthusiast, his interests have led to a life of spreading “culture” wherever he travels. He refers to himself as a “fermentation revivalist.” Hailing from the great city of New York, and a graduate of Brown University, Sandor now lives in a community in the wooded hills of Tennessee. You can visit “Sandorkraut,” check out his resources, read FAQ’s on fermentation, find out his teaching schedule, and order his books at http://www.WildFermentation.com

Tom Elpel is one of our “herbal author heroes” at HerbMentor.com. Besides penning Botany in a Day and Shanleya’s Quest for us herbal folks, here are a few other things Tom has done… * Founder of Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School and Green University. * Author of Participating in Nature, Roadmap to Reality, Living Homes, and Direct Pointing to Real Wealth. * Producer of four wilderness survival skills videos. * Founder of Granny’s Store in Silver Star, MT with his wife Renee. * Founder of 3 Rivers Park. In this episode, John and Tom mostly discuss Botany in a Day, along with some other fun topics. Learn how easy it is to remember the plants of your bioregion. He’s got loads of websites, and you can access them all at http://Hollowtop.com

Dr. Ryan Drum joins us from his remote location on Waldon Island, WA, where he lives in a cabin he built 30 years ago. We are lucky to have him since he is one of the few of the island's 40 inhabitants who get cell reception (there are no electric or phone lines on the island). It is on that island where he gathers, processes, and sells some of the very best sea veggies money can buy. Ryan is a practicing community-supported medical herbalist, herbal educator, and professional medicinal herb wildcrafter. He taught botany and other subjects for years at the university level, has written many scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, and now teaches at major conferences and herb schools. Ryan specializes in seaweed therapies, thyroid issues, and men’s health. You can visit Ryan at http://RyanDrum.com. He has many wonderful articles on sea vegetables, other herbs, and much more. If you get to the Northwest this summer, make sure you catch one of his many seaweed walks. In this interview, we get a rare glimpse into Ryan’s lifestyle, and mostly discuss many aspects of gathering and using kelp and other seaweeds. Enjoy!

Paul Bergner is a medical herbalist and founder/director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in Boulder, Colorado. The North American Institute of Medical Herbalism teaches in the vitalist tradition. He has been practicing and teaching natural medicine since 1973. Paul has edited the Medical Herbalism Journal since its founding in 1989 and has written many books on medical herbalism, nutrition, Chinese medicine, ethnobotany, and naturopathic medicine. He has also edited periodicals on clinical nutrition and naturopathic medicine. Paul has taught at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, is on the adjunct faculty for Naropa University and the Tai Sophia Institute, and speaks at all the major herbal conferences. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Paul lays a wonderful foundation for learning about herbs as he gets to the heart of herbal medicine…nature. With wonderful stories and insights, Paul will teach you what needs to be at the core of all herbalists and healers. Visit: North American Institute of Medical Herbalism http://www.naimh.com Paul’s MedHerb.com http://www.medherb.com

Raylene Ha`alelea Kawaiae`a is a long-time teacher of the Hawaiian way of life, has been a Kumu (teacher) hula for over 30 years. She teaches hula and Hawaiian culture as a way of life to people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Her lineage has brought her an understanding of the traditions of her heritage. A practitioner and Haku (master) of Ho`oponopono, a spiritual practice to restore and maintain good relationships between the Divine, humankind, and nature, she comes forth to assist and to be of service to those in need of her skills. Raylene combines her gentle nature with a deep connection to the land and the Spirit of Hawaii to offer deep insight into the mysteries of life. I met Raylene after a class she taught at the International Herb Symposium. Her insights and culture have much to offer the herbal community. She was also featured in the film, Numen: The Nature of Plants.

Robert Dale Rogers, an experienced herbalist and mycologist, shares his extensive knowledge of medicinal mushrooms and plant medicine. He delves into the ecological importance of fungi, the nuances of mycelium networks, and the immune-modulating properties of mushrooms. Robert provides insights on safe foraging, preparing mushrooms, and the distinction between edible varieties and extracts. He also discusses his book, The Fungal Pharmacy, and offers practical tips for using mushrooms in daily life, emphasizing their health benefits and culinary potential.

Sean Donahue is a traditional herbalist and poet. He has also worked as a freelance journalist, a political organizer, and a nonviolence trainer. He is proud to be a regular contributor to Plant Healer Magazine. While he has been blessed to receive amazing support and guidance from other herbalists, Sean’s primary teachers have been the wild and feral plants growing in the forests, fields, and swamps around him. He has trusted his own health completely to the plants since they first began helping him begin to heal asthma he struggled with since childhood. As a practitioner, he looks to plants as allies in helping people remember their own beauty, strength, and power and in guiding them to health. As a teacher, he encourages students to build their own deep, personal relationships with the plants around them grounded in the experience of their own senses and their own hearts. He identifies deeply with the traditions of the edge dwellers – those who live in the places where the human and wild meet, bridging the worlds. For Sean, magic, medicine, and poetry are all expressions of a deep connection to the living Earth, and personal, cultural, and ecological healing are inextricably linked. He is currently working on his first book, a guide to plants for the underworld journey. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Sean discusses herbs, magic and goes deep into two herbs… Hawthorne and ghost pipe. Visit Sean at http://MedicineAndMagic.com

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University. Bevin has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies. She is the Clinical Division Chair of the Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine Program at Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD, a 2.5-year clinical training program in Herbal Medicine. She also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is co-director of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, where she serves as vice-president. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Bevin answers over a dozen HerbMentor member-submitted questions. Topics include her favorite herbs, tinctures, herbs for recovering from surgery, herbs for aging, adrenal herbs, and MUCH more. Visit Bevin at http://www.bevinclare.com

Nome McBride is an herbalist, farmer, wildcrafter and medicine maker from Eugene, Oregon. He grew up farming in Indiana and was making tinctures in his parents garage before he could drive. Nome founded Pharmacopia Herbals in 2004, whose original name was Under the Yew Botanicals. You can find Nome’s book, the Herbal Preparations Books, along with hundreds of products Pharmacopia Herbals creates at PharmacopiaHerbals.com Nome tells his story, from growing up on an Indiana farm to his extreme wildcrafting missions that make Pharmacopia Herbals remedies some of the best available. Nome also covers a couple of his favorite herbs, including pedicularis. Learning how Nome gathers, grows and processes herbs in addition to his vision of “people, plants and place” are truly inspirational.