Herb Mentor Radio

Peter Gail, Ph.D. has been studying, writing about edible and medicinal plants for half a century. Author of 13 books, including The Dandelion Celebration, he is an esteemed elder of botany and champion of weeds. He has had a big impact on awareness of pesticide use dangers through environmental awareness. USA Today called him the King of Dandelions. Good Morning America, the Wizard of Weeds. Many call him Dr. Dandelion. He founded the Dandelion Cook off, the Defenders of the Dandelion, and created a coffee-like beverage called DandyBlend. Dr. Gail is the director of the Goosefoot Acres Center for Resourceful Living in Ohio. His literary and research legacy is vast, and we are truly honored to have him on HerbMentor Radio. In this episode, John and Peter focus heavily on the Dandelion, Peter’s story, edible weeds, and the impact he has had since starting this journey 50 years ago. Visit Peter at http://www.dandyblend.com

Karen Sherwood is a Northwest native who grew up studying the flora of the Pacific Northwest. While studying at the University of Washington, she was hired by Tom Brown Jr. to develop and expand the wild foods curriculum for the Tracker School. Karen gained a strong understanding of the traditional uses of wild plants while teaching there. Since returning home to the Northwest, she continues to teach ethnobotany programs through Earthwalk Northwest and other organizations such as the Department of Ecology, Washington Outdoor Women, King County Parks, and Wilderness Awareness School. In addition to her botany background, Karen also spent many years in search and rescue, fine-tuning her wilderness survival skills. To balance her expertise, she also teaches utilitarian uses of plants, including cordage and natural plant dyes. Her professionalism and credibility are enhanced by a special gift for helping students become confident and comfortable with harvesting and using plants. Her current passion is teaching about the vast and wondrous uses of seaweeds, as well as traditional Northwest basketry. Karen Sherwood and her husband Frank run EarthWalk Northwest at http://earthwalknorthwest.com In this interview, Karen discusses all sorts of useful wild foods information, from foraging, harvesting, and recipes. Especially interesting is a segment on fermentation, views on wildcrafting, recipes with burdock, yellow dock, and much more.

Aviva Romm began studying herbal medicine and midwifery in 1981. A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and herbalist, practicing since 1985, Aviva is recognized internationally as an accomplished specialist in the areas of herbal medicine for gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Her numerous books are now regarded as standards for mothers, midwives, herbalists, and other health professionals using herbs for women’s and children’s health. Additionally, she has written numerous articles, has been published in medical journals, and has contributed to several major integrative medicine textbooks. Forthcoming is her latest book, Textbook of Herbal Medicine for Women (Churchill/Elsevier, 2008). Aviva is the President of the American Herbalists Guild. She has been active in establishing standards for botanical medicine practice and education in the United States and has taught at national herbal, midwifery, and medical conferences and in private seminars, as well as being a guest on nationally syndicated radio programs. She serves on a number of scientific review boards including the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) and the Botanical Safety Handbook review committee for the American Herbal Products Association and has recently been invited to serve as an adjunct faculty for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Aviva is currently pursuing a medical degree (MD) at the Yale School of Medicine. Visit Aviva at her website, http://AvivaRomm.com

Christopher Hobbs is a fourth-generation herbalist and botanist with 40 years of experience with herbs. Founder of Native Herb Custom Extracts (now Rainbow Light Custom Extracts) and the Institute for Natural Products Research. Christopher writes and lectures internationally on herbal medicine. He is a consultant to the herb industry and is currently practicing and working on a doctorate in biological sciences at Cal Berkeley. He has become an acknowledged expert in the field, lecturing all over the U.S., and internationally in such countries as Canada, Great Britain, and Spain. Christopher’s specialties include herbs and the immune system; adaptogenic herbs, Native American uses of herbs, the pharmacology, and chemistry of herbal medicines, herbs for the liver, and the botany, and taxonomy of herbs. Christopher has taught or lectured at universities and medical schools such as Stanford Medical School, Yale Medical School, Bastyr University, and the National School of Naturopathic Medicine; including ongoing classes at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Co-founder of the American Herbalists Guild, acupuncturist, rare book collector, and author of over 20 herbal books are also part of his impressive resume. His 20 books include Peterson’s Field Guide to Medicinal Plants of the Western U.S., Women’s Herbs, Women’s Health (his most recent), and Herbal Remedies for Dummies. We discuss learning about herbs, his upbringing, botany, answering a few member questions, and other odds and ends. Visit http://ChristopherHobbs.com

Dina Falconi is a practicing herbalist with a strong focus on food activism and nutritional healing. She is the author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, owner of Falcon Formulations, a natural body care product business, co-creator of Earthly Extracts, a line of medicinal tinctures, and a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association. She offers workshops and consultations throughout the Northeast. Dina is Chapter Leader of the Hudson Valley Weston A. Price Foundation, on the steering committee of Slow Food- Hudson Valley Convivium, and organizes the Family Farm Festival, a sustainable agriculture festival in High Falls, NY, held the Sunday after Labor Day. In this episode, we mainly discuss questions from many HerbMentor members.

Jim McDonald returns to HerbMentor Radio for a special episode on fevers and herbal energetics. What is a fever, why do they happen, and what are the popular myths? The difference between stimulating and relaxing diaphoretics as well as detailed descriptions of many herbs with diaphoretic properties. Diaphoretics are herbs that direct circulation, open pores, ventilate the body, and allow perspiration. This 105-minute lesson is sure to clear up any confusion you may have had about herbs and fevers. You can visit Jim Mcdonald at http://HerbCraft.org. His site has many wonderful and extended articles on a number of plants and how to use them for various ailments.

Jim McDonald is a self-taught herbalist whose approach blends a folk and indigenous perspective of herb craft with the eclectic/physio medical approaches of 19th century American herbalism. If you ever spent time on Henriette’s forum or the Herbwifery forum, then you may know Jim. He also gives herb walks at many conferences, including the International Herb Symposium. He has a unique way of teaching people how to connect with plants, and how to learn herbal properties. These are the areas we focus on in this interview, along with some other fun topics. Jim runs programs in Michigan from day-long classes to a 9 month intensive. He is a knowledgeable and engaging teacher, and I was excited to be able to interview him for HerbMentor Radio. You can visit Jim McDonald at http://HerbCraft.org. His site has many wonderful and extended articles on a number of plants and how to use them for various ailments.

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