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January

Research and Resources

Books, Internet Links, Schools, Conferences, Newsletters, Herb Suppliers, Forums

The waters harden like stone, and the surface of the deep is frozen........ . Job 38:30

I feel as though I have traveled to a far and distant land. As I write, the landscape outside my window is being transfigured into a glistening world of ice. Later, if the sun will shine upon it, truly God's glory will be revealed in His creation, even in the darkness and the deep of winter. Every magical prism of light captured in the ice is a testimony to beauty, and every beauty is a window unto God. Winter, even in your bitterest cold, your starkest moments, your storms and your seeming death embrace, He is there. O, Death, where is thy sting?

I have come more and more inward now, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is past and deep hibernation sets in. Now's the time to brew those precious herbs into a hot cup of tea and curl up with a nice, warm book!!!

All the busy activity of the sowing and the reaping has ceased, but I am an herbalist in season and out. January is a wonderful opportunity to delve in to my writing projects, do some research, and network with other herbalists over the internet. The January web log will be devoted to resources and education in the realm of medicinal herbs and wild foods.

Books

I have a rather modest library of books on herbs and wild foods. I like to keep it streamlined to the most useful reference books. A good many herbals out there tend to be recycled or secondhand information compiled into glossy, enticing books but slim on practical how-to information. For example, you can read all about the marvelous benefits of Dandelion, but what do you do with it? My most prized herbals are written by people who obviously spend a lot of time in the field and in the kitchen, hands-on.

My library covers several key topic areas so that I always have a ready reference when working with herbs:

*Field Guides/Plant Identification Books:

It is very important to learn how to use a field guide if you're going to be harvesting your own herbs. It's helpful to learn some very basic botany terms, which are usually included in a glossary or intro page in a good field guide. I've noticed that many students prefer to see color photographs in field guides, but I much prefer detailed line drawings, since important identification features of a plant that might not be noticeable in a photograph can be clearly delineated in a line drawing. Some people find it helpful to have both.

Some field guides cover the whole United States, or large sections of it (Southwest desert, Eastern Woodlands, etc), while others are much more localized, state by state, or if you are lucky, keyed right into your particular region. Some DNR or local park services carry localized field guides.

I like to have good field guides for Wildflowers, Edible Wild Plants, Trees and Shrubs, Mushrooms, and even for Mosses and Lichens. I have field guides for different parts of the country as well for when I travel. It is also helpful to have a good field guide on Poisonous Plants in order to get more familiar with these.

Peterson's Field Guides

National Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Wildflowers

Wildman Steve Brill's Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places

Thomas Elpel's Botany in a Day

Jack Keller's Edible Wild Plants Book List (Includes poisonous plant field guides)

*Medicinal Herbals:

There are so many books on herbal medicine out there it's hard to know where to start. I have my old favorites that have served me well, and will list them here. There are some outstanding herbalists in the field today that have written the classics that I tend to use the most.

Susun Weed's "Healing Wise"

David Hoffman's "Complete Illustrated Guide to the Holistic Herbal"

James Green's "The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook"

Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal"--2 Volume Set

"Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal"

Nancy and Michael Phillips "Herbalist's Way" (formerly "The Village Herbalist")

Here's a web listing to browse of over 600 books on herbal medicine:

Alternative Medicine Books: Herbal Medicine

*Wild Food Manuals & Recipe Books:

There are lots of wild foods books that are long on identification, habitat, and seasons but short on how to cook them. I like the guides that have a personal touch to them and lots of recipes and processing information. Stories of field expeditions and kitchen experiments are also very helpful as well as entertaining. Some books try to pack in too much information, like covering the entire United States or including medicinal herbs as well as wild foods. This list is a compilation of my favorites.

Goosefoot Acres by Peter Gail

My Wild Friends by Blanche Cybele Derby

The Complete Forager by Tim Sykes

Volunteer Vegetable Sampler: Recipes For Backyard Weeds by Peter Gail

Forager's harvest by Sam Thayer

Abundantly Wild by Teresa Marrone

Billy Jo Tatum's Wild Food Cookbook and Field Guide by Billy Jo Tatum

The Neighborhood Forager: A Guide For the Wild Food Gourmet by Robert K. Henderson

The Foraging Gourmet by Katie Letcher Lyle

Gather Ye Wild Things: A Forager's Year by Susan Tyler Hitchcock

Anything by Euell Gibbons

John Kallas' Wild Food Adventures Bookstore

Jack Keller's List of Wild Food Books (Scroll down)

*Nutrition:

One of my particular areas of interest is herbalism is Nutritive Herbs, hence I like to have some good references on nutrition to call upon.

Nutritional Herbology by Mark Pedersen, ND

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

*Food Processing and Preservation:

I have a lifelong interest in food preservation that dovetails nicely with my passion for wild foods. I have some good references for canning and freezing, but lately I am discovering Old World techniques such as lacto-fermentation or preserving in oil or salt and experimenting with applying these methods to wild foods.

Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz

Gem Cultures

Stocking Up by Carol Hupping

Putting Food By by Janet Greene

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Internet Links

The internet is a fantastic resource for researching herbs and also for networking with other herbalists. I've done a great deal of surfing in creating this website and am always delighted to find the 'perfect link' for a subject I want to explore more deeply. This virtual herbalism is a wonderful resource, but can never replace the actual, realtime experience of working with the plants themselves.

Here is a list of some of my favorite links:

Wild Foods:

Foraging and Ethnobotany Links Page

Wildman Steve Brill's Links Page

Wild Food Adventures

Wildman Steve Brill

Fergus the Forager

Wild Foods

Indian Springs Herbs

Foraging the Edible Wild

Vicky Shufer's Wild Foods

Melanie Hiatt's Edible Wild Foods

Fallen Fruit

Ray Mears Wild Food Video Program

Nature Skills

Johnny Jambalaya

Of The Field

Herbs in General:

United Plant Savers

Herb Research Foundation

Sage Mountain

Michael Tierra

Doug Elliot

Henriette's Herbal Page

Howie Brounstein

Botanical.Com (based on M.M.Grieve's A Modern Herbal)

Rosenthal Center Botanical Medicine Information Resource

Native American Ethnobotany Database

Alternative Nature Online Herbal

Schools

California School of Herbal Studies

Botanologos

NorthEast School of Botanical Medicine

School of Natural Healing: Dr. John Christopher

Michael Moore's Southwest School of Botanical Medicine

Sage Mountain School of Herbal Studies

Herbal Therapeutics School of Botanical Medicine

Education and Traing in Herbal Medicine

Wild Food School, UK

Correspondence Courses:

The Science and Art of Herbology

Susun Weed's Correspondence Courses

Blessed Maine Herbs Correspondence Course

Naturally Healthy Family Home Study Course

Wild Food Educators:

Wild Foods Directory

Blanch Cybele Derby

Russ Cohen

Bobcat Wilder

John Kallas

Wildman Steve Brill

Peter Gail

Sam Thayer

Conferences

Every year there are several conferences and conventions that happen. There is nothing like being with hundreds of other herbalists at a convention: fellowshipping, networking, teaching, learning, and partaking of fantastic wild food feasts together! These are the places to meet celebrity herbalists and hear about all the cutting edge discoveries in the realm of herbalism. There are usually lots of tables of wares and books to browse, and much, much more going on. It is highly recommended to attend at least one conference each year for continuing education.

Herb Society of America

Green Nations Gathering

20th Annual Women's Herbal Conference

2007 International Herb Symposium

Wild Foods Mountain Retreat

North Carolina Wild Foods Weekend

Nature Wonder Weekend

Brietenbush Herbal Conference

NW HerbFest 2007

Medicines From the Earth

SouthEast Women's Herbal Conference

Midwest Wild Harvest Festival

Newsletters

Wild Food Adventurer

Wild Foods Forum

Goosefoot Acres

Weed Wanderings Herbal E-zine

HerbalGram

Herb Shops/Supplies

Although most herbal preparations can be made right in your own kitchen with no special equipment, you might occasionally find yourself wishing for herbs and supplies that are not available locally. There are some great outlets for everything you might need, from obscure herbs to fine glassware for storing them.

Mountain Rose Herbs

Lavendar Lane

Naturallist Forest Foragers

Wild Pantry

Wild Harvest

Blessed Maine Herb Farm

Heartsong Farm Healing Herbs

Wild Weeds

Simplers Botanical Company

Message Boards/Forums

Wildcrafting with Ila Hatter Message Board

Forage Ahead Yahoo Forum