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Wild Woman Botanicals

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This spring marked another milestone in my low-tech homegrown oyster mushroom endeavors. Over the past year I’ve been building up chainsawing confidence (starting with an awesome safety course for women hosted @wellspringforestfarm ) and putting in the practice hours at any opportunity. I was finally ready to harvest my own mushroom logs!! No need to wait around for my knight in shining armor, or lumberjack in assless chaps, or what have you… anyway, I digress… growing your own mushrooms is fun & easy. This pillar method, demonstrated in this video, doesn’t require any special tools. Outsourced mushroom spawn can be a bit pricey depending on how you look at it (I highly recommend @northsporemushrooms), but I’ve even made my own free spawn with mushroom scraps, wood shavings, and time. Either way, Having an abundance of fresh picked mushrooms in your own backyard is pretty epic. Not to mention developing your relationship with your land a bit more to tune into the abundance of wild mushrooms to forage that are likely already there. #noticingnature #mushroomyard #homegrown #landrelationship #treemedicine #diywomen #homestead #landprojects #overgrowthesystem

This spring marked another milestone in my low-tech homegrown oyster mushroom endeavors. Over the past year I’ve been building up chainsawing confidence (starting with an awesome safety course for women hosted @wellspringforestfarm ) and putting in the practice hours at any opportunity. I was finally ready to harvest my own mushroom logs!! No need to wait around for my knight in shining armor, or lumberjack in assless chaps, or what have you… anyway, I digress… growing your own mushrooms is fun & easy. This pillar method, demonstrated in this video, doesn’t require any special tools. Outsourced mushroom spawn can be a bit pricey depending on how you look at it (I highly recommend @northsporemushrooms), but I’ve even made my own free spawn with mushroom scraps, wood shavings, and time. Either way, Having an abundance of fresh picked mushrooms in your own backyard is pretty epic. Not to mention developing your relationship with your land a bit more to tune into the abundance of wild mushrooms to forage that are likely already there. #noticingnature #mushroomyard #homegrown #landrelationship #treemedicine #diywomen #homestead #landprojects #overgrowthesystem

Join us in an exploration of the awakening Early Spring landscape.

A big focus on tree medicine as the forest awakens from it's deep slumber.
As well as emerging roots & shoots, and nutrient dense early spring greens.

As we eagerly await warm enough temperatures to sow our seeds in the garden, let's explore what the land has to offer in the meantime. An exercise in practicing noticing nature and deepening land relationship.

Followed by wild refreshments shared fire side.
Sign-up Link in Bio

#foragingwalk #foragingguide #wildfood #wildmedicine #treemedicine #noticingnature #landrelationship #overgrowthesystem

Join us in an exploration of the awakening Early Spring landscape.

A big focus on tree medicine as the forest awakens from it's deep slumber.
As well as emerging roots & shoots, and nutrient dense early spring greens.

As we eagerly await warm enough temperatures to sow our seeds in the garden, let's explore what the land has to offer in the meantime. An exercise in practicing noticing nature and deepening land relationship.

Followed by wild refreshments shared fire side.
Sign-up Link in Bio

#foragingwalk #foragingguide #wildfood #wildmedicine #treemedicine #noticingnature #landrelationship #overgrowthesystem

And so it begins.
The great awakening. 🌀💚🍁💧🌱
The most wonderful time of the year.
As the trees begin to pump their nutrient rich sap from root to tip and tip to root, we also shake off the funk and awaken from our long slumber of introspection, and feel our bodies come to life as we move about the land and the blood pumps through our veins. This momentous mile marker signaling it is time to prune back the old dis-eased growth from our fruit trees and to start germinating and tending to our seeds in preparation for the season of growth ahead. So much anticipation for what’s to spring forth from our devotion. #naturesrhythms #maplesap #treemedicine #earlyspring #homesteading #noticingnature #overgrowthesystem #hopespringseternal

And so it begins.
The great awakening. 🌀💚🍁💧🌱
The most wonderful time of the year.
As the trees begin to pump their nutrient rich sap from root to tip and tip to root, we also shake off the funk and awaken from our long slumber of introspection, and feel our bodies come to life as we move about the land and the blood pumps through our veins. This momentous mile marker signaling it is time to prune back the old dis-eased growth from our fruit trees and to start germinating and tending to our seeds in preparation for the season of growth ahead. So much anticipation for what’s to spring forth from our devotion. #naturesrhythms #maplesap #treemedicine #earlyspring #homesteading #noticingnature #overgrowthesystem #hopespringseternal

#priorities #feralaf #homesteadlife #diywellness #ancestralnutrition #nourishingtraditions

#priorities #feralaf #homesteadlife #diywellness #ancestralnutrition #nourishingtraditions

Accomplishing a nutritional healing bucket list item!! Fish Head Stock!
In practicing concepts of ancestral nutrition from the life changing book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, I acquired a freezer full of fish heads this year. With dreams of making thyroid and endocrine system nourishing traditional fish head stock. Growing up vegetarian, the song “fish heads fish heads roly-poly fish heads” was rather silly and disgusting to me. Now as an adult and self-described “Recovering Vegetarian” I finally get it.
“Traditional belief is that fish head broth contributes to virility. Fish stock made from the carcasses and heads of fish is especially rich in minerals including all important iodine. Even more important, stock made from the heads, and therefore the thyroid glands of the fish, supplies thyroid hormone and other substances (like fat-soluble vitamins) that nourish the thyroid gland. according to some researchers, at least 40% of all Americans suffer from a deficiency of the thyroid gland with its accompanying symptoms of fatigue weight gain frequent colds and flu inability to concentrate depression and a host of more serious complications like heart disease and cancer. We would do well to imitate our brothers from the Mediterranean and Asian regions by including fish broth in the diet as often as possible… The fish monger skins and fillets the fish for you giving you the fillets for your evening meal and the bones for making the stock and final sauce. Unfortunately, in America [fish] arrives at the fishmarket preboned… A good fish merchant will save the carcasses for you if you ask him. As he normally throws these carcasses away he shouldn’t charge you for them. Be sure to take the heads as well as the body – these are especially rich in iodine and fat soluble vitamins. Classic cooking Texas advise against using oily fish such as salmon for making broth, probably because highly unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the long cooking process. Fish collagen melts quickly so you don’t need to cook the stock very long.” #nutritionalhealing #NourishingTraditions #ancestraldiet #nourishingbroths #fishheads #foodismedicine #homesteadkitchen #stockpot

Accomplishing a nutritional healing bucket list item!! Fish Head Stock!
In practicing concepts of ancestral nutrition from the life changing book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, I acquired a freezer full of fish heads this year. With dreams of making thyroid and endocrine system nourishing traditional fish head stock. Growing up vegetarian, the song “fish heads fish heads roly-poly fish heads” was rather silly and disgusting to me. Now as an adult and self-described “Recovering Vegetarian” I finally get it.
“Traditional belief is that fish head broth contributes to virility. Fish stock made from the carcasses and heads of fish is especially rich in minerals including all important iodine. Even more important, stock made from the heads, and therefore the thyroid glands of the fish, supplies thyroid hormone and other substances (like fat-soluble vitamins) that nourish the thyroid gland. according to some researchers, at least 40% of all Americans suffer from a deficiency of the thyroid gland with its accompanying symptoms of fatigue weight gain frequent colds and flu inability to concentrate depression and a host of more serious complications like heart disease and cancer. We would do well to imitate our brothers from the Mediterranean and Asian regions by including fish broth in the diet as often as possible… The fish monger skins and fillets the fish for you giving you the fillets for your evening meal and the bones for making the stock and final sauce. Unfortunately, in America [fish] arrives at the fishmarket preboned… A good fish merchant will save the carcasses for you if you ask him. As he normally throws these carcasses away he shouldn’t charge you for them. Be sure to take the heads as well as the body – these are especially rich in iodine and fat soluble vitamins. Classic cooking Texas advise against using oily fish such as salmon for making broth, probably because highly unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the long cooking process. Fish collagen melts quickly so you don’t need to cook the stock very long.” #nutritionalhealing #NourishingTraditions #ancestraldiet #nourishingbroths #fishheads #foodismedicine #homesteadkitchen #stockpot

When the birthworker and ancestral nutrition skills coalesce. #ancestralnutrition #nourishingtraditions #liver #hunting #organmeat #nutritionalhealing #fatsoluablevitamins #wildmedicine #wildfoods

When the birthworker and ancestral nutrition skills coalesce. #ancestralnutrition #nourishingtraditions #liver #hunting #organmeat #nutritionalhealing #fatsoluablevitamins #wildmedicine #wildfoods

First time going live!
At the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council’s media event (for writers in NYC) representing the feral side of tourism in the finger lakes. Invited as myself, a foraging guide, and rallied to bring beautiful crafts from my friends and fellow earth skills educators to represent their offerings as well @weave.wild.studios @thewoodedpath_ and Buckthorn Natural Archery. While tourism is a sticky subject for us feral folk sometimes, we certainly believe all people could benefit from deepening land relationship and crafting in community. Check out our workshop/class offerings. Everything from basketry, to hide tanning, to bow making, & more. #overgrowthesystem #earthskills #ancestralskills #wild #handcrafted

First time going live!
At the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council’s media event (for writers in NYC) representing the feral side of tourism in the finger lakes. Invited as myself, a foraging guide, and rallied to bring beautiful crafts from my friends and fellow earth skills educators to represent their offerings as well @weave.wild.studios @thewoodedpath_ and Buckthorn Natural Archery. While tourism is a sticky subject for us feral folk sometimes, we certainly believe all people could benefit from deepening land relationship and crafting in community. Check out our workshop/class offerings. Everything from basketry, to hide tanning, to bow making, & more. #overgrowthesystem #earthskills #ancestralskills #wild #handcrafted

Being a Forager doesn’t mean that all of your food and medicine has to come from the wildlands. While I do appreciate the knowledge of finding those things wild. I also appreciate that fairly early on in human history we figured out how to cultivate the foods and medicines that we wanted near to our home base. Rather than continually roaming in pursuit of our foods. This precipitated so many other forms of human advancement, including documentation in the form of writing and art. And so I have a garden, I cultivate many foods and medicines near my home. I cultivate mushrooms in my mushroom yard as well as forage for wild mushrooms. I am grateful for the knowledge of growing trees from seed. It’s beautiful to practice the many facets of living in relationship with the land. I often get asked “could we actually forage for all of the food that we need?”. While I do believe wholeheartedly that the land provides everything we need, I also believe that’s a question nearly impossible to answer. However, why bother when we have so many other tools at our fingertips for living in the lap of luxury of what the land has to offer. As I wander through the garden rows harvesting vegetables, as well as medicinal flowers and herbs that I’ve companion planted in those rows, Why not harvest some wild weeds while I’m at it? A few plantain leaves, some Queen Anne’s lace seed heads, or some teasel root, etc. It’s a beautiful vast ecosystem that we’re intermingled with. Give your time & devotion and you will certainly receive. #overgrowthesystem #homegrown #wildfoods #wildmedicine #reciprocity #noticingnature

Being a Forager doesn’t mean that all of your food and medicine has to come from the wildlands. While I do appreciate the knowledge of finding those things wild. I also appreciate that fairly early on in human history we figured out how to cultivate the foods and medicines that we wanted near to our home base. Rather than continually roaming in pursuit of our foods. This precipitated so many other forms of human advancement, including documentation in the form of writing and art. And so I have a garden, I cultivate many foods and medicines near my home. I cultivate mushrooms in my mushroom yard as well as forage for wild mushrooms. I am grateful for the knowledge of growing trees from seed. It’s beautiful to practice the many facets of living in relationship with the land. I often get asked “could we actually forage for all of the food that we need?”. While I do believe wholeheartedly that the land provides everything we need, I also believe that’s a question nearly impossible to answer. However, why bother when we have so many other tools at our fingertips for living in the lap of luxury of what the land has to offer. As I wander through the garden rows harvesting vegetables, as well as medicinal flowers and herbs that I’ve companion planted in those rows, Why not harvest some wild weeds while I’m at it? A few plantain leaves, some Queen Anne’s lace seed heads, or some teasel root, etc. It’s a beautiful vast ecosystem that we’re intermingled with. Give your time & devotion and you will certainly receive. #overgrowthesystem #homegrown #wildfoods #wildmedicine #reciprocity #noticingnature

Join us for a wacky and wild mushroom foraging adventure. This is what we call the “oyster jungle gym” in the woods up behind our house. Poplar trees are early succession trees which means they are the first trees to move into a disturbed or cleared area of the forest and spread quickly, with rapid growth rates. Being sun loving trees they don’t need the protection of growing beneath the canopy of other older trees. They don’t live very long though, which means at some point they all fall down, clearing the forest once again. Not without great purpose though, while they were busy creating canopy lots of shade-loving baby trees of diverse species were able to germinate and start growing on the forest floor below. So when those poplars fall down and once again create a clearing in the forest, the young trees below are ready to take off for the sky with rapid growth. In a few years this once mostly monoculture of poplars will be a mixed deciduous forest. And as all the these poplars die they become an abundant haven for oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms of course helping break down the wood and thus nourishing the forest soil for the trees to come. #wildmushrooms #mushroomhunting #mushroomforaging #landrelationship #ediblemushrooms #foresthealth #noticingnature #interdependence

Join us for a wacky and wild mushroom foraging adventure. This is what we call the “oyster jungle gym” in the woods up behind our house. Poplar trees are early succession trees which means they are the first trees to move into a disturbed or cleared area of the forest and spread quickly, with rapid growth rates. Being sun loving trees they don’t need the protection of growing beneath the canopy of other older trees. They don’t live very long though, which means at some point they all fall down, clearing the forest once again. Not without great purpose though, while they were busy creating canopy lots of shade-loving baby trees of diverse species were able to germinate and start growing on the forest floor below. So when those poplars fall down and once again create a clearing in the forest, the young trees below are ready to take off for the sky with rapid growth. In a few years this once mostly monoculture of poplars will be a mixed deciduous forest. And as all the these poplars die they become an abundant haven for oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms of course helping break down the wood and thus nourishing the forest soil for the trees to come. #wildmushrooms #mushroomhunting #mushroomforaging #landrelationship #ediblemushrooms #foresthealth #noticingnature #interdependence

Nurture’s Drive-thru 🙃😉. #whatforagerseat #CountryRoads #CountryMouse #WildFoods #FreeFood

Nurture’s Drive-thru 🙃😉. #whatforagerseat #CountryRoads #CountryMouse #WildFoods #FreeFood

Open your eyes. Abundance all around. 🌎🌱🍄🫐 #wildmushrooms #wildfoods #freefood #landconnection #theforestiscalling #wildabundance #whatforagerseat #noticingnature

Open your eyes. Abundance all around. 🌎🌱🍄🫐 #wildmushrooms #wildfoods #freefood #landconnection #theforestiscalling #wildabundance #whatforagerseat #noticingnature

A little homestead flock appreciation. These chickens give us so much! An over abundance of eggs to use as a trade good, an alarm for the arrival of visitors, rich manure to build soil for our gardens, cuteness overload, beautiful feathers for crafts, funny and drama filled entertainment which we call “chickuations”, and the list goes on… perhaps on the most basic level, a reason to step outside first thing in the morning every single day 365 days a year, regardless of weather or mood. I also give soooo much in return, a labor of love and it ain’t easy. Our chicken journey started 7 years ago with a small flock of 5 hens, today we’ve got 29 with more on the way, who am I to tell my broody hens they can’t have a shot at being mamas? 😅 We sure are grateful for all the lessons in reciprocity these chickens provide. Never a dull moment.

A little homestead flock appreciation. These chickens give us so much! An over abundance of eggs to use as a trade good, an alarm for the arrival of visitors, rich manure to build soil for our gardens, cuteness overload, beautiful feathers for crafts, funny and drama filled entertainment which we call “chickuations”, and the list goes on… perhaps on the most basic level, a reason to step outside first thing in the morning every single day 365 days a year, regardless of weather or mood. I also give soooo much in return, a labor of love and it ain’t easy. Our chicken journey started 7 years ago with a small flock of 5 hens, today we’ve got 29 with more on the way, who am I to tell my broody hens they can’t have a shot at being mamas? 😅 We sure are grateful for all the lessons in reciprocity these chickens provide. Never a dull moment.

Homestead mushroom yard updates. This is not a paid partnership with @northsporemushrooms but I think they’re a great source for quality spawn and a wealth of knowledge on low tech backyard mushroom cultivation. #shiitake #homegrown #ediblemushrooms #medicinalmushrooms #diy #mushroomyard #backyardmushrooms #overgrowthesystem

Homestead mushroom yard updates. This is not a paid partnership with @northsporemushrooms but I think they’re a great source for quality spawn and a wealth of knowledge on low tech backyard mushroom cultivation. #shiitake #homegrown #ediblemushrooms #medicinalmushrooms #diy #mushroomyard #backyardmushrooms #overgrowthesystem

Join me as I ramble on in the berry patch about garlic and stacking functions. As I aspire to grow a food forest, and plant garlic around the base of each new shrub and tree that I plant, I find myself with an over abundance of garlic scapes. We love to eat them and ferment them… and still so many more. Here I am sharing a spontaneous experimental way to further utilize them. What do you have an over abundance of in your life? How might you creatively put it to good use? Waste not want not.

Join me as I ramble on in the berry patch about garlic and stacking functions. As I aspire to grow a food forest, and plant garlic around the base of each new shrub and tree that I plant, I find myself with an over abundance of garlic scapes. We love to eat them and ferment them… and still so many more. Here I am sharing a spontaneous experimental way to further utilize them. What do you have an over abundance of in your life? How might you creatively put it to good use? Waste not want not.

Grateful for the opportunity to push my edges. Hosted a Forage & Feast Workshop today @limehollownaturecenter In which we cocreated a 3 course meal made entirely with wild foods on a campfire. A LOT went into prep for this… Especially over the past week or two, but also over many months of foraging and processing ingredients. Every cell in my body is exhausted. Grateful to the folks who contributed and participated in the experience. The meal was delicious and oh so nourishing. And now I rest. 🥱

Grateful for the opportunity to push my edges. Hosted a Forage & Feast Workshop today @limehollownaturecenter In which we cocreated a 3 course meal made entirely with wild foods on a campfire. A LOT went into prep for this… Especially over the past week or two, but also over many months of foraging and processing ingredients. Every cell in my body is exhausted. Grateful to the folks who contributed and participated in the experience. The meal was delicious and oh so nourishing. And now I rest. 🥱

A quick little overview of correctly identifying edible fiddleheads - from the Ostrich Fern! 🎻🌿

A quick little overview of correctly identifying edible fiddleheads - from the Ostrich Fern! 🎻🌿

Dandelion Capers! 🌼 Dandelions have a plethora of gifts. Iron rich baby greens, blood tonifying and detoxing roots, sweet flowers for wine and snacking, and baby buds for fermenting into capers. Not to mention their pollinator value. Thanks to @blackforager for the original inspiration a while back, this is a new spring foraging favorite in our backyard.

Dandelion Capers! 🌼 Dandelions have a plethora of gifts. Iron rich baby greens, blood tonifying and detoxing roots, sweet flowers for wine and snacking, and baby buds for fermenting into capers. Not to mention their pollinator value. Thanks to @blackforager for the original inspiration a while back, this is a new spring foraging favorite in our backyard.

Stacking functions on the homestead. A permaculture concept - creating functional and productive ecosystems to work with nature rather than trying to control and reinvent it. Planting garlic cloves around the base of baby trees and bushes can effectively deter voles and other pests from chewing on and killing the trees during winter. You also get bonus garlic growing all over which offers lots of other benefits. Like yummy stuff and wearable insect repellent.

Stacking functions on the homestead. A permaculture concept - creating functional and productive ecosystems to work with nature rather than trying to control and reinvent it. Planting garlic cloves around the base of baby trees and bushes can effectively deter voles and other pests from chewing on and killing the trees during winter. You also get bonus garlic growing all over which offers lots of other benefits. Like yummy stuff and wearable insect repellent.

When the birthworker and ancestral nutrition realms collide.

I’ve known about the overwhelming argument to consume liver for years now. I’ve tried freezing it in tiny pieces to swallow whole, I’ve purchased expensive cod liver oil, I’ve tried hiding it in other meats, but struggled to find a way to consistently incorporate into my daily consumption. Then I heard about people buying organ meat capsules as daily supplements, and a lightbulb went off!
As a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, I’ve been safely processing placentas, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine protocols, into capsules for years. I realized I could apply those skills to make my own organ capsules.

Organ meats are extremely rich in fat soluble vitamins A, E, K, & D, other vitamins such as B12, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and a gamut of trace minerals. All of which nutrients most modern humans are deficient in. Most wild animals (as well as early humans) eat the prized organs of their kill first because they know where the nutrients are most dense. Though our modern diets have veered away from organ meats and towards muscle meats, I can assure you that the human species evolved for millennia consuming organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart, bone marrow, and even brains on a regular basis. One of the many ways we utilized the entire body of the lives we took.
The nutrients found in these animal products are vital for optimal health - hormone regulation, cholesterol regulation, fertility, brain function, immune function, nervous system function, strong skeletal structure, eyesight, and much more.

For those squeamish about cooking with organ meats, you could purchase expensive supplements from major corporations. Or, if you’re up to the adventure, you could explore making your own cheap and locally sourced capsules. The process involves steaming the organ, dehydrating, powderizing, and encapsulating. Or maybe, reach out to your community placenta lady.

When the birthworker and ancestral nutrition realms collide.

I’ve known about the overwhelming argument to consume liver for years now. I’ve tried freezing it in tiny pieces to swallow whole, I’ve purchased expensive cod liver oil, I’ve tried hiding it in other meats, but struggled to find a way to consistently incorporate into my daily consumption. Then I heard about people buying organ meat capsules as daily supplements, and a lightbulb went off!
As a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, I’ve been safely processing placentas, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine protocols, into capsules for years. I realized I could apply those skills to make my own organ capsules.

Organ meats are extremely rich in fat soluble vitamins A, E, K, & D, other vitamins such as B12, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and a gamut of trace minerals. All of which nutrients most modern humans are deficient in. Most wild animals (as well as early humans) eat the prized organs of their kill first because they know where the nutrients are most dense. Though our modern diets have veered away from organ meats and towards muscle meats, I can assure you that the human species evolved for millennia consuming organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart, bone marrow, and even brains on a regular basis. One of the many ways we utilized the entire body of the lives we took.
The nutrients found in these animal products are vital for optimal health - hormone regulation, cholesterol regulation, fertility, brain function, immune function, nervous system function, strong skeletal structure, eyesight, and much more.

For those squeamish about cooking with organ meats, you could purchase expensive supplements from major corporations. Or, if you’re up to the adventure, you could explore making your own cheap and locally sourced capsules. The process involves steaming the organ, dehydrating, powderizing, and encapsulating. Or maybe, reach out to your community placenta lady.

Germination Station Update!
🌱🦗 lots of new life, it’s hard to contain my excitement about the growing season to come! Nurturing food and medicine plants gives me a great deal of fulfillment, especially in anticipation of the way they will nurture me in return. The fact that this tiny baby grasshopper joined the party is just too much! 💚

Germination Station Update!
🌱🦗 lots of new life, it’s hard to contain my excitement about the growing season to come! Nurturing food and medicine plants gives me a great deal of fulfillment, especially in anticipation of the way they will nurture me in return. The fact that this tiny baby grasshopper joined the party is just too much! 💚

Yesterday, in Mid March, I pruned this long forgotten apple tree to the sounds of the freshly thawed croaking wood frogs, the drumbeat of the grouse you can feel deep within your chest, the singing of the red-winged blackbirds and robins in celebratory arrival from their long migration. These things may be happening earlier than usual, thanks to the influence of climate change, though you will still find me doing the only thing I know how to do - listening to the rhythms of the earth and investing my time and energy into hope for the future. Loving this old tree in hopes that she will gift us food for many years to come.
Poem by Wendell Berry - Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

Yesterday, in Mid March, I pruned this long forgotten apple tree to the sounds of the freshly thawed croaking wood frogs, the drumbeat of the grouse you can feel deep within your chest, the singing of the red-winged blackbirds and robins in celebratory arrival from their long migration. These things may be happening earlier than usual, thanks to the influence of climate change, though you will still find me doing the only thing I know how to do - listening to the rhythms of the earth and investing my time and energy into hope for the future. Loving this old tree in hopes that she will gift us food for many years to come.
Poem by Wendell Berry - Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

Early spring fulfillment is palpable. My most favorite time of year. So much to get excited about. So much to get your hands into. Tucking those seeds into the warm soil and envisioning their bountiful season to come. Nurturing a deep relationship with the land as it comes to life after the long slumber.

Early spring fulfillment is palpable. My most favorite time of year. So much to get excited about. So much to get your hands into. Tucking those seeds into the warm soil and envisioning their bountiful season to come. Nurturing a deep relationship with the land as it comes to life after the long slumber.

My most favorite time of the year. Waking up after the long slumber. Sap flowing like the blood pumping through my veins and the sweat beading from my skin as I move my body vigorously again. Busy prepping the land projects for the coming growing season and making the most of the subtle awakenings all around us. This is what I mean when I say living in deep relationship with the land.

My most favorite time of the year. Waking up after the long slumber. Sap flowing like the blood pumping through my veins and the sweat beading from my skin as I move my body vigorously again. Busy prepping the land projects for the coming growing season and making the most of the subtle awakenings all around us. This is what I mean when I say living in deep relationship with the land.

Did you know you can grow culinary mushrooms in your vegetable garden? Not only is it super satisfying to add fresh picked mushrooms to your veggie harvest basket, but it’s also beneficial to your garden health. A typical mushroom used for this purpose is Wine Caps (Stropharia rugosoannulata). They are super easy to get started in woodchip mulch between your garden beds, and will also often migrate on to your beds and grow in the shady spots between plants. They flush over and over again from spring to fall and produce massive amounts of food to cook up, barter, or dehydrate and store for winter. You only need to buy spawn one time and once they’re established the mycelium rich mulch can be scooped up and spread all around your garden indefinitely, as long as you add fresh woodchips every so often. The fungi presence in the garden enriches the soil through decomposition of organic matter and the mycelium dense mats of woodchip mulch act like a water retention sponge. So this year, as you’re garden planning and making your final selections from seed catalogs, consider getting a bag of mushroom spawn for your garden too. I personally love to order from @northsporemushrooms because they have so many great educational videos and make low cost home mushroom growing seem doable for anyone. (This is not a paid partnership, I just highly recommend them).

Did you know you can grow culinary mushrooms in your vegetable garden? Not only is it super satisfying to add fresh picked mushrooms to your veggie harvest basket, but it’s also beneficial to your garden health. A typical mushroom used for this purpose is Wine Caps (Stropharia rugosoannulata). They are super easy to get started in woodchip mulch between your garden beds, and will also often migrate on to your beds and grow in the shady spots between plants. They flush over and over again from spring to fall and produce massive amounts of food to cook up, barter, or dehydrate and store for winter. You only need to buy spawn one time and once they’re established the mycelium rich mulch can be scooped up and spread all around your garden indefinitely, as long as you add fresh woodchips every so often. The fungi presence in the garden enriches the soil through decomposition of organic matter and the mycelium dense mats of woodchip mulch act like a water retention sponge. So this year, as you’re garden planning and making your final selections from seed catalogs, consider getting a bag of mushroom spawn for your garden too. I personally love to order from @northsporemushrooms because they have so many great educational videos and make low cost home mushroom growing seem doable for anyone. (This is not a paid partnership, I just highly recommend them).

For those who would like to delve deeper into Winter Foraging & Tree Medicine, please join us this Saturday February 10th 1-4pm!

A short meander exploring the plethora of winter tree medicines 🌲
- Bark, Needles, Resins, Buds, Sap -
followed by a hands on workshop creating plastic-free/waste-free/biodegradable/wild & free oral hygiene tools from The Oak Tree. Participants will go home with an Oak Twig Toothbrush and an Oak Bark Toothpaste powder.

Campfire warmth & wild foraged refreshments provided! 🔥☕

$35 per person (Barter Available)
Sign-up Link in Bio
Registration Required

#wildmedicine #freemedicine #noticingnature #wildforaging #wildcraft #Treemedicine #foragingwalk #foragingguide #plasticfree #ancestralskills

For those who would like to delve deeper into Winter Foraging & Tree Medicine, please join us this Saturday February 10th 1-4pm!

A short meander exploring the plethora of winter tree medicines 🌲
- Bark, Needles, Resins, Buds, Sap -
followed by a hands on workshop creating plastic-free/waste-free/biodegradable/wild & free oral hygiene tools from The Oak Tree. Participants will go home with an Oak Twig Toothbrush and an Oak Bark Toothpaste powder.

Campfire warmth & wild foraged refreshments provided! 🔥☕

$35 per person (Barter Available)
Sign-up Link in Bio
Registration Required

#wildmedicine #freemedicine #noticingnature #wildforaging #wildcraft #Treemedicine #foragingwalk #foragingguide #plasticfree #ancestralskills

Part 2: Processing wild Black Walnuts - Juglans nigra. Sure you could buy walnuts at the store, but nothing compares to a freshly-cracked locally/wild-grown nut. Albeit a tough nut to crack, a labor of love indeed, but oh so worth the end product. A wild sourced, love filled, nutrient dense holiday treat - Maple Glazed Black Walnuts. Scroll back through my feed to learn more about our small scale self-sufficient maple syrup production. Shoutout to @thewoodedpath_ for the black walnut discards hookup from your natural dye process.

Part 2: Processing wild Black Walnuts - Juglans nigra. Sure you could buy walnuts at the store, but nothing compares to a freshly-cracked locally/wild-grown nut. Albeit a tough nut to crack, a labor of love indeed, but oh so worth the end product. A wild sourced, love filled, nutrient dense holiday treat - Maple Glazed Black Walnuts. Scroll back through my feed to learn more about our small scale self-sufficient maple syrup production. Shoutout to @thewoodedpath_ for the black walnut discards hookup from your natural dye process.

Part 1: Processing wild Black Walnuts - Juglans nigra. A native tree species of the region offering an abundance of calorie rich wild food for wildlife and humans alike just before winter - when we need it most. Join me as I transform these wild foraged nuts into a delectable holiday treat - Maple Glazed Walnuts. Scroll back through my feed to learn more about our super small scale homestead maple syrup production. Shoutout to @thewoodedpath_ for the natural dye process walnut discards.

Part 1: Processing wild Black Walnuts - Juglans nigra. A native tree species of the region offering an abundance of calorie rich wild food for wildlife and humans alike just before winter - when we need it most. Join me as I transform these wild foraged nuts into a delectable holiday treat - Maple Glazed Walnuts. Scroll back through my feed to learn more about our super small scale homestead maple syrup production. Shoutout to @thewoodedpath_ for the natural dye process walnut discards.

Are you hoping to deepen your connection to nature in the new year?
Well bundle up and join us for an informative meander through the forest. Exploring the art of noticing nature and deepening our awareness of the abundance of wild food and medicine the land provides year round. Visit @limehollownaturecenter website to register for this class and others through their Naturalist Series.

Are you hoping to deepen your connection to nature in the new year?
Well bundle up and join us for an informative meander through the forest. Exploring the art of noticing nature and deepening our awareness of the abundance of wild food and medicine the land provides year round. Visit @limehollownaturecenter website to register for this class and others through their Naturalist Series.

Happy Solstice! 🌞🌀🔥🌲❄️

Happy Solstice! 🌞🌀🔥🌲❄️

Had your first hard frost?
Putting your garden away for the winter?
Gathering to feast on the close of the abundant growing season?

It's not over yet, there is still plenty of wild food and medicine to be had from the land.
Join me this Saturday @limehollownaturecenter to practice noticing nature and exploring the great bounty the land provides year round.
#foragingwalk #noticingnature #wildfood #wildmedicine #foragingguide

Had your first hard frost?
Putting your garden away for the winter?
Gathering to feast on the close of the abundant growing season?

It's not over yet, there is still plenty of wild food and medicine to be had from the land.
Join me this Saturday @limehollownaturecenter to practice noticing nature and exploring the great bounty the land provides year round.
#foragingwalk #noticingnature #wildfood #wildmedicine #foragingguide

Join me on the trails
at Lime Hollow Nature Center
This Saturday Nov 11th 1-3:30pm

Register @limehollownaturecenter and check out their many offerings in their Naturalist Series of workshops, walks, and classes.

#foragingguide #foragingwalk #wildfood #wildmedicine #limehollownaturecenter #noticingnature

Join me on the trails
at Lime Hollow Nature Center
This Saturday Nov 11th 1-3:30pm

Register @limehollownaturecenter and check out their many offerings in their Naturalist Series of workshops, walks, and classes.

#foragingguide #foragingwalk #wildfood #wildmedicine #limehollownaturecenter #noticingnature

Some of you have never eaten berries straight from the bush without your hands, and it shows. 😜 -
Sure Autumn Olives are developed and red in August, but if you wait till after the first couple frosts they’re sooo much sweeter. Sometimes it’s too cold and windy to eat with your fingers. And sometimes I just wish I could graze all day every day. -
#whatforagerseat #howforagerseat #wildfoods #wildforaging #lookmanohands #edibleinvasives #eatyourweeds

Some of you have never eaten berries straight from the bush without your hands, and it shows. 😜 -
Sure Autumn Olives are developed and red in August, but if you wait till after the first couple frosts they’re sooo much sweeter. Sometimes it’s too cold and windy to eat with your fingers. And sometimes I just wish I could graze all day every day. -
#whatforagerseat #howforagerseat #wildfoods #wildforaging #lookmanohands #edibleinvasives #eatyourweeds

Fall foraging is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 🍂🍁🍎 The vast variety of tree foods available to us just tickles my mind as I go about squirreling away foods for the long dark rest that lies ahead. Here we have American Persimmon - Diospyros virginiana - deriving from the indigenous words pichamin, putchamin, or pessemmmin. A native tree that produces this beautiful small date like fruit. Easily dried and loaded with sugars to keep us warm in winter. Can we just take a moment to marvel at these beauties? #wildfoods #treefood #foodforest #freefood #foraging #overgrowthesystem

Fall foraging is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 🍂🍁🍎 The vast variety of tree foods available to us just tickles my mind as I go about squirreling away foods for the long dark rest that lies ahead. Here we have American Persimmon - Diospyros virginiana - deriving from the indigenous words pichamin, putchamin, or pessemmmin. A native tree that produces this beautiful small date like fruit. Easily dried and loaded with sugars to keep us warm in winter. Can we just take a moment to marvel at these beauties? #wildfoods #treefood #foodforest #freefood #foraging #overgrowthesystem

When that hard frost is on the horizon.
It’s bittersweet. Seeing the beautiful bounty come together and knowing another growing season is coming to a close. Time to slow down, decompose, and withraw all the sweetness inwards to the roots for a long dark rest.

When that hard frost is on the horizon.
It’s bittersweet. Seeing the beautiful bounty come together and knowing another growing season is coming to a close. Time to slow down, decompose, and withraw all the sweetness inwards to the roots for a long dark rest.

Autumn vibes.
The other day my coworker asked if I wanted to come decorate the boat (our workplace) for Halloween, as in stretchy plastic cob webs and other typical store bought holiday decorations… I declined.

If we open our eyes, notice nature, cultivate a connection with the land - I guarantee you won’t feel a need to buy commercial decorations when you are surrounded by such bountiful seasonal beauty. Each day this time of year I am awestruck with another captivating still life of every day tasks. #overgrowthesystem #homesteadlife #homegrown #foraging #wildfoods #noticingnature #earthconnection

Autumn vibes.
The other day my coworker asked if I wanted to come decorate the boat (our workplace) for Halloween, as in stretchy plastic cob webs and other typical store bought holiday decorations… I declined.

If we open our eyes, notice nature, cultivate a connection with the land - I guarantee you won’t feel a need to buy commercial decorations when you are surrounded by such bountiful seasonal beauty. Each day this time of year I am awestruck with another captivating still life of every day tasks. #overgrowthesystem #homesteadlife #homegrown #foraging #wildfoods #noticingnature #earthconnection

Where in the world do your spices come from?? 🌏

Happened upon a motherload of Northern Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) berries!
A fantastic local & wild substitute for cinnamon/allspice/nutmeg. A whole forest understory filled with it! We stuffed as many as we could fit in our pockets, causing us to walk silly all the way back to our car, and transferred them to a basket we had foolishly left there. The leaves smell sweet & spicy (almost citrusy) and with the berries make a delicious tea (especially when combined with white pine needles on a cold winter day). We grind up the dried berries into a powder to use in baked goods. The leaves can be used like bay leaves in soup. What a fantastic plant!
#wildfoods #localfood #freefood #foraging #overgrowthesystem #locavore #forestfood

Where in the world do your spices come from?? 🌏

Happened upon a motherload of Northern Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) berries!
A fantastic local & wild substitute for cinnamon/allspice/nutmeg. A whole forest understory filled with it! We stuffed as many as we could fit in our pockets, causing us to walk silly all the way back to our car, and transferred them to a basket we had foolishly left there. The leaves smell sweet & spicy (almost citrusy) and with the berries make a delicious tea (especially when combined with white pine needles on a cold winter day). We grind up the dried berries into a powder to use in baked goods. The leaves can be used like bay leaves in soup. What a fantastic plant!
#wildfoods #localfood #freefood #foraging #overgrowthesystem #locavore #forestfood

A year ago I dug deep and pushed against my edges with this life changing hide tanning workshop led by @thewoodedpath_ -
As my daughter and I have been working on bow hunting skills for a few years, it felt like the logical next step to learn how to process and fully utilize the animals we intend to kill for sustenance. So I signed up. This workshop ended up becoming so much more than that. As we worked through this physically and emotionally challenging process together as a group over several weeks, we not only forged beautiful buckskin, we also forged community. -
@thewoodedpath_ is hosting a couple weekends this autumn for folks interested in digging deeper into their hide tanning skills. Come together and let’s remember what it’s like to cocreate beautiful and functional art with community. -

#ancestralskills #hidetanning #handwork #buckskin #bowhunting #selfsufficient #revillaging #community #communitysufficient

A year ago I dug deep and pushed against my edges with this life changing hide tanning workshop led by @thewoodedpath_ -
As my daughter and I have been working on bow hunting skills for a few years, it felt like the logical next step to learn how to process and fully utilize the animals we intend to kill for sustenance. So I signed up. This workshop ended up becoming so much more than that. As we worked through this physically and emotionally challenging process together as a group over several weeks, we not only forged beautiful buckskin, we also forged community. -
@thewoodedpath_ is hosting a couple weekends this autumn for folks interested in digging deeper into their hide tanning skills. Come together and let’s remember what it’s like to cocreate beautiful and functional art with community. -

#ancestralskills #hidetanning #handwork #buckskin #bowhunting #selfsufficient #revillaging #community #communitysufficient

On the trail foraging. When you carry your own food, water, and shelter on your back - understanding the abundance of additional food & medicine all around you takes on a whole new level of meaning.

On the trail foraging. When you carry your own food, water, and shelter on your back - understanding the abundance of additional food & medicine all around you takes on a whole new level of meaning.

In The Garden
A music video and storytelling of cultivating a deep relationship with the land, in collaboration with the talented singer/songwriter @colleen.kattau -
-
An homage to my homeland, the land I was born on, ran wild and free on as a child, and returned to to raise my own daughter, and sadly ultimately had to move away from last year… but the direct heart strings that tie me to this place can’t be broken.
-
-
Living so close to family and within tight knit community is a blessing, cultivating deep loving relationship with land through reciprocity is a blessing… ~becoming indigenous to place~ as Dr Kimmerer so eloquently advocates for…
My stepmom, @colleen.kattau, used to text about stopping by for this or that and I would often respond with “you can find me in the garden”… the rest is history 💚🌎🍃

#overgrowthesystem #homegrown #reciprocity #landrelationship #permaculture #gardening #indigenoustoplace #grounding

In The Garden
A music video and storytelling of cultivating a deep relationship with the land, in collaboration with the talented singer/songwriter @colleen.kattau -
-
An homage to my homeland, the land I was born on, ran wild and free on as a child, and returned to to raise my own daughter, and sadly ultimately had to move away from last year… but the direct heart strings that tie me to this place can’t be broken.
-
-
Living so close to family and within tight knit community is a blessing, cultivating deep loving relationship with land through reciprocity is a blessing… ~becoming indigenous to place~ as Dr Kimmerer so eloquently advocates for…
My stepmom, @colleen.kattau, used to text about stopping by for this or that and I would often respond with “you can find me in the garden”… the rest is history 💚🌎🍃

#overgrowthesystem #homegrown #reciprocity #landrelationship #permaculture #gardening #indigenoustoplace #grounding

Just a quick walk to the mushroom market.
The abundance of this land when we cultivate deep relationship with it is humbling. Grateful.
#mushroomforaging #wildedibles #foraging #wildfoods #freefood #oystermushroom #overgrowthesystem

Just a quick walk to the mushroom market.
The abundance of this land when we cultivate deep relationship with it is humbling. Grateful.
#mushroomforaging #wildedibles #foraging #wildfoods #freefood #oystermushroom #overgrowthesystem

A couple spots opened up last minute!
Join Us for a weekend outdoors filled with handcrafting functional art and building community.

Instructor, Sean Cornell has been making bows for 30 years and teaching bow making for 12. Fulfilling for not only the target archer and craftsperson, but also for the hunter providing food with the same tools as your 100th grandparents.

DM for Registration or Questions

When:
Friday July 28, 5:30-8:30
Saturday July 29, 8:00-4:00
Sunday July 30, 8:00-4:00

Where:
Brooktondale, NY
Nestled into Beautiful Hammond Hill State Forest Tent camping is available!

What:
An all-weekend bow making intensive. Each participant will be guided through the process of turning a a tree into a beautiful bow suitable for hunting or target archery using only hand tools. Sliding Scale $200-$300

A couple spots opened up last minute!
Join Us for a weekend outdoors filled with handcrafting functional art and building community.

Instructor, Sean Cornell has been making bows for 30 years and teaching bow making for 12. Fulfilling for not only the target archer and craftsperson, but also for the hunter providing food with the same tools as your 100th grandparents.

DM for Registration or Questions

When:
Friday July 28, 5:30-8:30
Saturday July 29, 8:00-4:00
Sunday July 30, 8:00-4:00

Where:
Brooktondale, NY
Nestled into Beautiful Hammond Hill State Forest Tent camping is available!

What:
An all-weekend bow making intensive. Each participant will be guided through the process of turning a a tree into a beautiful bow suitable for hunting or target archery using only hand tools. Sliding Scale $200-$300

Join us next weekend for a gathering of learning, experiencing, and connection with the land. Lots of inspiring teachers & varying topics to choose from in a jam packed day of classes. I’ll be teaching “Nutritional Healing with Bone Broth”, a hands-on experience of co-creating deep nourishment. Utilizing wild medicinals to boost the healing further of this age old ancestral tradition. #ancestraldiet #nourishingtraditions #nutritionhealing #foodismedicine #wildmedicinals

Join us next weekend for a gathering of learning, experiencing, and connection with the land. Lots of inspiring teachers & varying topics to choose from in a jam packed day of classes. I’ll be teaching “Nutritional Healing with Bone Broth”, a hands-on experience of co-creating deep nourishment. Utilizing wild medicinals to boost the healing further of this age old ancestral tradition. #ancestraldiet #nourishingtraditions #nutritionhealing #foodismedicine #wildmedicinals

Foraging philosophy. Lessons in it being about the journey not the destination.
#foragingguide #wildfoods #wildmedicine #noticingnature #foraging

Foraging philosophy. Lessons in it being about the journey not the destination.
#foragingguide #wildfoods #wildmedicine #noticingnature #foraging

Finally got around to a long standing foraging goal!
Gifts of the Cattail!
Harvesting cattail rhizomes to make flour and more.

Finally got around to a long standing foraging goal!
Gifts of the Cattail!
Harvesting cattail rhizomes to make flour and more.

Goodness is coming back to life
The time is nigh!
Get outside, go for a walk, get some sunshine, open your eyes, and notice nature. Get in tune with the delicious abundance it has to offer when we're paying attention. And paying due gratitude.

Join Us April 16th for a Spring Wild Edibles & Medicinals Walk at Roy H Park Preserve as part of @dancingturtleithaca's Spring Wellness Program. Let's walk & talk about how eating seasonal wild local foods can be just right for optimum wellness. Sign-up link in @dancingturtleithaca's bio.

Goodness is coming back to life
The time is nigh!
Get outside, go for a walk, get some sunshine, open your eyes, and notice nature. Get in tune with the delicious abundance it has to offer when we're paying attention. And paying due gratitude.

Join Us April 16th for a Spring Wild Edibles & Medicinals Walk at Roy H Park Preserve as part of @dancingturtleithaca's Spring Wellness Program. Let's walk & talk about how eating seasonal wild local foods can be just right for optimum wellness. Sign-up link in @dancingturtleithaca's bio.

Part of @dancingturtleithaca's 6 week Spring Wellness Program

Packed with a weekly Salad, Dressing, & Juice CSA + 6 wellness focused classes to get you off to a good start this spring!

Today Ellen of @dancingturtleithaca will be teaching a home sprouting class from 2-4pm. Next week, Qigong & TCM!

Join us April 16th, for a two hour spring wild edibles & medicinals walk. We'll be meandering through Roy H Park Preserve. Discover how nature provides exactly what your body needs as you wake up from the long slumber.

Sign-up with @dancingturtleithaca

Part of @dancingturtleithaca's 6 week Spring Wellness Program

Packed with a weekly Salad, Dressing, & Juice CSA + 6 wellness focused classes to get you off to a good start this spring!

Today Ellen of @dancingturtleithaca will be teaching a home sprouting class from 2-4pm. Next week, Qigong & TCM!

Join us April 16th, for a two hour spring wild edibles & medicinals walk. We'll be meandering through Roy H Park Preserve. Discover how nature provides exactly what your body needs as you wake up from the long slumber.

Sign-up with @dancingturtleithaca

Gifts of the Trees 🍁 Remembering an ancestral way of being in deep relationship with the land. Noticing Nature & Tapping in to a great abundance at our finger tips. Local - Organic - Wild - Homemade Sugar. From the trees in our backyards. Where does your sugar come from? How is it grown? How is it processed? How is it packaged & transported?

Gifts of the Trees 🍁 Remembering an ancestral way of being in deep relationship with the land. Noticing Nature & Tapping in to a great abundance at our finger tips. Local - Organic - Wild - Homemade Sugar. From the trees in our backyards. Where does your sugar come from? How is it grown? How is it processed? How is it packaged & transported?

Gifts of the Trees: Maple Edition 🍁Slow down, Get outside, Notice Nature, tap into the abundance at your fingertips. Remembering a simpler life in deeper relationship with the land. Where does your sugar come from?
Song: Simple Life by Casey Abrams

Gifts of the Trees: Maple Edition 🍁Slow down, Get outside, Notice Nature, tap into the abundance at your fingertips. Remembering a simpler life in deeper relationship with the land. Where does your sugar come from?
Song: Simple Life by Casey Abrams

Gifts of the trees. Plastic free, waste free, locally sourced, wild & free oral hygiene. Oak twig toothbrush & oak bark tooth powder. Remembering our ancestral wisdom for the way forward. Back to the basics.

Gifts of the trees. Plastic free, waste free, locally sourced, wild & free oral hygiene. Oak twig toothbrush & oak bark tooth powder. Remembering our ancestral wisdom for the way forward. Back to the basics.

Don't miss this sweet opportunity to explore the Gifts of The Trees!

Winter foraging walk exploring medicinal trees. Followed by a hands on demo learning to make our own 100% biodegradable wild & free toothpaste and toothbrush.

Sign-up link in Bio!

Don't miss this sweet opportunity to explore the Gifts of The Trees!

Winter foraging walk exploring medicinal trees. Followed by a hands on demo learning to make our own 100% biodegradable wild & free toothpaste and toothbrush.

Sign-up link in Bio!

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Talking story with

@wildwoman.botanicals.birth

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