#herbal goodness

[reallytoosublime]

In this video, we explore 10 amazing superfoods that promote cell regeneration and boost stem cell growth. Discover how you can naturally enhance your body’s ability to repair and rejuvenate itself with these powerful foods. ✅Learn more at https://herbalgoodnessco.com 👉 Subscribe to stay tuned:    / @herbalgoodness  

[reasonsforhope]

"Despite the Central Appalachia ecosystem being historically famous as coal country, under this diverse broadleaf canopy lies a rich, biodiverse world of native plants helping to fill North America’s medicinal herb cabinet.

And it turns out that the very communities once reliant on the coalfields are now bringing this botanical diversity to the country.

“Many different Appalachian people, stretching from pre-colonization to today, have tended, harvested, sold, and used a vast number of forest botanicals like American ginseng, ramps, black cohosh, and goldenseal,” said Shannon Bell, Virginia Tech professor in the Dept. of Sociology. “These plants have long been integral to many Appalachians’ livelihoods and traditions.”

50% of the medicinal herbs, roots, and barks in the North American herbal supply chain are native to the Appalachian Mountains, and the bulk of these species are harvested or grown in Central Appalachia, which includes southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, far-southwest Virginia, and east Tennessee.

The United Plant Savers, a nonprofit with a focus on native medicinal plants and their habitats, has identified many of the most popular forest medicinals as species of concern due to their declining populations.

Along with the herbal supply chain being largely native to Appalachia, the herb gatherers themselves are also native [to Appalachia, not Native American specifically], but because processing into medicine and seasonings takes place outside the region, the majority of the profits from the industry do too.

In a press release on Bell’s superb research and advocacy work within Appalachia’s botanical communities, she refers back to the moment that her interest in the industry and the region sprouted; when like many of us, she was out in a nearby woods waiting out the pandemic.

“My family and I spent a lot of time in the woods behind our house during quarantine,” Bell said. “We observed the emergence of all the spring ephemerals in the forest understory – hepatica, spring beauty, bloodroot, trillium, mayapple. I came to appreciate the importance of the region’s botanical biodiversity more than ever, and realized I wanted to incorporate this new part of my life into my research.”

With co-investigator, John Munsell at VA Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment, Bell’s project sought to identify ways that Central Appalachian communities could retain more of the profits from the herbal industry while simultaneously ensuring that populations of at-risk forest botanicals not only survive, but thrive and expand in the region.

Bell conducted participant observation and interviews with wild harvesters and is currently working on a mail survey with local herb buyers. She also piloted a ginseng seed distribution program, and helped a wild harvester write a grant proposal to start a forest farm.

“Economic development in post-coal communities often focuses on other types of energy development, like fracking and natural gas pipelines, or on building prisons and landfills. Central Appalachia is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. I think that placing a greater value on this biodiversity is key to promoting a more sustainable future for the region,” Bell told VA Tech press.

Armed with a planning grant of nearly half a million dollars, Bell and collaborators are specifically targeting forest farming as a way to achieve that sustainable future.

Finally, enlisting support from the nonprofit organization Appalachian Sustainable Development, Virginia Tech, the City of Norton, a sculpture artist team, and various forest botanicals practitioners in her rolodex, Bell organized the creation of a ‘living monument’ along Flag Rock Recreation Area in Norton, Virginia.

An interpretive trail, the monument tells the story of the historic uses that these wild botanicals had for the various societies that have inhabited Appalachia, and the contemporary value they still hold for people today."

-via Good News Network, September 12, 2024

[zu-is-here]

<– • –>

[vapidlemon]

tried coffee for the first time today... i was too weak...

[sidewalkchemistry]

Green Fruit Platter (Vegan)

[yardsards]

merle and lucretia's friendship is so very good and extremely underrated. like during the lunar interludes but especially during stolen century. the way merle spent their last night on their home plane making sure lucretia was safe at the bar, the way clint always seems to jump at the chance to bring lucretia along for whatever merle's doing that cycle, the little talk when she's still quiet and shy but he tells her he thinks she could make a great leader. i love this crunchy dad trying to gently convince this quiet little perfectionist to come out of her shell, and her reciprocating that friendship in her own way.

[the-kingshound]

my hound would totally assume that arthur isnt a virgin and it would send them spinning, because he could probably be with anyone since he is so great, and has probably been treated the very best, and why would he want such a broken soldier, why would he want untouched unlearned flesh, why would he ever accept the touch of something so unskilled, surely he would revolt at being touched by something so callous, he would flinch away from their very presence, be so unsatisfied and disgusted that he would send them back, rather be at war than with a creature like them—

and then gywar walks in and interrupts their daily cold bath breakdown

Damn I love my community

[masamasaibk]

Some Inazuma Eleven redraws because I am fighting art block very very hard these days (and it's winning)

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Book Review: Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

TW: Alcohol mentions and tallow mentions. Poison Path things as well. This is: Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer Rating: 9/10 Pros: An amazing outlook into animism, herbalism, and foraging in a safe, sustainable and non-appropriative way! The instructions on how to garden were very to the point and explained some complicated ideals in an easy to digest way, I think one of my favorite quotes from the book that stuck with me while reading was,

“Just when I think magic has been cut down and paved over; a dandelion has pushed it’s way out of the cracks in the cement.”

I hope that quote helps you understand what sort of writing to expect out of this book! As someone that grew up learning planting from my Papaw who took classes on the subject after getting out of WWII through a governmental program and was a farmer before that, some of the information on growing was things I already knew. But for a beginner just looking into ‘wildcrafting’ or foraging or just plain growing your own herbs for witchy things?

Get this book.

The author, while an herbalist, breaks down each plant she mentions and includes plenty of warnings and suggestions for use both magical and holistically. She covers the poison path in a very easy to understand way while making sure you understand it’s not a beginner’s thing, and certainly not one to take without serious consideration first. The author takes careful note of Indigenous practices and makes sure to drive it home that their voices are to be heard over anyone else’s when it comes to taking care of American land. There are so many rituals and remedies included in this book that I have a feeling I’ll be referencing it quite a lot, and not just for the gardening and foraging tips!

Did I mention the entire 11 pages of a bibliography in the back?? No? Well there’s that too. My academic heart is thrilled.

Cons: Honestly? The only real con I have is that the author spends a chunk of time going over the Wheel of the Year which is a wiccan construct in a book that otherwise doesn’t have any wiccan imagery or practices up until this point. It feels…weirdly thrown in? But she also includes multiple folk traditions that were common amongst those particular time periods so…it is worked in but it still feels a little odd and jarring to me.

The author also mentioned the use of tallow as a commonly used oil for salves, which is correct but some people are uncomfortable with the idea and I understand that! Since the author has tincture recipes as well she does mention the use of alcohol in steeping purposes.

Overview: Animism, foraging, herbalism, and being safe to the environment. Good stuff all around!

[bonefall]

yo, puffballs can be used to dress wounds? how does that work?

It's the simplest use in the world. I wouldn't even be able to make a whole guide on puffballs as a wound-dressing it's so simple. You literally just cut and apply to a bleeding wound.

It's a hemostatic; its spores stop the bleeding. So when it comes to puffballs, you either harvest them young and eat them, or let them mature and harvest as a medicine.

This is a puffball when it's young enough to be edible. The flesh is pure white. When the spores have started to form, this will turn yellowish and become a poison if ingested.

You can just use a slice as a gauze, or powder it. It's that simple. No processing required. It makes the blood coagulate and stops bleeding.

[gardenist]

July 2023. One of the many moon gatherings. Wolverhampton, England ✨️

[pushing500]

Goodbye Melissa, LeJeune, Hummel, and Eugenia (and Xerxes the wildebeest)! Mechi threw you a lovely farewell party. He hopes you enjoy your time at Arwell so much that you never come back! <3

Mechi can never turn down a sibling sob story. Hits too close to home. Also, Wetherbee is an adorable name, so that helps.

Probably the only time Mechi has regretted sending people away so quickly. Alas and alack, he will have to be disappointed with this inspiration. Sorry, Mechi.

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[birb--birb]

HALLA APPRECIATION POST I LOVE THESE LIL FOREST FRIENDS

[incorrect-baldurs-gate-3]

(Gale makes dinner and accidentally uses and misidentifies a wild plant and now the whole group is just staring up at the stars high AF)

Shadowheart: stars are pretty aren't they?

Astarion: up above the world so high... like little diamonds in the sky...

Karlach: that's BEAUTIFUL dude... you should write that down before someone steals it...

Gale: so Lae'zel you said there'd be meteors tonight when do the meteors get here?

Lae'zel: chk... the meteors don't get here the planet is moving into their path.

Tav: I can feel it... (excitedly) I can FEEL the planet MOVING!!!!! (Starts to get a head rush) it's moving too fast Wyll slow it down!!!

(Wyll squints up at the sky for a moment then closes his eyes with a sigh)

Wyll: okay how's that?

(Tav opens their eyes and then sighs in relief)

Tav: better thanks...

(A long pause... then.)

Shadowheart: stars are pretty aren't they?

(Lae'zel starts laughing, an unusual sound for her and everyone stares at her like she's got three heads, which would be wayyyy more likely than her LAUGHING)

Shadowheart: what's so funny?

Lae'zel: with your accent everything you say sounds stupid! (She snorts and mimics Shadowheart almost perfectly) "stars are pretty aren't they?!" (And she just starts rolling with laughter, obviously since everyone is high as kites her odd sounding very rare fit of laughter is highly contagious and everyone starts laughing with her... even Shadowheart herself)

[ddarker-dreams]

me the first day i tested positive: haha! this isn't so bad. perhaps i am asymptomatic. science will be studying my immune system for generations to come. my blood contains a panacea the likes of which has never been seen before.

me for the rest of the week:

[sidewalkchemistry]