Celebrating the life of Kumu Raylene Kawaia’ea

I have never met anyone like Raylene. She was so filled with kindness, so present and so clear. In honor of the gifts she offered us all,  I wanted to share some of her words from our conversation with her at the International Herb Symposium in 2007. I have kept her words as she said them, without making edits or changes, because as I read them, I can hear her speaking…

Ann: What role do plants have in your journey?

Raylene: As an Hawaiian, the plants are our ancestors. Our creation chant brings into the world everything that exists here in this world. What we learn by the chant is that we, as human beings, are the youngest. We’re the youngest, perhaps the favorite, and we were loved and cherished and pampered and given things sometimes perhaps that we would not cherish in the manner we should have, as we reveal ourselves today.

Ten Herbs for Transition, Jeff Carpenter of Zackwoods Farm, part 2

At long last the second part of Jeff’s post on ten herbs for transition….

Oats

Oats  Avena sativa  Annual Oats are going to be a very important ally for the transition because of their calming effect on the nervous system. I have heard oats appropriately referred to as “herbal Prozac” due to their ability to sooth and nourish our nerves thus reducing stress and symptoms of mild depression. They are rich in minerals and vitamins, especially calcium and iron. There is also remarkable research demonstrating their ability to help increase libido in both men and women which I suppose could evoke an analogy of “Herbal Viagra”. They also help to regulate cholesterol and are a great source of dietary fiber. Many herbalists have spoken highly of their effectiveness in treating addiction withdrawal symptoms due to the nourishing and calming influence this plant has on the nerve synapses. They are also one of the richest sources of plant protein and contain roughly the same percentage of protein as Soy protein, Eggs, Milk and Meat. Topically they are soothing for eczema and other irritating skin conditions.

Ten Herbs for Transition, Jeff Carpenter of Zack Woods Herb Farm, part 1

Jeff Carpenter is a farmer, consultant, educator and researcher focusing on the cultivation and propagation of medicinal herbs.

I first met Jeff and Melanie Carpenter, founders of Zack Woods Herb Farm, years ago when I was an apprentice at Sage Mountain and came to know them much better when we visited their farm to get footage for Numen (that’s their root washing machine and Jeff is the one at the end of the film harvesting Echinacea). I love their farm, their vision, and especially love their dried herbs! I’m thrilled to include Jeff’s comments here from a talk he recently gave in Montpelier, VT organized by Transition Town Montpelier.

What are your ten herbs for transition?

Elderberries

We’ll be posting Jeff Carpenter of Zackwood Farm’s list soon!

In the meantime, we’d love to know what herbs you recommend we all grow for keeping ourselves, our families and our communities well as we transition beyond fossil fuels …