It's been a while since I wrote an update, about the collective I am a part of and how we have been organizing ourselves, since we finished our Sociocracy Training. We now have divided ourselves into different circles, so that each of us can focus on what we are passionate about.
I chose to be a part of the Health and Ecology circle and up until recently we have been meeting weekly, to discuss what our aims are and to focus on what we need to accomplish so that our collective and the wider community can thrive independently from the system.
Health And Ecology
We have various projects that we have started, one of which is to begin to harvest the medicinal herbs that grow wild around us and begin to dry some of them, to use later in infusions, poultice and in a topical wash. We started this on Monday, where one of my friends, who is a trained herbalist, brought round some of her drying racks which are erected in the wooden shack on the land I live on. (Something I am very excited about, as I have never had the opportunity to dry such a large amount of herbs at one time). On Monday, We focused on harvesting 3 plants!
Wild Lettuce
First up is wild lettuce, a plant that I only learned about since moving here, but which is growing in abundance on the land that I live on. You really need to use gloves and/or scissors when you are harvesting some, because it is very spiky.
This wonderful plant is used for pain relief and also as a sedative. We intend to dry it and use it in infusions,and also to make into powder form and put into capsules.
Plantain
There is an abundance of Plantain growing at the mountain and we spend the morning harvesting some. Plantain is such an amazing plant. It has so many healing properties and is really a heal all. I have used it successfully for bites, wounds, and tooth infections and for drawing out infections, by chewing the plant and applying it to the site where it is needed.
It is also a wonderful plant to use when you are experiencing diarrhea, indigestion and heartburn, you can make an infusion for all of these. I will be using some of the wilted leaves to make an infused oil, which I will mix with some calendula oil that I have made recently.
Calendula
Calendula is another plant that I have used a lot, it is wonderful healer for the skin and I have been making oil infusions for years now. I always have it growing in my garden, as the flowers are such a wonderful addition to any salad. I have already made an oil infusion from the flowers, so today it was all about harvesting them and drying them for infusions. Which are great to use for wounds, eye infections and as a poultice for most skin conditions.
Preparing The Plants
There is quite a lot of water in Plantain, so it is better to cut up the the plantain and that way it will dry a lot quicker. (which is what I am doing in the above picture). We harvested quite a lot, enough to fill two shelves. On the top shelf is the calendula and wild lettuce. With the lettuce we just removed the leaves from the stem.(which you can kind of see in the picture below.)
In the past I have always harvested wild plants by myself or with my kids, so it was super nice, to do it on this day, with some of my tribe. We plant to head up higher into the mountains soon to harvest so more plants and once also to open this experience up to others who are interested, so that they can learn about the different medicinal plants available and know how to harvest them and prepare them.
I have no idea what is this HERBS. Are you going to use it for TEA?
Yes @kennyroy, that is what we are drying them for, although a small amount of the plantain will be infused in oil as well xxx
I am so busy these past 3 days! Just now see the replies of all people!
Fuse in oil? Interesting! Then it can be used in massaging? Am I right?
Yay. Love love love this post. Plantain is a wonder herb, I've had sooo much success with it. And wild lettuce... i know its benefits but haven't drunk it as an infusion. Is it bitter? How lucky you are to have a herbalist living with you?! 🌱🌱🌱🌱
Ah thank you, she lives nearby, but yeah super lucky to have her close by. Yeah it is quite bitter, best to add some lemon, that's how I like it xxx
What a great post! I keep eating plantains from various places to cope with raw nettles i chew on too. My friends think i might die from parasites one day. I actually never harvested that particular plantain before. Very interesting. The calendula looks so good! This post speaks to me in a lot of ways. All your posts do my dear friend!
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Thank you @yangyanje, been loving your mushroom foraging posts as well. I think parasites are just a part of our existence, just do a detox every now and again xxx
That's a really great approach. Most people say everything in moderation? I like to take breaks from drugs like chocolate because I never wanna say never. At some point I think there are things that might not be good for humans when I see them taking it. When I think of not being to hard on myself, I think everyone shouldn't be too hard on themselves? The cycles of diets and detoxing according to lunar cycles has been a big part of my life. I can appreciate you, the knowledge shared and the life lived by you and your community a lot.
Ah yeah, chocolate is my vice, only dark chocolate though. Stress itself is the most damaging, so yes to not being so difficult on yourself.
Maybe one day you will get down this way for a visit, especially if you ever plan to visit Vincent xxxxxx
Wonderfull Herb Medicine for health👍👍👍
Cheers @lijans xx
What a beautiful journey I had reading this, how incredible that the planet has so many things that help and benefit us, and few are the people who truly value this. I congratulate you for your stuciasm in this project, I would be more than thrilled in your place, it is wonderful to have friends that help you with all this process and that have a lot of experience in plants. Thanks for sharing your experience friend, I send you a hug. :D
Thank you @pavanjr, yes we are very very fortune to have all of these wonderful plants growing around us, hug right back at ya xxx
There is a local chap here (@ligayagardener, who doesn't post on Hive any more) who makes a tincture from the wild lettuce, for both himself and a few others. An amazing plant, by all accounts. He likes it best for potency when it's just getting ready to flower.
Your post has been featured in the Lotus Garden Newsletter, which will be published tomorrow, and you've selected as this week's beneficiary recipient.
You've been curated by @minismallholding for Natural Medicine's homesteading newsletter, supporting gardeners, permaculturalists, foragers, environmentalists and other earth centred relationships with the earth.
CommunityIIDiscord
Ah thank you @minismallholding I do remember @ligayagardener. I need to write more about my garden and medicinal medicine usage. xxx
Que hermoso trabajo de verdad, me encanta lo que acabo de ver, se me eriza la piel el ver la naturaleza como brota desde la tierra @trucklife-family Un placer saber que hay personas como tú haciendo un trabajo activo en lo que se refiere a la medicina natural, me encanta la forma de los tenderos y el secado de las hojas para las infusiones obteniendo una gran variedad, me encantó leer este trabajo maravilloso felicitaciones
Gracias @marianis xxxxxx
What an amazing post @trucklife-family. I seem to miss all the best posts. So I'm happy to have seen the feature on @naturalmedicine. And THAT is wild lettuce. We have plantain all over our SA mountainside as well. And the wild lettuce grows prolifically too. But I didn't know what it was. Thank you for teaching me a new herbie fact. I love my herbs. Would it be wild lettuce because it looks similar or could you actually eat it as you would the tamed lettuce? I love using calendula in my soap making. But it is rather a trial to get it to grow here.
I have never eaten it myself @buckaroobaby only used it for medicinal purposes. I always have some calendula growing, I am lucky that it does well here, I love to infuse it in oil xxx
I cut the main ribs out of the plantain leaf, but I also use a dehydrator. The humidity is so high here things would just mold and not dry properly.
It is so dry here, I don't have to worry about humidity. I have never cut the main ribs out, tend to just leave them. I hope to one day get a dehydrator xxx
Wonders if it's a good kratom supplement.
Kratom comes from a different plant, think it is from a shrub like plant and not native here to Spain xx
Oops, I said that wrong. If one wanted to do less kratom, could wild lettuce replace it?
It has completely different properties as it is a sedative, so perhaps it can help you as you reduce the usage of Kratom, but I would speak with a herbalist first xxxx
Thank you!