Calendula Being Harvested by HandHerbs offer a natural, effective, long-term approach to wellness. They reconnect our health and well-being to something fundamental, something elemental. Herbs give us a way to live more in sync with the Earth at a time when our connection to nature is hampered by urban living, overly-processed foods, intense work schedules and a medical system that focuses more on treating sickness than living well.
And yet, the deep connection between humans and plants goes beyond the time we’ve spent together. Plants are made up of hundreds of constituents. They are sensitive and intelligent. They can communicate with each other, learn from the past and sense when we humans are around. Their natural complexity supports our own.
Pulsatilla (Pulsatilla vulgaris) is one of the first blooms of the season. Each year, we harvest its bell-like purple flowers while there is still frost on the ground — and on its blossoms.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a popular herb on the farm. It blooms in early summer and continues into the fall. Every few weeks, we harvest the flowers by hand, extracting some while fresh and others once dried.
The farms, in Josephine County, Oregon, are Certified Organic and Non-GMO. We’re on a mission to keep getting better at serving our environment, including this volunteer Fennel (Foenicumum vulgare) plant.
Even when we source an herb from one of our trusted partners, we also like to grow it on the farm for educational purposes and to continue to diversify our crops. This young Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) tree is destined for our Botanical Education Garden.
Just before Grindelia (Grindelia spp.) comes into bloom in mid summer, it produces a resinous white material. This is our cue from Nature that it’s time for the harvest of its leaves and flowers.
By July, fuzzy stalks of Mullein (Verbascum speciosum &/or olympicum) reach our shoulders. To harvest the flowers, we pull down each stalk, run a gloved hand over the top and strip the flowers into a bucket.
We harvest the blossoms and leaves of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) each summer.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) is a plant we use from flower to root, so we sprout new batches each year in our greenhouse. We often let the roots grow for two years, while the flowers and leaves are harvested during the first year.
Oat Seed (Avena sativa) tells us when it’s ready to be harvested. When you can squeeze a plump seed and see its milkiness, it’s time. Oat Seed is taken straight to our lab and extracted while still fresh and succulent.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a plant that gets comfortable in its surroundings rather quickly. This volunteer plant is one of many that has eagerly rooted itself on our Certified Organic farm.