Hawthorn Berries are Great for the Heart

I once heard Seven Song, an herbalist from NY say that if you love someone (especially a man), give him Hawthorn. It strengthens the heart and helps the vascular structure of the heart. He also mentioned the spiritual help it gives the person in opening his heart to accept love from others. Everyone could use that help once in awhile! It is also said that Jesus' "crown of Thorns" was made of Hawthorn branches.
I was on Vashon on Sunday and Monday when the snow started falling, and managed to harvest some hawthorn berries that had frozen on the tree. They are supposed to be more potent then. While I harvest, I think of the people who have passed that year. I thank the tree for my harvest and providing healing to the people who suffer from the grief of their loss.  I thank the ancestors of the plant  for providing habitat and food for all the creatures to harvest from.

Hawthorn Tree at Sister Sage Farm

The scraggly Hawthorn Trees surround the farmland at Roseballen, just outside my farm gate. I harvest flowers and leaves in the summer, and berries (if the birds don't eat them first) in the fall/winter.  I have made two potions in recent years in honor of two amazing women who dealt with brain cancer for about 10 years off and on each, and finally (bravely) left this life for another. They were each beautiful, strong and independent women who were full of compassion and love, and I am thankful to have known them.

I do have some Hawthorn in glycerine for sale for a limited time, in 2oz bottles for the 1 oz price (12.99). email me jayne@sistersageherbs.com to purchase some.

Finding beauty in a fading light

My dear friend Nikki passed from this life to the next this year from brain cancer. She had a beautiful gap-toothed smile and a hoot of laughter often spilled from her lips. Cheers Nikki! I love you and Miss you already!

This season is a time of creative inspiration and reflection for me. I am designing a few different types of yards, so I am looking at plants that are beautiful right now. My time outside in my own yard is more precious since it is now dark when I arrive home; and it reminds me that we only have so much time on this earth. We will become compost ourselves someday, and we should see the beauty of that. The red leaves are not there to seek our admiration, yet the beauty is in the decay and in the cycle of life.

Peace-
Jayne

Get Rich Farming Scheme

This is a really funny video that someone on the VIGA listserve linked to... Hilarious!!!




Especially after attending the Washington Tilth Producers Conference this past weekend, this really makes me laugh!

Support Your Local Farmer!

Fun at the Tilth Producer's Conference!

I attended the Washington Tilth Producers Conference this weekend in Port Townsend, and had a blast. I met up with lots of my farmer friends that I haven't seen in awhile, and made some new connections with really beautiful people. I met many people who are either growing or want to grow medicinal herbs on their farms, and I am encouraged by that. I had my booth set up in a conference room with lots of cool speakers and interesting ideas- from Farm to School "how to" talks to panels with growers and buyers giving their different perspectives on how to go about capturing that market eloquently. The keynote speaker was Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director for the Center for Rural Affairs, in Lyons Nebraska. He talked about the need for us to join the "regular" Granges and Farm Bureaus in our counties and states and make a difference starting locally. He was pretty right on- except, he mentioned something about the fact that we could band together and form co-ops to sell to the big box stores... not many people liked that idea in the audience... I think it is a little different in WA- we have the Small Farms Team and WSU extension promoting us individually and as a group to a much more receptive audience!
I encourage anyone who farms and would like to meet more Washington farmers to go to the conference each year- It is so great to be in a room where all of the people believe in at least one thing- food should be good quality and organically raised and ethically treated. After the all Washington wine & cheese tasting and Organic Dinner, was the Dance Party with this great Bluegrass band- Jangle Bones- it was quite the party and hoe down! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures..