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Description: Come learn about some of Linda Black Elk’s favorite edible medicinal plants. She will share stories, personal experience, and other information about ways to work with plant relatives as both food and as medicine. She’ll also share some of her go-to recipes! Please RSVP to nchgbod@gmail.com to secure a spot as space is limited. Carpooling is also highly encouraged, as there are fewer parking spaces at the venue than seats in the room, and we are expecting a big turnout!
Speaker Bio: Linda Black Elk is an ethnobotanist and food sovereignty activist specializing in teaching about culturally important plants and their uses as food and medicine. She is eternally grateful for the intergenerational knowledge of elders and other knowledge holders, who have shared their understandings of the world with her, and she has dedicated her life to giving back to these peoples and their communities. Linda works to build ways of thinking that will promote and protect food sovereignty, traditional plant knowledge, and environmental quality as an extension of her work as a gardener, forager, fisher, hunter, and gatherer. Linda and her family spearhead a grassroots effort to provide organic, traditional, shelf stable food and traditional Indigenous medicines to elders and others in need. Thus far, they have fed and healed thousands of people. She has written numerous articles, book chapters, and papers, and is the author of “Watoto Unyutapi”, a field guide to edible wild plants of the Dakota people, which is now out of print. Linda proudly serves as the Educational Programs and Community Engagement Leader at NATIFS, a Native-led nonprofit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also sits on the board of Makoce Ikikcupi, a Reparative Justice project on Dakota lands in Mnisota Makoce. When she isn’t teaching, Linda spends her time living in a traditional Dakota earthlodge while foraging, hiking, hunting, and fishing on the prairies, woodlands, and waters of Turtle Island with her husband and three sons, who are all members of the Oceti Sakowin – the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota.
Description: to come soon
Instructor bio:
My focus is not just in classic Chinese Medicine. Herbs and essential oil we envision for use is a universal herbal method used by natives, Rasta, Dutch, Greek, Italian and a fleet of aboriginals and Aborigine communities. It is important to search the world to find the best herbs to do the job right! Acquiring accurate knowledge and understanding the science of every herb used helps me design my products to target specific diseases. For now, such methods enable me to find the closest gift to a cure. Hopefully someday we all find the cure that may heal the world.
Description: Did you know that many of the evergreens that inhabit our landscape have edible and medicinal properties? Learn how to safely forage them in this month’s presentation by Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging. Together, we will go over identification, harvesting, and preparation of edible evergreens while avoiding toxic varieties. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.
Presenter bio: Maria has been gathering wild edibles since 2004 and loves sharing this skill with others. She has spent over 10 years teaching foraging and other nature programs at various organizations in the Upper Midwest. In 2017, Maria founded Four Season Foraging to offer monthly foraging workshops, creating a space where people can learn to interact with urban and rural wild places in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Empower yourself with easy to learn steps to take to promote the health of your breasts. The lymph’s role in breast health will be highlighted. Handouts will be provided.
Meet Katherine Krumwiede
Katherine earned a Master of Oriental Medicine from the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN. She has been in practice for 17 years now, and it is tremendously rewarding to help people get back to their best selves – with a smile on their faces and a sparkle in their eyes once their pain has been resolved, their depression lifted, and they’re able to digest and enjoy their food.
http://diamondstoneom.com/about/
Hi! I am Betsy Nelson – freelance food stylist, recipe developer, cooking teacher, Ayurvedic chef and certified herbalist. Why do I wear so many hats? I have always loved learning and exploring how our food relates to our health and well being.
I have always been interested in food, especially plants that are the sources for nourishing our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Psychology and Studio Arts, which may seem like an odd background for a food person, but I find the process of cooking to be very much a creative process and a great way to connect with others. I have continued my education studying Ayurveda and Western herbalism with a variety of local and national teachers, as well as completed/participated in a Wellness Coaching Program through the Mayo Clinic. Teaching cooking classes to learn how to incorporate foods and herbs for supporting our health as well as foraging for wild edibles, is a passion of mine and I love to take people on walks in the woods to go out and see what nature has to offer!
Autumn is the time for us to hunker down and get back to our roots and nourish ourselves. Betsy will talk about some ways to work with roots in cooking and tea and bitters making. We will do some ’show and smell’ with some common roots found in our area and sip on some roots teas.
Recipes:Autumn Roots BittersThe roots in this sipper are bitter but also aromatic and helpful for digestion. When I serve this to guests after a meal they are delighted with the flavor and surprised to learn what is in it. I think that is part of the mystique of roots. Feel free to get a little in touch with your inner witch and try some other combinations. A little fresh turmeric root can sub for the yellow dock root, if you like. Dried roots can work as well, just use about 1/4 the quantity for the recipe. Licorice root is nice if you like that flavor, although I wouldn’t over-do it, especially if you on blood thinner medication or have high blood pressure. Sometimes I toss in a couple of star anise, a cinnamon stick, some cloves or a little orange zest. Let your palate and intuition be your guide!4 ounces brandy1 ounce maple syrup1” vanilla bean, split1 slice burdock root1 slice yellow dock root1 slice elecampane root6 slices roasted dandelion root (or raw, up to you)1 slice ginger root1 slice turmeric root(optional)1 star anise pod (optional)1/2 Ceylon cinnamon stick (optional)Add all ingredients to a 6-8 ounce jar or bottle. Label and date the container. Let it infuse for 6-8 weeks and strain through a fine strainer or coffee filter. Taste and add more maple syrup if you like. Will keep for at least a year in a well-sealed bottle at room temperature.
Witchy Roots SyrupRoots like burdock, dandelion, elecampane and ginger are great for the digestive system and this witchy concoction is a sort of DIY root beer that is wonderful enjoyed as a soda or a cocktail. Dried roots can be found at herbal shops or online, or even in your own backyard.Makes 1 ½ cups syrupRoots Syrup:2 Tablespoons dried burdock root*1 slice dried elecampane root*1 Tablespoon roasted dandelion or chicory root*1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root½ teaspoon dried licorice root or star anise pod½ vanilla bean or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste1 cup water½ cup maple syrupSimmer the roots and vanilla bean in water for 5 minutes and steep for 25 minutes. Strain, add maple syrup and chill. This syrup is delicious added to drinks and also when drizzled over vanilla ice cream.For the drinks:Wild Root Beer: Pour ¼ cup roots syrup over crushed ice and top with fizzy water or gingerale
Many local and available plants are incredibly effective remedies for healing and easing the pain of arthritis, sprains, strains, tight muscles, whiplash, bone breaks, repetitive stress injuries and so much more. Come learn what, where and how to use these effective and simple remedies.
Come Saturday night for a pizza party, plant discussion and camp out. On Sunday morning we will help Tony harvest Poppies, and at 2:00pm we will have a tour of his farm with more plant discussion.
Join herbalist and expert grower, LuAnn Raadt, for a tour of her extensive medicinal herbs garden and adjacent wild area, followed by a short tutorial on tincture-making, with an opportunity to harvest and make your own medicine. If you wish to gather and make herbal remedies, bring your necessary supplies. (Beginners: plan to bring a small jar with lid, scissors, skewer and vodka or other menstruum of your choice.) LuAnn accepts donations for the garden in exchange for harvesting. Afterward, we will head to Keepsake Cidery for a drink, lunch and some socializing.
The medicinal herbs garden is located on the north edge of Northfield at Open Hands Farm (4151 320th Street West, Northfield, MN 55057).
Keepsake Cidery is located 7 miles south of Northfield off Highway 3 (4609 135th Street East, Dundas, MN 55019).
Bring your extra plant babies to swap and share with fellow herbalists and growers. We will have a table outside at Lake Monster Brewing. Grab a drink, look for our sign to find us, and spend some time chatting about plants.
Garden plants have a long history in herbal medicine. Join us to travel back in time and learn about the historical secrets of plants growing in the garden from Herbal Practitioner, Nutrition Educator, and Master Naturalist, Connie Karstens. Historically, storytelling played a vital role in remembering long lost information. This class will delve into the stories of garden medicine. We will explore Folk stories, European traditional uses, Renaissance era, Medieval times, and Native American uses. Don’t miss this inspiring opportunity to learn more about plants and their secret uses.
Bio: Connie Karstens is a clinical herbalist and a holistic nutrition educator. She holds a BA in Biology and a MS in Health & Nutrition Education and taught college nutrition for 14 years. She also is the owner of a specialty store and wellness center, the Lamb Shoppe, located on her farm. The store features natural foods, organic produce, grass fed meats, healthy personal care items, medicinal herbals, and unique local products.
Connie offers private wellness consultations and teaches classes and workshops that incorporate whole foods nutrition, herbal medicine, flower essences, essential oils, and other natural remedies to support and build overall health and re-balance the body. As an herbalist, she gathers and prepares local plants used in her herbal pharmacy. Connie works to balance health for clients of all ages and a wide range of problems including digestive issues, skin conditions, autoimmune disorders, ADHD/ADD, anxiety, stress, fatigue, depression, sleep issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, balancing blood sugar levels and much more.
Class Description:
Chef Lachelle and Certified Herbalist Eva have joined forces to create Natural Roots Wellness and the Elixir Kitchen where you can join them to explore the world of plant remedies and nutritional healing. In this session, they will discover what tonics, tinctures and fire ciders are and focus on the herb, rosemary and its many attributes and benefits. Learn about their personal journeys to plant healing as Eva walks us through the preparation of fire cider and rosemary tincture. Chef Lachelle will prepare a seasonal salad with Rosemary’s Fire Vinaigrette, a combination of fire cider and rosemary infused oil curated by Natural Roots Wellness. We will conclude the session with a bonus conversation about natural yoni care and womb health.
Bio for Chef Lachelle Cunningham: Chef Lachelle has been a dynamic force on the Twin Cities’ food scene and is known for cooking globally inspired comfort food that thwarts unhealthy stereotypes and fuses in global flavors. She began her culinary career by launching Chelles’ Kitchen in 2012 and soon became known for her work as the founding Executive Chef of Breaking Bread Cafe (2015) in North Minneapolis, where she received many accolades for her food creativity and social justice work. In 2018, Chef Lachelle began building Healthy Roots Institute, with a mission focused on healing and social justice through food education, culinary arts and entrepreneurship. Through Healthy Roots Institute, Chef Lachelle curates cooking workshops and retreats, teaches culinary arts, food business classes and also provides human resources, menu development and operations consulting to local restaurants and food service establishments. Her greater vision is to grow Healthy Roots Institute for greater capacity to impact people through food, culinary education and entrepreneurship. To learn more about where Chef Lachelle’s vision is headed, you can read this recent article in the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal and visit the Healthy Roots Institute website.
Bio for Eva Nyrie Garrett, Naturopath & Master Herbalist:
Eva Nyrie Garret, a North Minneapolis native, has worked at AT&T for the past 20 years. In 2012, she began working for the nonprofit food justice organization, Appetite for Change, where she assisted in cultivating and managing the northside community gardens, Farmers Market and Community Cooks programs. Working with Appetite for Change helped to deepen Eva’s love for gardening as she became known in her community as Farmer Garrett, providing produce through CSA’s from her own backyard. In becoming an avid gardener, she also grew a deep connection with herbs and in 2020 obtained her Master Herbalist certification and launched her herbal business, Natural Me Apothecary where she creates healing products that cleanse, nurture and treat ailments. In October of 2022 Eva became a certified Naturopath. She will use this certification along with her herbalist certification to further assist communities.
Come listen to Rachel Banken share her story of the ups, downs, twists, and turns of building and growing her business, Well Rooted Teas. Her talk will also include a tour of The Good Acre where she stores and blends her teas. Come with all your questions about running a small herbal business!
Herbalists and healers, we are excited to bring to you our first pass at a public presentation of an oral history/life story project we have been doing with some regional herbalists and other “plant people” over the last nine months.
We have been slowly working to compile 40+ interviews with people who practice and use plants for health into an online digital database and StoryMap. Using StoryMaps to present overlapping stories of these place-based, plant-based practices, we find this project helps us visualize and explore some of the surprising social overlaps and historical context of the incredible wealth of plant people living in this region (including you!) This presentation will include an overview of the project thus far, a walkthrough of the map in its current stage (and how to access it!), and a discussion of some of what we’ve found. We’d also love to talk with you about your thoughts on this project, as well as whether you’d like to participate as an interviewee, or if you have suggestions of folks we should talk with!
Bio: Hello. My name is Dr. Andrew John Lucking. I am the director of the Minnesota Naturopathic Medicine Clinic. The Minnesota Naturopathic Medicine Clinic is a family service clinic. We offer healthcare committed to recognizing the needs of an individual patient, in which each patient is an active participant on the pathway to optimal health.
I was born in Benson, MN and come from a long history of medical, religious and legal professionals. I am a 1989 graduate of Bastyr University, a four-year medical school in Seattle, WA. Bastyr university is one of four fully accredited universities in the United States offering a doctoral- level program in Naturopathic Medicine. Bastyr is considered the most prestigious of the schools.
In 1982 I graduated from North Dakota School of Pharmacy with a BS degree in health services management and a minor in chemistry. While an undergraduate, I conducted research in a host of subjects including botanical pharmacognosy, environmental and food allergies and the immune system. Upon graduating from NDSU, I began working with Anchorage Neuro-Spinal clinic in Anchorage, Alaska. There, I performed exams, interpreted X-rays, and did massage therapy, all while earning a certificate as a radiographic technician.
With a solid medical and science background, I combine conventional allopathic (M.D.) medicine and chiropractic services (D.C.) with the healing virtues of Naturopathic medicine (N.D.). In addition, I have developed a body of work technique, combining seven different types of massage into a single comprehensive design. I have treated many persons for whom conventional allopathic treatments had not been successful.
I am also the founder of the Minnesota Holistic Center, an organization which provides seminars, lectures, community and adult education and natural health care. In addition, I belong to the Minnesota Naturopathic Association and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
I have appeared numerous times on TV at radio and in print (WCCO, K FAI, Public Access TV and The Southwest Journal, February 1994).
Liz Johnson Bio: Herbalism is both an ancient and a modern healing art exploring the inner secrets of herbs and how they work with the body to enhance health.
All around the world herbalism has been practiced for millennia. Many healing traditions have collected empirical knowledge about herbal healing for untold centuries. Studying these traditions and bringing ancient knowledge from around the world together into one practice has been a life long process for me.
Herbalism is also a modern healing art exploring the inner secrets of herbs and how they react to the body and with medications. Using scientific studies to enhance the traditional knowledge of herbalism and using the theoretical models of herb to drug interaction results in a more cautious and safe approach to herbalism.
Blending knowledge from healing traditions and modern research is the heart of my practice—Medicinal Herbalism.
This interactive workshop and discussion will bring you in touch with the intimate relationship between the foods we eat and the emotions we experience hold. We’ll explore insights from the wisdom tradition of Ayurveda as we journey through 6 primary tastes, their representation in the plant world, and their corresponding emotional signatures. We’ll also learn how to work with the tastes in our day-to-day lives to support our emotional well-being.
Patty Hlava,Ph.D.: Dr. Patty Hlava brings over 20 years of experience, study, and practice in the fields of transpersonal psychology and self-actualization. In addition to her 15-year history as a mental health professional and clinical supervisor, she holds certifications as a Meditation Instructor, Ayurveda Wellness Counselor, Yoga Teacher, Reiki practitioner, and Intrinsic Coach.
She holds a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology and is actively engaged in teaching and mentoring master’s and doctorate level students. Dr. Hlava has been involved in research and teaching on the subject of gratitude since 2006. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Transpersonal Psychology and Journal of Humanistic Psychology, as well as in several books.
My first herbal ally was Cedar. I spent most of my formative years in the woods of my backyard alone. Imagination running wild. In high school, Environmental Science class, we did a unit on “how to use a plant key,” and I bought my first plant ID book. My herbal medicine journey then spiraled out from there, primarily in learning to identify local edible plants. In the autumn of 2009, I began my studies with Rosemary Gladstar and Sage Mountain. This completely colored my world then and now. I learned the art and science of working with clients, crafting herbal body care products, and the magic of making medicine.
I then began my own herbal product line called “LoveStrong Apothecary,” which later morphed into Herban Vagabond Apothecary. In the fall of 2012, I began apprenticing under previous Medicine Tree owner and acupuncturist, Dina Goodwill. I apprenticed with her up until buying The Medicine Tree Herbal Pharmacy from her in the summer of 2017 until 2021.
In 2014, I began facilitating the Herban Roots Apprenticeship, which is a 6-month foundational herbalism intensive. I have found my calling in this branch of teaching that invites deeper connection with both plants and people. I have studied with and been wildly inspired by herbalists; Jim McDonald, Kiva Rose, Matthew Wood, Stephen Buhner, Lise Wolff and Sajah Popham, to name a few. My personal brand of herbal medicine work is one part community herbalist, two parts medicine maker, a dash of herbal clinician, and a whole lot of love and magic.
If you are interested in working with a grounded and passionate herbalist, having a custom medicinal formulation or body product made, or want to learn more about Flower Folk Apothecary or my Herban Roots Apprenticeship, let’s schedule a consult and connect!
Slow down, de-stress from your daily routine, and deepen your connection to nature. Forest Bathing differs from other nature experiences like hiking or birding; as we slow down with intentionality and engage our senses through guided activities. Give your mind and body time to rest, wander and wonder in nature.
This meeting is in person only, and will be capped at 20 participants. Email nchgbod@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
Description: Join Tony on his herbal farm for a tour and then potluck and pizza!
Learn how Tony grows his herbs for the teas he produces. You can get a glimpse of his farm on his website, Sacred Blossom. Herbalist Jane Hawley Stevens of 4Elements herbal will also be joining us around 6pm.
More info to come and we will try to set up carpooling as well.
Join Tim Clemens, founder of Ironwood Foraging Co. (www.ironwoodforagingco.com), for an Urban Foraging workshop. Rediscover the ancient human narrative of harvesting nutritious and delicious food in connection with the land. We will walk and talk for less than one mile on level terrain. Questions are encouraged as the urban landscape is transformed with abundance.
Bio: Tim Clemens was born and raised in south Minneapolis. Tim founded Ironwood Foraging Co. in 2017 to provide hands-on foraging education to the Minneapolis metro area. He has a degree in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota and a certificate in Environmental Education from Cornell University. He is a Minnesota Master Naturalist, Past President of the Minnesota Mycological Society, and guest lecturer at the University of Minnesota-CLA/Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice.
Class will be in person only, and capped at 20 participants. Please e-mail us to reserve your spot. NCHGBOD@gmail.com
Flower essence therapy involves the use of subtle, non-material energies in medicinal plants for healing purposes. The energy body of an organism is always expressing itself in more tangible ways of form and behavior that we call the Signature of that being. The signature of a flower or herb draws us towards an understanding of its healing energies. Similarly, a person’s form, behavior and life history, not to mention the more mysterious clues felt through the pulse, form a signature of that person. If you can understand their signature, you are led to what makes them suffer and how to release it. When the energies of plant and person come together harmoniously, healing naturally happens. Learning how to read these signatures is part of the art of using flower essences well.
It’s time to plant! This year add to your pots and landscaping some easily grown medicinal plants that are also wonderful sources of food for our native pollinators. Our population of pollinating insects is rapidly declining for a variety of reasons. Become part of the solution by including pollinator friendly plants in 2022. Your garden can be not only medicinal, but also bee-utiful!
About LuAnn Raadt: She was raised on a farm in southern Minnesota, grew up with a love of plants and growing things. She now happily gathers many of the “weeds” her family once tried to eradicate and uses them in remedies for common physical ailments and imbalances. Trained under Lise Wolff and other local herbalists, this farmer’s daughter particularly enjoys identifying plants, learning their botanical markers, and growing a variety of medicinal herbs that are not readily available or are considered at-risk in the wild. She is also passionate about introducing others to the fascinating world of herbal remedies and teas and teaching them how to make and use remedies for themselves.