Planting for REAL

It's frustrating to me, as a formulator, when certain herbs are inaccessible. When formulating, I often create the blend in my mind initially, then work towards accessing specifics herbs and teas to create my finished project/product. I imagine what each herb will add to the recipe and which herb or herbs will help to make this new blend both effective and pleasant in taste.I dream big at these times.
Yet, I realize that this frustration is an example of my unwillingness, to realize at all times, that I am working with the natural world. I get wrapped up in the idea of what I want to make a certain blends.I often am asked "Why can't you just make such and such blend?", my answer is  "That plant is not available right now". Their questions  act as a reminder to me.The lack of understanding by many people is key here. I take time to explain that we do not work with flavorings, or artificial ( natural) ingredients, we cannot generate our ingredients by a whim. There are seasonal changes and many factors that relate to the unavailability of specific herbs.Loss of natural habitat, crop failure experienced by growers, natural resources that may make it unaffordable for herbs to be grown in a region where they once thrived. Many, many variables exist..

When I find myself wresting with  frustration, I am motivated to grow more of the herbs that I need.

The fact that were are losing plants at a record rate, encourages me to get busy, put seed and plants in the ground. Learn how to grow, harvest and create with those plants, that are grown by us, at Herbal Sage Farms. We cannot grow everything we use in our blends, but we can make a difference by growing those that we can.We can add to the plant population of our planet, not just glean from others.
Perhaps a field trip to the land would help folks understand the reality of REAL..

Real food, real plants, real herbs. REAL.TEA..

thanks for listening, time to water the seed beds and  get these plants ready to flourish!

Woodstock ,Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane, Richie Havens and me

Today is one of those days when I realize the tapestry of life is woven deeply thru so many of us, connecting us in ways that we could have never imagined.

In my senior year at my hippie high school I was introduced to Richie Havens, his music, his poetry of song and sound was ever etched in my mind and heart. He embodied to me the essence of  a real man. His tonality struck me, his words moved me, how I heard him, in my own way, gave me hope. And I needed hope during those years, thank you for that Mr. Havens.

I also viewed the images from that famous event called Woodstock, for the first time during my  senior year. Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Mountain, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Their  music, created a road to freedom for me. They fed into a sense of freedom that I longed for. I ate it up.
Many years later , I reflect on that freedom, the style of life that I led then, and the incredible need to be true to myself,  still year after year. By following my heart and lots of hard work I find myself full circle with a few of those individuals that gave me that sense of hope, thru their music, when I needed it most.
Jefferson Airplane, and in particular Jack Casady from the Jefferson Airplane band is a person who is currently woven into the tapestry of my life.

Organic full leaf green tea with chia for Jack Casady

I am working closely with Jack to create a custom Green Tea blend  specifically for his tastes.
Yes, that's true!
I met Jack thru his friend Jorma  Kaukonen years ago, down at Jorma's Fur Peace Ranch. Seems that music camp that Jorma and his wife built is close to Herbal Sage Farms...go figure.
Jack and I have worked on other organic tea blends and now I have the pleasure of creating another tea for him. Jack loves full leaf organic sencha green tea, I do too. It's a mild green tea, yet full bodied a with just the right amount of astringency. Jack is into chia seeds right  now, so I added some organic chia seeds with the sencha leaf. Its an amazing blend actually smooth tasting and very ,very healthy.

So we never know how things will work out, or how folks will work into our lives. I for one, feel blessed and grateful for this twist of fate.

Like Richie Havens who sang so often about Freedom, I feel  I can only be free when my heart is open to experience whatever it is that is put in front of me. How my life  has evolved to this place in time, where I can share my art of blending  with someone who shared their art of music, with me so many years ago, is a mystery to me.

All I can say is , YES, and clap my hands, clap my hands... RIP Richie Havens

Hunting the Elder plant in SW Florida

I found this plant while biking on Pine Island Florida this week. It is called Kalanchoe delagoensis. Common names are Mother of Thousands or Chandelier Plant. Although not a native plant,I have seen it blooming this week in Pine Island Sound and along the Manasota Key area. I was told that it was brought here as a house plant years ago and has since gone invasive on Florida's coast. The bright colored coral tubular flowers hang together, hence the name chandelier plant. The two places where I found it were near old home sites, long since abandoned. I was also told that it takes 2-3 years before the plant flowers, but once it starts to grow it is very invasive.I was on a mission to find the Beach Elder or Marsh Elder, native to Florida when I found this beautiful plant. The Beach or Marsh Elder is not a true Elder (Sambucus), but nonetheless I was intrigued when I was told that elder grew amongst the ocean areas.I have a real affinity for elderberry and love to use it when I can in my blends. When I travel to SW Florida yearly I bring extract made from elderberry that grows in SE Ohio known as Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) for some local friends. The health benefits are far reaching with a focus on supporting one's immune system and helping to fight off the flu. At The Herbal Sage Tea Company we make a highly concentrated extract with the elderberry fruit, as well as adding these powerful antioxidants to our Family Health Tea with elderberry. Thanks for reading this blog and I will share new plants that I discover as I travel the way of the Herbal Gypsy.

Herbal Sage Farms

I had the opportunity to head out to Herbal Sage Farms this afternoon.The ruts on the tractor road were filled with ice cold water and some lingering snow. The berries have made it thru another winter, and I am looking forward to increasing our crop this year.

This time of year on the land fills me with hope. The sun was bright and tufts of last season's grass swayed slowly, bogged down with the damp remnants of winter. The dogs enjoyed the mud, the sun, taking advantage of the open acreage to romp.

I can feel new life rumbling under my feet. I have learned that spring has already begun, shown to me in a simple bud starting on a berry bush.I cannot help but smile as I write this, for this simplicity, feeds my soul..