Halloween Night

Greetings! Tonite is Halloween night. The weather is very cold and winter is in the air. Our dinner was made from local veggies,broccoli,squash,sweet potato and pierogie. Yes I know the pierogie was not made locally but we love those fried dumplings so much!
The Athens Farmers Market was busy yesterday and many are stocking up with our Cold Care Tea,Calm Your Cough Tea and elderberry tincture.
I leave in a few days for a 14 day Tea Tour. My travels will start me off in Charlottesville, Virgina and I will end up in the Philly area 10 days later! Please keep posted to this blog for news as it happens on the Fall Tea Tour 2010!

Athens Ohio Farmers Market

Each Saturday in Athens is like Thanksgiving. I generally sell and serve my Herbal Sage Tea at our local Farmers Market, but this week I went to the market as a customer, not as a vendor. We have an abundance of great food here and I am lucky enough to be living in a region where farmers are respected and supported. For more information about our farmers market visit www.athensfarmersmarket.org

Yogi walking into the Fall Season

Today my pup, Yogi and I, took some time to explore the land. We hiked up the road to what seemed like a perfect example of a fall day in SE Ohio. I've been busy at The Herbal Sage, blending recipes, drying elderberry for tea and preparing for the upcoming change of seasons. Ths morning was a real treat for me. Taking time to walk on the land, both in the woods and in the fields, makes being an Herbalist worth it. The time I spend with the plants makes me feel real.

Planting The Future

Please join me in Rutland, Ohio at the United Plant Savers Botanical Plant Sanctuary this Saturday Oct 2, 2010! Great list of teachers, beautiful 380 acres of wild plants, deep woods to explore and so much more. For more info go Sage on FB and look at Events!

The Business of Herbs

It's been a tough week thus far, and it's only Tuesday! We received calls from 2 of our stores that our new labels are not scanning. What that means, is that the computer is not reading the UPC labels on the tea packages, and the teas are pulled from the shelves. In the old days the person running the register would ring in a price off of a package. The price "in the old days" was stuck on using sticky tape and a pricing gun.
Not anymore.
The Tea business is centuries old, the business of herbalism is even older. In ancient times, one would get paid in trade, perhaps receiving fresh eggs, a woven cloth or a useful tool. The barter system was alive and a viable way of commerce. Each party placing value on what they had to offer in comparision to what it was they wanted. This seems fair to me, this type of commerce. Yet I realize that my corporate accounts will NOT be giving me a laying hen or a cow to milk, so for now we push forward, redesigning those darn UPC labels. To see more teas with UPC's visit www.herbalsage.com.

96 degrees in the shade

The Herbal Sage Tea Company was a part of the Athens Farmers Market today. The GOBA event,
http://www.goba.com/
was traveling thru Athens today. This adventure ride for cyclist's promised to bring 2,000 riders into Athens. The weather was so unbearably hot that many of the cyclist took refuge under the shade tress at Athens Community Center, without stopping by the market. I don't blame them ! We were vending in temperatures that reached to 96 degrees Although I sold quite a bit of our Iced Zesty Green Organic Tea, we did not have the crowds thru, as we had hoped. Athens Farmers Market runs Wednesday and Saturdays April thru October, from 10 am til 1pm. Stop on by and see us ! For Market information visit
www.athensfarmersmarket.org

No electricity today

I awoke this morning with Yogi, the puppy, telling me it was time to get up.After letting him out I walked to the kitchen, I flipped the light switch.Thinking a light bulb was out I reached for another wall switch, alas, no lights.
Realizing the darkness was not due to lack of effective light bulbs,I decided we had no electric. Had I been at the cabin I would have been unaffected, but my stove in town is electric, so no hot water for tea this morning. It wasn't long before the dogs convinced me to head down to the cabin. It had begun to rain a bit and with a quick stop at The Village Bakery for breakfast we were on our way!
I love when the days take a deliberate turn. My best laid plans had been cast aside due to my dependence on electric. A detour to the country was the best remedy.
We hiked around the land, checking on the berries. The rain was helpful today as we still hand water our crop.What really surprised me, was the vast areas that had been flattened by the deer. Large swaths of grasses had been laid flat, proof of our furry neighbors nocturnal visit.They had slept or at least laid along the slight ridged area, above the berry fields. Perhaps, I thought, they are planning on harvesting a few berries as well?

Sage Flowering

Spent the best part of the day today on the land. Did plenty of mowing, while David worked more on the cabin. Our pup went looking for his favorite mud hole, and was quite disappointed when he realized it was dried up. It's not quite June yet and some of the water spots are already gone.
I'm including a picture of our sage blooming. The bees were working the flowers, and the aroma of sweet sage filled the air. If only I could do a scratch and sniff for you,I would!
Sage is used to help treat excessive sweating,women use it to help relieve night sweats, and lactating women drink it when they want to stop breastfeeding. The astringency of the plant is very powerful Traditionally the tea has also been used a s gargle for sore throat, or just made into a tea to help relieve sore throats.
Enjoy the day everyone and remember to stop and smell the sage!

Athens Farmers market

Today I brewed up Sassafras root,added organic cane sugar to the tea after it steeped for 10 minutes.It is now in the frig, cooling down and will be served over ice tomorrow at my farmers market.Sassafras was used by Native Americans and is a native tree in this region.It is a refreshing tea and has been used as a tonic.
I've been a part of the Athens, Ohio Farmers Market for over 10 years. I feel blessed, prosperous even, to be associated with such a great market. The market itself is over 30 years old, with some of the initial farmers still selling. Everyone at the market must either grow their wares, or be a processor, someone who "makes" something having to do with food. I create tea blends, wildcrafting some of my herbs and spices but mostly buy from growers and wildcrafters all over the world. I make up some great tasting brews.
Another processor and I spoke today about the market.We both enjoy our community and feel secure in the abundance of our resources here in SE Ohio. Tomorrow will be another opportunity to try some locally grown strawberries, fresh greens and my favorite thing about the market, surprise pizza made by either Avalanche Pizza or Crumbs Bakery.We never really know what will be on the pizza slices each Saturday, but each Saturday countless numbers of us test our fate, smiling all the way!
Athens Farmers Market in on East State Street in Athens Ohio. We start selling at 10 am and sell til 1 pm or when we run out. Stop by!

Hand Crafted Tea Blends

Today I received a call from a company in Oregon. They asked us if we could blend herbal recipes for them. I told them of course we can! We work out of a USDA certified facility and we are always blending recipes. When I told the company that we hand blend our teas, they were shocked. They asked me how we could afford to do that,and why we would do that. I hadn't really thought about the why of it all, as we just do it .I got to thinking, and realized that the desire I have to employ people in my community does not always equate with the economic factors of the outside world. I think that it is great when we can bring a team of people in for blending days and really create some beautiful teas. I always felt that it was a sign of success to be able to do this type of work.This customer from out west thought it was crazy that I did not use machinery. Anyhow, I wanted to share this tidbit of information. I feel successful when I can do what I enjoy, and creating work for others is a great benefit for sure. For now, we will continue to hand craft many of our blends, and continue to share our growth with the community.

Organic Green Tea in teabags

It's been a long time coming, finally we have our Organic Zesty Green Tea in teabags. I am working with a wonderful company, who takes our handcrafted organic tea blend and puts it into easy to use teabags.We still use our great recipe and the result is perfect! I had the opportunity to sample the tea at Athens farmers market yesterday! Everyone loved the tea and we absolutely sold out.
Go to the website www.herbalsage.com in the next few days, We'll be updating the front page with the new organic teabags, and offering savings on all of the teas.
Happy Spring everyone!
This picture is of a friend of mine and I, she came in to lend a hand while I was creating new packaging for the teas. We thought we looked sort of like Lucy and Ethel! Great friends always lighten the load of work!

Traveling in SW Ohio

Another great day on the road. Gypsy was happy that we found another hidden green space. This was off 71S, the back area of the rest stop had a road to nowhere, plenty of safe space for her to run and play. I spent the late afternoon and early evening sampling at The Whole Foods store in Mason Ohio. A great store, plenty of fun.Tomorrow ,I head to the Cincy store, serving Organic Chai Green Tea and Jorma's Tonic Tea. They say storms are headed this way, we shall see!

Spring time in Athens county, Ohio. This image of a trillium flower hosting a spring insect was shot in Sells Park by my friend Ann. After such a long winter we are all celebrating spring!

I am on my way to West Union , Ohio to teach a class on Medicinal Herbs to The Brush Creek Herb Guild. I met the women in the guild years ago at Judy Lews Mountian Herb Festival. Judy's Festival had always been a highlight for me. Held high atop Lewis Mountain ( a large hill really) , in SE Ohio, every October. Although Judy has retired, and no longer hosts the festival, she was a driving force in the herb society of Adams County, Ohio. The Brush Creek Herb Guild were vendors for many years, just as The Herbal Sage had been. Their homemade tomato soup with fresh herbs will be sorely missed. Everyone, outside, and find the spring beauties in your area!

Spring crop

Harvesting daffodil bulbs this week. Make sure the flowers are done blooming before transplanting any of these. I found the daffodils at the Herbal Sage Farms abundant this spring and decided to bring some into Athens Farmers Market.

SW Florida's Womens Expo

Tomorrow morning at 11:30 am I will be speaking at the SW Florida's Women's Expo.This annual event, in it's second year looks to be a great time.
"Sisterhood Magnified" is the theme, and I will be sharing my experiences as a women in business for 30 years.
I will also have the opportunity to join others as we share this road of entrepreneurship and all that entails.
Hope to see you in North Port, Florida!

Snowfall in SE Ohio

We haven't had it too bad here in Athens, Ohio. Snow is still falling,but not as bad as my friends in DC. Wow, 30" of snow, and more is coming!
I was able to drive to the country this morning,taking the dogs for a run up to the cabin, they loved it. German Shepherds live for this type of weather, I can bear it as long as I am dressed warm and keep moving!
I felt grateful today, winter does that to me. Happy for a roof over my head, and a house with heat. Happy that I can drive for a very short time and be surrounded by trees draped in dense,lush snow. The trees sit amongst the rolling hills of my new home. This visual creates a buffer from the harsh winters that I grew up with. Those winter days were seen with a backdrop of steel mills, and urban harshness.
These winter days are preferable by far.

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..

Flu Season Hits Hard

Just off the phone with my family. Seems many of their friends have had bouts with the flu. They too have had some illness but all are recovering and that's the good news. H1N1 has been the hot topic this winter, I've included a link below, to share information about the use of the herb elderberry in fighting influenza.
http://tinyurl.com/elderberryinfluenza
I think about the way we care for the flu. So many over the counter medicines that often times are developed to ease the symptoms,to help us feel more comfortable while actually being sick. It's amazing.Does this sort of OTC remedies help us get better by making us feel more comfortable?
I for one, have been making plenty of tea.I eat fresh fruit , fresh veggies and keep myself hydrated. I do not forget my daily vitamin, nor have I had one day without some type of tea. The Herbal Sage elderberry tincture is taken every other day. I use 1 dropperful ( about 1/2 teaspoon) 2 times a day.Some studies suggest taking elderberry tincture daily during flu season. as an immune boost. Others suggest taking it daily when you have the flu. Either way,elderberry is a great addition to one's flu fighting arsenal!
Elderberry is one of those herbs that help to nourish me during flu season. The elderberries were harvested by both Cynthia and I, then dried. Some of these berries were added to the Tealady's Cold Care Tea recipe and others have been made into extract. This natural medicine sits in my medicine cabinet, a component of health here in Tealand.Here's another link in reference to use of elderberry in extract or tincture form.
http://tinyurl.com/elderberryinfluenza2

Herbal Sage in Pittsburgh Whole Foods

Today's repeated statement was "Wow, this really tastes good!", said with amazement and ending with a smile.Today I gave away my Tealady's Cold Care Tea blended with locally harvested elderberry, at the Pittsburgh Whole Foods Store on Centre Ave. This great tasting tea ( much to the amazement of many Whole Food customers ) was served hot and slightly sweetened.The weather had been rainy all day so this herbal treat was just the thing to take away the chill. One customer told me that Dr Oz, said elderberry was a great herb to help prevent the flu.She said, that he said, that elderberry actually helps fight off the influenza virus.
Has anyone else heard of this claim? Perhaps I should watch TV more often! I've attached a picture of Allison and me at today's tea tasting. Allison is a great person to go to if you have questions while at Whole Foods. Visit her in the Whole Body section of Whole Foods when you're in Pittsburgh.