Re Kosher Herbs, etc....Fw: HFG Spring E-Letter

[Guest guest]

Yehuda,

Here is Jean's recent newsletter, which should give you an idea of the current

phase of development of domestic production and distribution of Chinese herbs.

Further, I feel certain Jean would be happy to respond directly to any further

inquiries you might have. She is most eager to stimulate the interest of

practitioners.

 

Let the broadcasting begin,

Ann

 

HIGH FALLS GARDENS E-LETTER, SPRING '05

 

Dear Friend of High Falls Gardens,

 

Spring is slow to arrive here in the mid Hudson Valley but, thanks to grow

lights, thousands of tiny seedlings of Asian medicinal plants are poking out of

the potting soil. And at more locations across the country this year - even

Manhattan! Last fall's debut of the fresh dried domestic herbs is attracting

more attention. The 2005 season will see a wider roll-out of our mission -- to

place the bounty of local farms in the hands of skilled herbal practitioners,

for the health of the whole.

 

**** Medicinal Herb Consortium Offers Sample Pack ****

As a special offer for the 2005 harvest, the Medicinal Herb Consortium (MHC) has

decided to bundle together samples and ship the whole lot to practitioners

willing to evaluate and experiment. The Sample Pack features three dozen

species in their colorful, aromatic glory as shown last fall -- including

perennial favorites hé shou wu, gou qi zi, líng zhi, huáng qí and xi yáng shen

-- in one or two-ounce-sized, fresh-dried samples identified by the individual

farm where grown.

 

The offer is designed to entice teachers, clinics and practitioners who compound

their own herbs. We want to stimulate more comment and feedback. The whole

package is $100, with a deposit of $50 to make a reservation. Amounts are

limited this year; herbs will be shipped in November on a first come, first

served basis. To reserve your Sample Pack, send a $50 check payable

to " Medicinal Herb Consortium " to High Falls Gardens, Box 125, Philmont NY 12565.

 

The 2005 Sample Pack is a step toward establishment of a grown-to-order,

website-based link direct from small ecological farms to herbal practitioners.

It is one outcome of the MHC's 2004 national feasibility study of

direct-marketing Chinese medicinal herbs to practitioners. (The MHC consists of

five medicinal plant growers associations in different U.S. states which have

begun to produce Asian, mostly Chinese, medicinal herbs.) Watch for more

details of MHC study findings in future issues of this newsletter and other

national media.

 

Eventually, practitioners will be able to order preferred types and quantities

through the website. However, the MHC hopes practitioners will follow the

season along with them. Orders will be placed in January for delivery in

November. The advantages? Absolutely fresh, ecologically grown herbs each year

with all revenues going back to local farms, managed through a low-cost

cooperative system. Why ... it's community-supported agriculture!

 

**** Botanical Studies for A & OM: The Mushroom Effect ****

Snow covered the ground, but all winter the pledges, programs, people and places

were popping up all over, just like shiitake mushrooms in Scott Snyder's cellar.

(Scott is head of the West Virginia Herb Growers Network.)

 

Last fall, High Falls Gardens announced a national campaign to collect

three-year pledges from practitioners and students of Acupuncture and Oriental

Medicine, toward a broad upgrade of the Student Gardens program to be known as

Botanical Studies. Our goal is 1,000 pledges, which is around six percent of

the number of licensed professionals nationwide. That rather impressive

statistic will be used to persuade a large educational foundation to fund

Botanical Studies for three years. During that time we will reinforce existing

garden sites, create a few new ones, train teachers, adapt methods and

materials, all to ensure that every student of A & OM will have access to hands-on

contact with our plants.

 

Why is this so important? Well, right now the ball of the master game is in the

practitioners' court. The farmers are willing and eager to produce fresh and

local herbs, but they require practitioners' judgment and skill in assessing

qualities, medicinal equivalency or acceptability. An enormous amount of work

must be done to make this medicine our own.

 

But what discovery and joy are in the process! The most extraordinary response

to the announcement of the pledge campaign has come from the many students who

are contributing small sums each year to support this work.

 

Administrators, take note. Student gardens are an amenity, but also something

more. In field workshops I've heard some pretty strong statements, such as

" This is the only way I can really learn the herbs, " and even " This is why I

chose to study Oriental Medicine! " I believe we're seeing the process of

evolution of the profession.

 

**** Welcome, New Student Gardeners! ****

Each of the past five springs, new Student Gardeners have emerged with the

daffodils. The patch has naturalized and is spreading. This year (so far) we

welcome the following new members of the program.

 

* Tricia Good and Anna Tsang, Colorado School of TCM in Denver

 

* Robert Lutz, New York College of TCM in Mineola

 

* Emily Esmaili, Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg

 

* Dara Barr and Erica Crowder, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, NY

campus in Manhattan

 

The Manhattan group, completely undeterred by surrounding stone and concrete,

organized a seed germination workshop to start their seeds. Two dozen students

turned out to sow seeds in three trays of plug flats. The current location of

the garden is under clear plastic domes below grow-lights suspended from a coat

rack in a fifth-floor classroom. Student Council president Jeremy Pulsifer

presented a $100 per year pledge (with first check) from the entire student body

for the national Botanical Studies program. Thank you, students, for your deep

commitment.

 

**** Páo Zhì Manual in Process ****

So much attention paid to sowing - what about the reaping end of the process?

Now, to shed some light on that subject, a team of four editors is assembling

the long-awaited manual for páo zhì, traditional herb processing.

 

HFG advisor Andy Ellis saw the need for this long ago and contributed his notes

on páo zhì from many years of travel and study in China. The editors are using

these notes as the basis of a practical manual intended to complement Philippe

Sionneau's An Introduction to the Use of Processed Chinese Medicinals. The

manual will help clinic students practice on raw herbs and even growers to do

on-farm processing. We hope to add suggestions for harvesting drawn from Five

Element theory and lunar rhythm models as incorporated in biodynamics practice.

 

The editors are Jason Wright, M.S., L.Ac., on the faculty of the Graduate

Program in Oriental Medicine at New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls;

Mercy Yule, L.Ac., who is moving from Washington state to become Clinical

Coordinator at NYCC in April; Ross Lake, L.Ac., who practices in Redwood

Valley, CA and also practices biodynamic farming in collaboration with Luke Frey

of the vineyard family; and yours truly.

 

**** HFG Interns Take Charge ****

HFG has five adult interns this year, as we provide specific training in

horticulture to those with the deepest investment in our work - the

practitioners of Acupuncture and Oriental medicine - who may go on to teach

others in their profession and/or work with the farmers.

 

The first of four weekend sessions (each has a seasonal theme of Germination,

Planting, Cultivation and Harvest) was held toward the end of February. Interns

examined seeds by family, studied germination techniques and sowed ten dozen

flats of seeds. We expect the garden to fully embrace their Qi and shine forth.

Thank you, Dara Barr (student), Ann Brameier, L.Ac., Angela Lee Chen, L.Ac.,

Jason Redinbo, L.Ac., and Ann Vitolo, L.Ac.

 

**** Workshop With Robert Newman Featured in Summer Schedule ****

Field workshops at the Claverack site in Columbia County, NY, are being

scheduled now. Highlighted is August 26-28, when Robert Newman, L.Ac.,

M.S.T.C.M., central figure of the conservators network for Asian medicinal

plants in the U.S., will be here. This will be the first time Robert has been

to our garden after a whole decade of working together, and you can expect a few

champagne corks to pop.

 

Reserve your place now: send a $50 deposit payable to HFG at the address below.

The workshop fee is $295 (8 CEUs pending). The price includes three of Alison

Appleby's delicious meals but not housing this year, although the Hawthorne

Valley VSP bunkrooms are available for $20 per night. Limited to 15,

registration deadline August 5.

 

July 30, Aug. 6

 

Aug. 19-21

 

Aug. 26-2

 

Sept. 10 & 17

Groups TBA

 

HFG Interns, Cultivation Wkshp

 

In the Garden With Robert Newman

 

Reserved for Colleges

 

Sept. 18

 

Sept. 24

 

Sept. 30-Oct. 2

 

Oct. 8

HFG Public Field Day

 

Reserved for Colleges

 

HFG Interns, Harvest Wkshp

 

Reserved for Colleges

 

 

 

 

Send your pledge to Botanical Studies for A & OM now! Remember, it's not just the

money (fully tax-deductible). Your pledge is a vote that counts.

Practitioners, you are confirming your profession's leadership in ensuring

sustainability and quality for your medicinal herbs. Friends, you are voting

for a future of truly efficacious, cost-effective health care.

 

Jean Giblette, Director

HIGH FALLS GARDENS

Box 125 Philmont NY 12565 USA

518-672-7365

hfg