| Dear Friends, With the news-narratives-at-large feeling overwhelmingly heavy and many of out normal avenues for connection put indefinitely on hold, we’ve been looking a little closer to home for relationship, adventure, and inspiration. Maybe you have too?Nothing closer to home than the common weed and wildflower. Dandelions, violets, garlic mustard, dock… Seems like wherever we live, there they are — and not without reason.Dandelions, for one, were actually introduced to this continent by European settlers as a food crop and have naturalized to the continent. Many of us consider them weeds in the lawn or garden, but once upon a time, they were a cherished form of nourishment. Humans evolved eating these foods, and our bodies crave them in the Springtime. They’re as nourishing and important now as ever! With so many of us spending more time at home and wanting to spend less time and money at the store, wilds plants are free, rich in vitamins and minerals, and a great thing to explore with kiddos. Enter: our facebook and instagram pages. For the last three weeks, we’ve chosen a plant each week to spotlight. Ced, our garden coordinator, has been making charming videos with other herbalists and gardeners about where to find the plants, how to harvest them, ways to prepare them in the kitchen, and information about how they nourish and support the body. These videos have received an enthusiastic response! Seems like we’re not the only ones grateful for Ced’s wisdom. We’ve been heartbroken with the realization that we will likely not be able to host volunteer groups and workshops in the garden this year (like we normally do), but this is a fun way that we can still connect around plants: everything we feature can be found in our garden plot and around the fields at Just Roots. Ced will tell you where and how to harvest, and then you’re welcome to stop by, explore, and harvest for yourself. Take a photo, post it, and tag us if you do! Meanwhile, we’ve got more project updates below. Read on to see what else we’ve been up to. Stay well, y’all, Abby, Leslie, Ced, Aviva, and the People’s Medicine Team” |
