winter 2005_2006.htm

Coulee Region Herbal Institute held our �annual meeting� in November at Three Trees Herb Shop in West Salem. We had six members at the meeting and planned a calendar of classes and events for 2006, included in this newsletter.

Jessie Conaway, founder and director of CRHI for the last 5 years has officially stepped down from her position and turned over the driver�s seat to Rose Barlow-Allsup of Prodigal Gardens in Viroqua, WI. Rose will be taking her place as director and coordinator of the Institute.

We agreed to shift some of the activities into the Viroqua area of the Coulee Region as it�s become a hub of alternative healing modalities. There�s lots of local interest and herbal wisdom concentrated in the Viroqua area and it�s just a 35 minute drive from downtown LaCrosse. Watch for some of the CRHI classes and events to be scheduled in Viroqua this year.

The end-of-the-year treasury has just $8.00 in the coffers but 2006 member dues should help to replenish the account and cover printing, postage and the other basic operating costs.

We concluded the meeting with a wreath-making workshop along with some hot dandelion chai.

Introducing CRHI�s New Director

As the new director of the Coulee Region Herbal Institute, I�d like to introduce myself. My name is Rose Barlow-Allsup of Prodigal Gardens and I am an herbalist practicing in the wise woman tradition. This is a tradition of healing through optimal nourishment using simple remedies made from common, local herbs. I originally studied with Rosemary Gladstar over 20 years ago through her Art and Science of Herbology correspondence course. This three year program laid a foundation for me that I have been actively building on ever since.

I have a passionate love for the wild herbs and fruits of the land, and a special knack for recognizing and remembering plants. I spend a great deal of time in the field and in the kitchen and my formative years as an herbalist involved a lot of hands-on harvesting and experimenting with various medicinal preparations.

Over the years I have evolved towards a special interest in using nutritive herbs as a key foundation for healing by supplying the body with superior nutrition to enhance and support its own innate ability to heal. My core philosophy is �The most important way that herbs heal us is by nourishing us�. This emphasis on the nutritive role of herbs led me to the incredible world of wild foods, the ultimate health food!

My latter years have been spent harvesting wild foods, developing lots of wild food recipes, learning to preserve them for winter use, and incorporating them into my family�s diet all year round. I also enjoy making home remedies for family first aid and basic health needs. My whole style of practice is geared towards bringing herbs out of the laboratory and back into the kitchen.

I don�t have any products to sell but prefer to teach folks how to make their own. I am available for presentations and herbwalks, and I offer a series of 4-hour hands-on workshops on cooking with seasonal wild foods and making various medicinal preparations. I have brochures available to anyone interested in hosting or attending a workshop. I also created an educational website last year that is designed to be a virtual herb walk through the seasons with lots of recipes, articles, photos and links, with a special emphasis on wild foods. You can visit my website at www.prodigalgardens.info

As director of CRHI, my vision is to continue Jessie�s work in networking area herb enthusiasts and to provide a forum for local folks to share herbal wisdom and knowledge with others. Right now this is accomplished by offering monthly classes and events, a quarterly newsletter, and ride-sharing opportunities to herb conferences and educational opportunities outside the Coulee Region. I�m excited to watch the Institute grow and take shape through the years and it will interesting to see how it will continue to evolve into the future.

There is a website in the works for the Coulee Region Herbal Institute. Tina Daniels and her son Ephraim have volunteered to put up a website that will feature a community calendar and links to help network area herbalists and educational opportunities. I�ll send a link out as soon as that gets up and running.

Quarterly Newsletter

This is my first attempt at a CRHI newsletter. Jessie Conaway has been editor for the last 5 years but has given me free reign to re-design it and adapt it to the changes taking place this year. The newsletter will slowly take on its new look as I develop my computer skills in formatting a newsletter and get a sense of the kind of submissions I can expect.

Submissions and contributions are most welcome! Please feel free to send any of the following:

Book Reviews

Articles--seasonal and otherwise

Profiles of Local Herbalists (can be self-portraits)

Community Calendar Events

Recipes

Anything else you think would interest herb enthusiasts

Deadlines for submissions are:

Spring��. March 15

Summer��June 15

Fall��...Sept 15

Winter��..Dec 15

Submissions can be e-mailed to Dandeliongold22@hotmail.com or mailed to CRHI c/o Prodigal Gardens, 673 S. Washington Ave, Viroqua WI 54665.

Classes and events are typically held on the third Sunday of each month. Months where it is held on a different Sunday are marked with ***. Classes and events are free for members and cost 5$ for non-members. Some classes may request a nominal fee for cost of materials. Check details for location and contact number.

Radha Crawley of Gaia�s Magic Herbal Body Care & Organic Home Spa Events will be treating us to a 5-step herbal facial and peppermint footbaths using products she crafts herself in her local home business. There will be a 10$ fee to cover materials cost. Call Radha at 629-5923 for directions and details.

Come join us for a cozy afternoon with Jessie Conaway of Three Trees Herb Shop featuring the rich herbal traditions of the Celtic people. A hot cup of tea, some Celtic harp music, and Jessie�s animated teachings will take us all over to Ireland for a mini-vacation. Contact Jessie at 786-4425 for directions.

How many ways are there to eat a dandelion? You�d be surprised! Come for an afternoon of sampling, cooking and exploring the culinary virtues of dandelion, from roasted dandelion root coffee to dandelion blossom cake. There will be hand-outs, recipes and lots of hands-on activity. For questions or more info call Rose at 637-3074.

Launch a kayak into the Perrot Park near Trempeleau Mountain and explore the medicinal plants of the wetland and lowland forests with Jessie Conaway & Carol Jacobs. There will be a 20$ equipment fee for kayaks and paddles. All boating equipment provided. Limited space RSVP Jessie at 786-4425.

June 18 Annual CRHI Prairie Field Trip with Carol Jacobs and Carl Lacher 12:00-5:00

Brush up on your native plants with local experts Carol Jacobs and Carl Lacher in Minnesota�s beautiful Wiscoy Valley. Meet in lacrosse to car pool over. Potluck and campout is an option for those who want to participate. Call Jessie for more details and directions at 786-4425

Spend an afternoon along the beautiful Root river identifying and discussing in-season medicinal herbs and edible wild plants. Jeroen has a wonderfully intuitive grasp of the nature and beauty of the plant kingdom and the healing gifts it brings to us, and will be guiding the walk. For directions contact Jeroen or Sarah at 317-0574 (cell phone)

Join with other wild food enthusiasts for a weekend of wild food potlucks and recipe contests, herbwalks, cooking demos, wild food trivia and scavenger hunts and more! This event is destined to be the Midwest version of the long-running West Virginia Wild Foods Festival. Details will be listed in upcoming newsletters.

Have you ever bit into a hot, buttery acorn muffin? Rose will walk you through the techniques of processing acorns including shelling, leaching, drying and grinding to yield the nutritionally dense and surprisingly delicious acorn flour. We�ll also be treated to freshly baked acorn muffins with wild berry jam. Call Rose at 637-3074 with any questions.

The autumn rains bring a rich variety of mushrooms to the forest floor. We�ll be taking a walk in the LaCrosse area to learn to identify and deepen our appreciation for the magical, mysterious world of mushrooms. More information forthcoming.

Carol Jacobs and Sarah Merrell will be teaming up to explore the art of making herbal cordials and cocktails, just in time for the holidays! We will also hold our annual meeting to brainstorm a calendar of events for 2007 and discuss any other CRHI business that needs discussing. There will be a small fee for use of the co-op classroom.