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August 24 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
This event will focus on the cultivation, harvesting, post harvest processing and handling of goldenseal and other medicinal roots crops
One of the most important aspects of growing goldenseal and medicinal plants is proper harvesting, and post-harvest processing and handling techniques, like washing, drying, and storage. This workshop will largely focus on these later stages of the production process, but will also include an overview of the cultivation basics that we have covered in previous workshops. This event will be lead by United Plant Savers staff, and will include both indoor classroom instruction, and outdoor hands-on demonstrations, inlcuding root harvesting, washing, and drying using small-scale commercial-grade equipment.
Ticket cost $10.
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With a 20-year career in the organic herbal industry, specializing in the procurement of medicinal and aromatic plants on a global scale, I take a special interest in understanding the complexities of the supply chain required to bring high-quality herbs, spices and oils to market in a sustainable way. Through domestic farm visits and international travel, I have grown to understand the barriers in collection and farming practices and have committed myself to development and outreach.
Previous efforts have led me to work on a UpS Forest Grown verified ginseng project with intention to stimulate domestic interest in American Ginseng with a vision to protect it. Currently, I am working with a UpS Forest Grown verified Goldenseal project in Appalachia as well as partnering with FairWild foundation for Eastern European botanicals. Transparency and ethical sourcing have been the root of my procurement practices while forging a future for the communities responsible for the botanicals the industry relies heavily on.
From an early age, I’ve gained knowledge and appreciation of plants and their origins. Farming, botany and plant conservation through cultivation have become lifelong pursuits. After earning a bachelors in Plant Science from Rutgers University, I specialized in propagation and agribusiness management, tropical agriculture, bioremediation and tissue culture, then continued doing research for the university and the EPA.
I have studied under various herbalists over the last two decades and am currently Alumni at the School of Spagyric and Alchemical Arts, practicing in the tradition of Paracelsus, Jean Dubois and the Philosophers of Nature.
Residing in rural Oregon I am employed by Herb Pharm LLC where I have the honor to source for a truly sustainable business model with showcase regenerative organic farmland dedicated to the cultivation of medicinal plants.
Ruby D. comes from a creative and inventive family who were enslaved in Virginia and moved to the Southern coalfields of West Virginia to build a new life after emancipation. Ruby Daniels (“Ruby D”) refers to her heritage as “Afro-lachian.” She spent many childhood summers in Beckley with her great aunts and grandmother, learning about African American traditions, spirituality, native plants, agriculture, and herbal remedies. This motivated her to start experimenting with plants on her own and later form her business, Creasy Jane’s, named after her great-grandmother, Creasy Jane Pack. After earning her Master’s in Therapeutic Herbalism she returned to Beckley, where she works for NRCS and West Virginia Forest Farming Initiative. Her business, Creasy Jane’s, offers custom-made herbal teas and tinctures, herbal soaps, and other topical herbal remedies. Ruby’s mission is to change the narrative of African American relationships to woodland botanicals and educate others of the herbal traditions and practices African Americans have had with plants and the forest.
Nathan Wright is a Citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the owner of Herbal Lodge. Herbal Lodge creates salves, teas and herbal remedies using locally sustainably wild foraged ingredients. Wright combines both indigenous and conventional herbal knowledge into his products. Wright has diverse experiences not only as an Indigenous Herbalist, but also in business, serving in the military and as an Indigenous and Environmental activist. Wright is also a certified mycologist. He shares his knowledge as an educator focusing on plants used in Anishinabek healing, and emphasizing the traditional sustainable practices. He makes himself available for herbal and Indigenous presentations, both online and in person. In accordance with his beliefs to honor the plants and trees, Wright is also a Water Protector. In 2019, Wright founded MackinawOde, a collective group that addresses Indigenous and Environmental concerns and has garnered national attention. He has been featured in various media outlets, Water Protector music videos and a documentary. Wright likes to say, “I used to be a Marine who fought for a country, now I am a Water Protector fighting for Mother Earth.” For more info: @Spiritman |https://linktr.ee/spiritman
Steven Yeager has been studying Oregon’s flora and ecology since 1995. He enjoys botanizing, wildcrafting, and exploring the Pacific Northwest. Steven is the former co-owner of the Columbines School of Botanical Studies. He believes cultivating a relationship with plants and the natural world is vital for a healthy existence on this planet. Steven also works at Mountain Rose Herbs as the Director of Quality. He serves on the board of directors for the American Herbal Products Association, AHPA’s Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals, United Plant Savers, and the Native Plant Society of Oregon. When not at work or volunteering with various non-profits, Steven enjoys spending time with his family, pretending to be a chef, hiking, camping, wildcrafting, and botanizing in the Cascade Mountains.
Geneticist, Environmentalist, Entrepreneur, Cannabis Advocate
Eleanor Kuntz, PhD, is a trained herbalist and entrepreneur who is bridging the gap between traditional herbalism and modern science. Eleanor works with plant genetics to design and implement Best Agricultural Practices for improving medicinal qualities and implementing responsible raw ingredient choices to mitigate supply chain risk for natural product companies. As a U.S. Forest Service volunteer, Kuntz researches plant population demographics and dispersal dynamics to develop guidelines for sustainable wild collection and permitting regulations in southeastern native plant populations.
Devoted to honoring the benefits of plant-based medicine, enhancing our connection to the wild world around us, and deepening our understanding of the relationship between plant, ecosystem and planet, Eleanor recently merged her two plant passions by cofounding LeafWorks Inc., a botanical verification company using genetics to improve medicinal quality, sustainability and transparency in the supply chain for the best possible plant experience. She is also co-founder of Canndor, the People’s Herbarium, the first herbarium committed to documenting and preserving cannabis cultivars and varietals along with the collective knowledge gained through community engagement.
Eleanor has a B.A. degree in Biology with a focus in Botany from Smith College and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Georgia. Her academic work focused on population diversity and gene flow, along with the evolutionary history and current genetic exchange between wild and cultivated plants. She graduated from the Sage Mountain School of Herbal Studies, where she studied under the mentorship of Rosemary Gladstar.
The nexus of natural history, ethnobotany, and environmental conservation has been a passion of mine since young adulthood. I worked as a naturalist and artist and became aware of the important outreach of United Plant Savers and the Goldenseal Sanctuary while studying and creating plant medicines. Perhaps it was the jars and jars of Black Cohosh in big box stores and grocery chains that further stoked my concerns and advocacy of the quickly growing herbal industry. I often wondered, “Where is all the plant material coming from and how is it managed?” As an educator and a prior Director of Jim Duke’s Green Farmacy Garden, I have shared and taught humans’ long and evolving history with plant medicine ~ the traditional uses, current scientific research, gardening with the plants, the commoditization of natural products, and the urgency of plant conservation. While growing up, I was not exposed to the wisdom of herbal medicine, but studied and deeply honored the indigenous uses of native plants. As an elder now, I am committed to seeing that current and future generations learn to respect and use native and all plant medicine with reverence ~ not only for themselves but also for the survival of the species and the biodiversity of ecosystems.
