[MPWG] Re: Black Cohosh Questions

Tue Oct 7 09:08:33 CDT 2003

----- Forwarded by Patricia De Angelis/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI on 10/07/2003 10:07
AM -----

                      Robyn Klein                                                                          
                      <robyn at rrreading         To:      Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov                         
                      .com>                    cc:                                                         
                                               Subject: Re: Black Cohosh Questions                         
                      10/05/2003 06:50                                                                     
                      PM                                                                                   

Patricia,
I thought in case you don't know about this, you might be interested. A
very positive way to deal with wildcrafting issues. Robyn Klein

High Falls Gardens is pleased to announce an intensive workshop by and for
growers?.

Cultivating and Marketing Wild Quality in Medicinal Plants
January 16-17, 2004
United Methodist Church Social Hall Philmont (Columbia County), New York
Co-sponsored by: Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship
(CADE) Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) For more

information, contact: Jean Giblette, Director High Falls Gardens Box 125,
Philmont NY 12565 518-672-7365 hfg at capital.net (This announcement is
available in 11"x14" flyer format, emailed or in hard copy, upon request.)
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In search of WILD QUALITY?.
For eons, people have believed wild plants offer better medicine than
cultivated plants. Native Americans understood that a plant's medicinal
qualities derived from the surrounding soil, water, air, myriad forms of
life including companion plants and trees, moon, sun and stars.

But today, wild habitat is decreasing worldwide, many of our medicinal
plant species are rare or endangered, and cultivation has become
increasingly necessary if humans are to conserve the benefits of plant
medicine.

If we know a natural undisturbed ecosystem is complex almost beyond our
imagination, then the question becomes: How can our stewardship develop so
that the biodiversity and integrity of our farms begins to approximate that

of the wild?

To answer this question, a few ecologically conscious growers at the very
forefront of progressive agriculture have begun an important dialogue with
our medicinal plants. We are asking the plants where, how and with whom
they want to grow to best express their medicinal qualities. The plants are

responding to us.

At this workshop, five experienced medicinal plant growers and marketers
will describe what they have learned.

Join us and become part of this inspiring conversation!
The number of participants has been limited to maximize exchange of
information among all those present. Shared meals will provide additional
opportunities for free-form discussion. Presenters include:

Jean-David Derreumaux and associates have developed The Healing Plant, a
biodynamic garden and processing facility, over the past seven years. Part
of a large farm with other gardens, a dairy herd and forest, the
Demeter-certified medicinal plant operation is located on the 600-acre
grounds of Camphill Village USA, Inc., a community for disabled adults in
Copake (Columbia County), NY. The produce of the garden goes to the
240-member community, plus a number of outside customers for dried herbs,
and a line of value-added herbal products is made on-site and sold locally.

Jean-David, who studied with and was mentored by Daniele Laberge, a
herbalist in Quebec, originally was schooled in conventional agriculture in

France. He later acquired biodynamics experience in different farm
situations and, for the last 17 years, in the current farm complex.
Jean-David is active with the Hudson Valley Biodynamic Group.

Leslie Gardner, M.H., AHG, directs the Sonoma County Herb Exchange in
Sebastopol, CA, a locally-focused clearinghouse that links medicinal herb
growers with herbal practitioners, medicine makers and manufacturers (see
the site www.sonomaherbs.org). With about 22 years of herb growing
experience, Leslie also manages the two-acre garden at the California
School of Herbal Studies with over 300 species of medicinal herbs. She is a

core faculty member, teaching "Growing Plant Medicine" and coordinating the

garden apprenticeship programs. Leslie co-owns the 20-acre Laguna Farm in
Sebastopol with her husband, Scott Mathieson, who operates a 350-member
CSA. She has lectured and led herb walks throughout the U.S. and is
co-author of Growing and Harvesting Medicinal Herbs in Sonoma County and
the North Bay.

Matthias and Andrea Reisen, co-owners of Healing Spirits Herb Farm and
Education Center in Avoca (Steuben County), NY, acquired their 20-acre farm

in 1981, had a dairy operation for a few years and then converted to
medicinal herbs in 1990. On four acres, they produce over a ton of dried
herbs per year and half that fresh, in about fifty varieties, and also make

value-added products sold via their website
(www.infoblvd.net/healingspirits) and, increasingly, direct to the local
community. The Reisens pioneered solar-powered greenhouse drying in the
Northeast. The farm is certified organic by NOFA-NY. Matthias, who grew up
on a Pennsylvania dairy farm, worked for eight years as a vegetable and
field crops agent with Cooperative Extension. He and Andrea served two
years in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, working on sustainable
agriculture with the minority Bilaan tribe.

Peggy Schafer owns and operates Chinese Medicinal Herbs, a nursery and
experimental farm in Petaluma, CA, an hour north of San Francisco. In 2003,

its sixth season, the farm produced about 75 species of organically grown
Chinese, Ayurvedic and other Asian medicinal herb starter plants, plus
field-grown herbs and seeds, on less than one acre. Produced with the
highest quality standards and hand-harvested, the herbs are direct marketed

through various means including the Sonoma County Herb Exchange. Peggy
works cooperatively with the American College of Traditional Chinese
Medicine in San Francisco, and is involved with other special events and
educational forums to introduce Asian medicinal herbs to North America. She

serves as vice president of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County
Herb Association.

Workshop fee is $195 per person ($175 if payment postmarked by December
15th, 2003)
Fee includes all workshop materials, plus a home-cooked lunch and supper
featuring locally-produced foods each of two days.

Cancellations will be honored with refunds less $20 for processing until
December 31, 2003. Schedule & Format:

Please arrange to arrive in Columbia County by Thursday evening, January
15, to get an early start the next day. An informal evening event may be
scheduled; details in your pre-workshop packet.

Friday & Saturday, January 16-17, 2004 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Presentations
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Lunch 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM Presentations 6:00 PM to 8:00
PM Supper Topics to be addressed include: · Cropping systems: field and
forest, layout, density, supports · Species selection, best sellers,
including Asian herbs · Cultivation practices: germination and seeding,
treatments and amendments, tillage, mulch, cover cropping · Harvesting,
drying and preparation · Value-added products · Marketing: Internet,
event-based, herb exchange and other direct forms

Lodging
Check www.columbiacountylodging.com and www.columbiacountyny.org for local
accommodations. A hard-copy listing will be provided upon request.

Transportation
Please let us know in advance if you need surface transportation from the
Hudson Amtrak station or Albany airport.

Application Form
Registration is limited to 60. Please respond as soon as possible.
Preference in admissions will be given to experienced farmers and growers.
Name(s)____________________________
Farm Name_________________________
Address____________________________
City____________ST/Prov____ZIP______
Phone(s)____________________________
Email______________________________
No. of people:___ Total amount enclosed:____
1. Describe your farm, nursery or other plant-related experience. Include
number of years of experience, type of operation, position.
2. If you wish to change or improve your farming operation and are looking
for ideas, please summarize here.
3. If you are a herbalist or other health care professional, or work in
another capacity related to medicinal plants, please describe.
4. Please tell us briefly what you hope to learn from this workshop.

Mail this form with your check payable to High Falls Gardens to this
address:
High Falls Gardens
Box 125, Philmont, NY 12565 USA
Questions/comments? Please reply to:
Jean Giblette, Director
HIGH FALLS GARDENS
Box 125 Philmont NY 12565 USA
518-672-7365
hfg at capital.net