Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm

January 23-24, 2020 3:30-5 Pacific Grove, CA

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Eco Farm Conference. Chinese Medicinal herbs: A Unique Opportunity for Farmers. Presentation with David Melly, LAc and President of Lilium Initiative: American Grown Asian Herbs. Meet the Experts consultations Jan. 24, sign up at https://eco-farm.org/conference

Chinese medicinal herbs are steadily becoming an emerging market — with few growers to satiate demand for these high-value botanicals.  Compelling environmental reasons and the over-harvesting of wild herbs to the brink of extinction in Asia are only amplifying the call for more farmers to get involved in this market.  We will discuss what makes this market different and what skills and processes are required to succeed that are unique from growing other crops.

AromaCulture Magazine Interview October 10, 2018

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AromaCulture Magazine is a monthly, digital magazine that features educational articles, recipes and case studies from practicing herbalists, certified aromatherapists and holistic health professionals in our industry.  Listen to the Podcast episode with Peg Schafer (Scroll down to 42) here.  Read the interview here.

October 11 – 12, 2019 UC Berkeley Connecting Plants and People: An Ethnobotanical Conversation

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2019 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Connecting Plants and People
An Ethnobotanical Conversation
Friday, October 11 & Saturday, October 12

The Garden is pleased to announce Connecting Plants and People: An Ethnobotanical Conversation, a two-day international symposium. The first day, hosted at International House, will feature prominent speakers from around the globe and the Bay Area. The second day will include hands-on workshops and tours of the UC Botanical Garden exploring culinary, medicinal, dye, and many other uses of plants. We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation and celebration of plants in human culture. Tickets are limited, so secure your place today by clicking on the link below.

Register HERE

Friday, October 11
International House

Lectures moderated by Dr. Tom Carlson

From Pristine Nature to Blasted Landscapes: The Storied Trail of Ethnobotany Dr. Gary Martin

Tortillas, Mescal and Lipstick behind a Monastery Dr. Alejandro de Avila

Abbatte: Weaving and Dye Plants Dr. Elena Goded & Miguel Cerezales

Contributions of Ethnobotany to Human Health Dr. Tom Carlson

California Perspectives on Ethnobotany Dr. Judith Larner Lowry & Dr. Kent Lightfoot

Future of Ethnobotany Dr. Gary Nabhan

Saturday, October 12
UC Botanical Garden

Participants will attend 4 workshops or tours from the selection below

The Spicy Story of Ras Al Hanout Gary Martin

Red: A Color to Dye For Elena Goded & Miguel Cerezales

Mayan and Aztec Medicinal Plants Tour Eric Schulz

California Ethnobotany Kent Lightfoot

Food Plants of the World Tour Tom Carlson

Chiles Gary Nabhan & Christine Hastorf

Indigo and Cochineal Dyeing Yoshiko Wada & A. de Avila

Chinese Medicinal Herbs Tour Peg Schafer

Speaker Spotlight: Gary Paul Nabhan

Gary Paul Nabhan is an Agricultural Ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, and author whose work has focused primarily on the interaction of biodiversity and cultural diversity of the arid binational Southwest. He is considered a pioneer in the local food movement and the heirloom seed saving movement. He co-founded Native Seeds/SEARCH, served as Director of Conservation, Research and Collections at both the Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, became the founding director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, and founded the Center for Regional Food Studies.

In his latest book, Mesquite, Gary Paul Nabhan employs humor and contemplative reflection to convince readers that they have never really glimpsed the essence of what he calls “arboreality.” In desert regions that cover more than a third of our continent, mesquite trees have become the staff of life, not just for indigenous cultures, but for myriad creatures, many of which respond to these “nurse plants” in wildly intelligent and symbiotic ways.