Maria Atwood, CNHP is a Certified Natural Health Professional and has produced a DVD called Cook Your Way to Wellness. Her focus is on fermented foods and nourishment, in the tradition of our ancestors, the Weston Price Foundation and Sally Fallon. Sally Fallon is the author of the celebrated book Nourishing Traditions, who said Maria’s DVD is "A great companion to Nourishing Traditions! Perfect for beginners new to Nourishing Traditions principles."

In this interview, Maria and I talk about the origins of this traditional style of nutrition, why it’s so good for us, as well as some ideas on how to bring it into your life. We discuss kefir, beet kvass, bone broth, fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut, how to eat well on a budget, and where to begin. We also answer questions gathered from HerbMentor members, which includes weight loss in relation to this style of eating.

You can check out Maria’s DVD and lots more at http://TraditionalCook.com

RIcho Cech is a village herbalist, conservationist, and expert on making herbal extracts. For many years he was a developer at HerbPharm. He and his wife Mayche are owners of Horizon Herbs, an organic medicinal herb seed company based in Williams, Oregon. Their mission is to sow seeds worldwide for the benefit of people plants and the planet.

Richo is author of the books Making Plant Medicine and Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs. His Horizon Herbs catalog is well known not only for its variety of hard to find extracts and seeds, but also as a treasure trove of information.

In this interview we discuss not only the basics of herb gardening, but also answer some excellent questions from HerbMentor.com members. Of course, Richo infuses his amazing insights on working with herbs. Also, Richo and I talk a bit about comfrey. And as you might expect, another knowledgeable and wise herbalist with yet another varying opinion.

Stephen Harrod Buhner is an Earth poet and the award-winning author of books on nature, indigenous cultures, the environment, and herbal medicine. He comes from a long line of healers including Leroy Burney, Surgeon General of the United States under Eisenhower and Kennedy, and Elizabeth Lusterheide, a midwife and herbalist who worked in rural Indiana in the early nineteenth century.

The greatest influence on his work, however, has been his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod who primarily used botanical medicines, also in rural Indiana, when he began his work as a physician in 1911.

Stephen’s work has appeared or been profiled in publications throughout North America and Europe including Common Boundary, Apotheosis, Shaman’s Drum, The New York Times, CNN, and Good Morning America. He has spoken at colleges and conferences around the world, including the United Nations.

Stephen’s books include:

* Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria

* Healing Lyme: Natural Healing & Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and Its Coinfections

* The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines for Life on Earth

* Sacred Plant Medicine: The Wisdom in Native America Herbalism

* Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation

* The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature

* The Natural Testosterone Plant: For Sexual Health and Energy

* Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver

…and more

Stephen and I started our conversation around old-time doctors and kitchen medicine, exploring herbs like ginger, cayenne, and even honey. Then, as I expected and hoped for, Stephen went in some interesting directions. So, though he talks about the effects of accidentally breathing dust from Western Skunk Cabbage, and ingesting some well-known toxic plants such as Poison Hemlock…well, I would ask you to stay away from using those plants internally.

Stephen does offer some amazing gems of information, and you never know when he is going to drop one of them on you. However, there is gold in the overall message he is trying to say. Try to stay in the space of looking at the larger picture of the conversation.

Visit http://www.gaianstudies.org

"Wildman" Steve Brill is known as America’s Best Known Forager. His 1986 arrest in Central Park made international headlines and set his career as an environmental educator in motion.

Wildman has appeared on every news channel as well as David Letterman and many other talk shows.

His books include Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not-So-Wild) Places and The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook.

Visit http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com

Tammi Hartung, M.H., is a medical herbalist, certified organic grower, and consultant to the Natural Products Industry. She has taught at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, the School of Natural Medicine, and has lectured internationally. Tammi and her husband Chris own and operate Desert Canyon Farm in Colorado, where they grow over 175 medicinal, rare, and native plants.

Tammi is the author of Growing 101 Herbs That Heal: Gardening Techniques, Recipes, and Remedies.

When my good friend Mark worked at Tom Brown’s Tracker School, he often talked about a great herbalist who worked there named Betzy. Now, I finally get to meet her! She is an accomplished herbalist in many areas, and she is currently working with United Plant Savers!

United Plant Savers’ mission is to protect native medicinal plants of the United States and Canada and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come.

I ask Betzy all about sustainable and ethical wildcrafting, her journey as an herbalist, and other practical tips and skills for collecting and storing herbs.

Doug Elliott is a naturalist, herbalist, musician, and storyteller. Doug has performed at festivals, museums, botanical gardens, nature centers, national parks, schools, and conferences from Canada to the Caribbean. A couple of notable places are the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Royal Ontario Museum.

Doug has authored several books and cd’s including Wildwoods Wisdom: Encounters with the Natural World, Woodslore: Stories, Lore, and Truth Stranger Than Fiction About the Natural World, Wild Roots: a Forager’s Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Roots, Tubers, Corms, and Rhizomes, and most recently, Swarm Tree: of Honeybees, Honeymoons and the Tree of Life.

In this episode, we discuss herbs and storytelling, mushrooms, life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, old-time remedies, mentors, and more. Doug even reveals the time-honored and best way to learn about herbs!

Doug’s programs, products, concerts, and workshops are all listening on his website, which is http://DougElliott.com

Heidi Bohan has over 18 years of experience working as an educator of native plants, horticulture, woodworking, ethnobotany, and traditional ecological knowledge of the Pacific Northwest.

She has been a carpenter, fine woodworker, architectural designer, and as a teacher has taught classes in basketry, carving, weaving, edible and medicinal plants, and more. She has worked with many local tribes, as an instructor and mentor for the Northwest Indian College.

Heidi is the author of a new book, The People of Cascadia: Pacific Northwest Native American History. It is an incredible living work with over 300 pen and ink illustrations depicting the daily life of the four major cultural groups of the Pacific Northwest. It was reviewed by tribal members and cultural experts and approved for the school social studies curricula in Washington State.

In this interview, I visit Heidi in person in her study. This interview goes deep into how to effectively use plants in your life, using Heidi’s incredible life as an example. Though Heidi happens to be my neighbor in the Snoqualmie Valley, I regard her as the most hard-core plant skills learner I have ever met. Medicine, tools, weaving, dyes, gardening, carving, baskets… you name it, she’s done it. She was a crucial mentor for me in my understanding of how to make the plants that grow around come alive in my life.

You can visit Heidi at http://heidibohan.com and http://peopleofcascadia.com

Jessica Moore is a mom who has a passion for herbs. When her baby had a diaper rash, she whipped up an amazing balm that healed it. To make a long story short, she founded an awesome herbal remedy company out of that experience. Many who come to LearningHerbs often wonder how to learn about herbs and take that passion into the world. We’ll see how Jessica did it, and we’ll also ask her some of her favorite herbal first aid secrets.

I have known Jon for over half my life. He has been a mentor and is a good friend.

Jon is an amazing speaker. We’ll focus on how one learns about plants in their ecosystems, how to mentor young ones in nature and herbs, permaculture, health, and…well, get us two together and you never know what will come up! Jon also discusses native peoples' relationship to the plants.