KPFA - Planting Medicine

In this three-show series, Emiliano Lemus interviews Christopher and Katherine Parker about their book The Mycelial Healer, as well as their work in wild co-tending, and deep roots in Indigenous healing and ecology. Join us to hear about growing mushrooms at home, incorporating mycelia into your recipes, and fun mushroom science — then deepen into the traditional and spiritual science of moving in right relationship with the land, fungi, plants, and animals. Fund drive hosted live by Renée Camila.

Christopher Parker is a self-taught mycologist and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians grounded in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Katherine Parker holds a PhD in psychology and works at the intersection of mental health, ancestral healing, and nature connection. Together, they are co-authors of “The Mycelial Healer: A Comprehensive Guide to the Cultivation and Traditional Uses of Medicinal Mushrooms,” and co-founders of The Forest Farmacy: A School of Applied Eco‑Mycology, a land-based learning community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Indigenous Co-Tending of Fungi & Forest: Part 3 appeared first on KPFA.

In this three-show series, Emiliano Lemus interviews Christopher and Katherine Parker about their book The Mycelial Healer, as well as their work in wild co-tending, and deep roots in Indigenous healing and ecology. Join us to hear about growing mushrooms at home, incorporating mycelia into your recipes, and fun mushroom science — then deepen into the traditional and spiritual science of moving in right relationship with the land, fungi, plants, and animals. Fund drive show.

Christopher Parker is a self-taught mycologist and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians grounded in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Katherine Parker holds a PhD in psychology and works at the intersection of mental health, ancestral healing, and nature connection. Together, they are co-authors of “The Mycelial Healer: A Comprehensive Guide to the Cultivation and Traditional Uses of Medicinal Mushrooms,” and co-founders of The Forest Farmacy: A School of Applied Eco‑Mycology, a land-based learning community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Indigenous Co-Tending of Fungi & Forest: Part 2 appeared first on KPFA.

In this three-show series, Emiliano Lemus interviews Christopher and Katherine Parker about their book The Mycelial Healer, as well as their work in wild co-tending, and deep roots in Indigenous healing and ecology. Join us to hear about growing mushrooms at home, incorporating mycelia into your recipes, and fun mushroom science — then deepen into the traditional and spiritual science of moving in right relationship with the land, fungi, plants, and animals. Fund drive show.

Christopher Parker is a self-taught mycologist and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians grounded in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Katherine Parker holds a PhD in psychology and works at the intersection of mental health, ancestral healing, and nature connection. Together, they are co-authors of “The Mycelial Healer: A Comprehensive Guide to the Cultivation and Traditional Uses of Medicinal Mushrooms,” and co-founders of The Forest Farmacy: A School of Applied Eco‑Mycology, a land-based learning community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Indigenous Co-Tending of Fungi & Forest: Part 1 appeared first on KPFA.

Join Sam Roberts for an exploration of chemical weapons aftercare.  This hour looks at plants and practices to support the body and spirit after being tear gassed or pepper sprayed in this moment of heightened political resistance.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Chemical Weapons Aftercare appeared first on KPFA.

Join host Sam Roberts for a deep dive into Chamomile.  In Sam’s opinion, Chamomile is one of the most undervalued herbs despite it being available in most grocery stores.  Listen in for an hour long exploration of Chamomile’s folk lore, physical and spirit medicine, medicine making and growing tips.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Courting Chamomile appeared first on KPFA.

Join Emiliano Lemus and mycologist Patricia Ononiwu Kaishan for an exploration of how attunement with ecologies is central to belonging and healing. Patricia is the author of Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature, as well as the curator of mycology at the New York State Museum and faculty with the Bard Prison Initiative.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post On Becoming, Belonging, and the Abounding Queerness of Nature with Patricia Ononiwu Kaishan appeared first on KPFA.

Join Renée Camila in conversation with Maria Noël Groves for a deep dive into herbal gut health. Together, they explore the nuanced dance between stimulating digestion and soothing the gut, unpacking when each approach is most effective, how to sequence them, and the herbal strategies that support a balanced, resilient digestive system. Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG), is a clinical herbalist, instructor, and author of the new book Herbal Gut Health based in the pine forests of New Hampshire.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Herbal Gut Health with Maria Noël Groves appeared first on KPFA.

Happy New Year! Renée Camila and Emiliano Lemus chat about plants and practices to support new beginnings in the new Gregorian year. We’ll discuss how to have the structure and the flexibility to sustain new patterns, all rooted in growth and self-love.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post New Beginnings appeared first on KPFA.

Emiliano Lemus discusses plants and practices for meeting the end of the year, including doing a deeper emotional dive, recognizing patterns, and closing cycles.

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Closing the Cycle of the Year appeared first on KPFA.

Join Renée Camila and her guest Berenice Dimas, founder of Hood Herbalism, for a conversation about herbal support during birth ceremonies. In the episode, Berenice shares their perspective on the energetics of birth, herbs she includes in her birth kit, and the importance of spirit dosing with gestating people. Berenice (she/they) is a queer community based herbalist, partera (student midwife), educator, and published writer.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Hosted and produced by Emiliano Lemus and Renée Camila. Additionally hosted by Sam Roberts and Violet Moon.

Find archived episodes of The Herbal Highway here.

The post Herbal Birth Energetics with Berenice Dimas appeared first on KPFA.