The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer stands out from the many books on growing and using medicinal herbs in that it looks at herb production on a commercial scale. The authors, Jeff and Melanie Carpenter, run Zack Woods Herb Farm, a 10-acre farm in Vermont which produces two tons of medicinal herbs each year.
The farmers are passionate about medicinal herbs while also being pragmatic. They write about their failures and early learning curves, such as the constant need to produce greater volumes of herbs because, “most plants, like people, are composed mainly of water.” What appears to be a huge harvest turns into a meager amount of dried herbs.
The writers address the compromises they make. Jeff writes about the many people who ask why the farm uses tractors instead of draft animals. His response: “Why don’t you trade that car you drove here in for a horse?”
The book is rich in practical information that can be useful on a number of different scales. There’s a lot of good farming tips from soil management to weed control that would apply to any crop. For example, they lay a sheet of Plexiglas on the soil after the initial tilling. Once the weeds appear under the Plexiglas, the weeds in the rest of the field are likely at the white root stage. That means it’s time for blind cultivation with the tine weeder. Later, they use a cultivator with sweeps, basket weeders and flame weeders.
Probiotic foliar sprays are used to protect plants from diseases and supply nutrients. A kelp/fish emulsion provides micronutrients and plant growth hormones. A neem spray also repels plant-eating pests while not harming many, if any, beneficial insects.
Backyard gardeners, foragers and even consumers of medicinal herbs can appreciate much of the advice. Whereas many backyard gardeners may consider a perennial herb bed to remain static, the Carpenters grow perennials in one spot for only two to five years, followed by tillage and a year or two of green manure crops of oats and clover. If there are many perennial weeds, they will use two quick crops of buckwheat before the oats and clover, or use Sudax (Sudan grass X sorghum) to control the weeds.
My favourite section is the profiles of fifty medicinal herbs, including ashwaganda, astralagus, stinging nettle, Saint John’s wort and tulsi. Each description (two or three pages long) includes advice on growing, harvesting and postharvest/drying the crop, along with details on medicinal uses.
Market gardeners who are considering growing medicinal herbs might appreciate the details of milling herb roots with a wood chipper, extensive details on drying herbs, along with tips on packaging and marketing.
The Carpenters apply the idea of ‘terroir’ to medicinal herbs. They postulate that, in the same way a particular area’s growing conditions affect the taste of wine or vegetables, the medicinal qualities of plants are influenced by geography. The medicinal qualities also reflect farming, harvesting methods and postharvest techniques, particularly timing of harvest. “Beginning herb farmers,” they write, “need to educate themselves about plant vitality.”
The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer gave me new insight in the herbs I grow, forage and use. I have a better sense of the medicinal benefits of certain herbs, and will take a new approach to growing, harvesting and processing. I raise my mug of tulsi tea to toast the Carpenters’ great book and my newfound confidence in growing my own medicine.
- Janet Wallace