I excitedly read my way through “Growing 101 Herbs that Heal” by Tammi Hartung.  I could not believe that these simple plants and weeds had so much healing power.  Or that pharmaceutical medicines actually used derivatives of these same plants because you can’t patent a plant.  If you just use the plant and make the medicine properly, you can heal yourself of virtually anything!  This is amazing news.  For many, the largest worry and cost in our lives is healthcare and vet bills.  But, if you have the knowledge, you have the power to take care of everyone around you!

This is one of the keys to homesteading, power to heal.  If we are to go off and be more independent and cut our costs of living and have many animals now, it would be very wise for us to be able to put together an herbal remedy and not have to drive long distances to find a doctor, an emergency room,  or a veterinarian.  How empowering!  How necessary.

I first read about lavender and that it was a pain reliever.  I was so excited, I made my first extract of lavender and lemon verbena.  It couldn’t have taken away the pain of a stubbed toe, let alone a severe headache!  I had to learn the major players in the plant world and the supporting actors that make great extract blends.  I can now replace Morphine.  My anti-biotic works EVERY time we incur an infection.  And here’s where my worries always sat, “What if the kids break their arm?!”  Broken bones are healed in two weeks.  Every time.  Comfrey is awesome.

This knowledge is not just privy to me.  I teach a Certified Herbalist Program and Master’s Herbalist Program in my shop and by correspondence but there are libraries and internet stores brimming with books on herbal medicine.  There are no secrets as to which herbs do what.  What properties are concentrated the most and what area of the body they are specific too.  If you could break a fever in a small child in minutes, take care of a severe sprain quickly, and heal a burn fast, imagine the time not spent in the emergency room.  If you are taking medicines for prevention and can heal up a cat’s upper respiratory infection and a help a horse’s arthritis, you certainly would be ahead of the game homesteading.

Herbalism is powerful knowledge.  The original medicine- it still works!  It doesn’t make as much money as big pharma wants so it isn’t going to be as popular, but wait until you start learning and making medicines…you will not regret it.