In Praise of the Overlooked

Because of my car accident I’ve not been able to drive (and don’t have a car even if I could) and therefore have found it difficult to get to my favorite hiking trails in the Carson National Forest.

 I live along a highway and have lamented that there’s nowhere beautiful to walk from my house. I proved myself misinformed when I took my camera (a Canon set on auto) out at dusk and dawn at the time of the Summer Solstice. I focused upon what most of us tend to overlook as we travel–the highway right of way.

So here are some photos of various “weeds” and interesting “objects” literally at my feet, as well as the rather unassuming aspect of my walk when looked at from head-height. Beauty may not just be “in the eye of the beholder” but also in what perspective we choose to use.

Traditional Foods and Fermentation PlayLab

If you live in New Mexico or southern Colorado, and want to learn more about traditional food preparation, including fermentation, please email me asap : irisherbal@yahoo.com, and I’ll send you the color flier and ingredient list. This super hands-on “workshop” is Saturday April 26th from 1pm to 4pm in Questa, NM. Come experience adult learning at its best.

Time to Grow your Own

Food! Plant breeding is geared towards maximum size, quick maturity, resistance to disease, firmness while ripe, a whole plethora of other factors but, surprisingly, NOT nutrition.

Story at-a-glance

• Ancient wild plants provided an astounding level of phytonutrients that are largely absent from our modern cultivated fruits and veggies
• Ancient farmers’ preference for sweeter, starchier foods led to many of the less nutritious staples common today, such as sweet corn
• Bitter and brighter colored plants that were packed with nutrition have been largely replaced with sweeter, more muted varieties
• Genetic modification is also altering the nutrition content of the food supply; a new analysis showed GM corn to be far less nutritious than non-GM corn

For the entire, fairly short and very informative article, GO HERE:

As I have been learning in my research, for the most robust immune system, and for maximum health, we want to eat ALL the flavors, All the colors, and MANY varieties. It really is time to grow heirloom seeds of greens you aren’t familiar with, varieties that are open-pollinated, and not just one kind of spinach or kale but 3 or 4 kinds. Our ancestors thrived on diversity; with the amount of toxins we are forced to breathe, eat or drink, we need to diversify as well. Bon appetite!