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Cockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing?After a walk in the woods, we may immerge with a clump of cockle burrs on our socks, clothing or hair. We find cockle burrs in unmentionable places on the pup. It is also not unusual to find a glob of cockle burrs clinging to the sides of the pigs and cattle. We have been amused at the weapons their tails become when the tips are loaded with cockle burrs (as long as we don't get hit by them). Have you ever tried to remove a clump of those pesky burrs from wool? A lamb got twisted up in a burdock plant in the pasture this summer. It was quite interesting untangling him. It is simliar to untangling many threads from a piece of velcro while the thread tries to dodge you as you try to untangle which makes it tangle even further.Imagine our surprise to discover this pesky plant known as burdock is a medicinal herb as well as a medicinal food! According to "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs", it is a tonic, diuretic and is great to use for acne. The leaves and roots can be consumed and can also be made into tinctures or poultices along with the seeds. Burdock is also a sign of fertile soil which must mean our soil just can't be beat! All of a sudden, this burdensome plant is now viewed as a beneficial blessing! Interesting to note that our flock of ewes we purchased in the spring preferred the burdock leaves when they first arrived.... Stinging nettle is also prolific here, especially in the old hog lot. Each of us have accidently touched it (minus our gloves) while putting up electric fencing. It is not an enjoyable experience. The stinging sensation and the burning lasts for about 10-15 minutes and is impossible to wash off. It just has to last its course. We haven't viewed nettle with much fondness either until we discovered that it, too, is known as a medicinal herb and food. According to "Growing 101 Herbs That Heal" it is a whole-body tonic, rich in vitamins and minerals. The author of "Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field & Marketplace" wrote that he refuses to travel without some nettles. He claims it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods there are. All of a sudden, when we see our healthy crop of nettles, we think, "No pain, no gain." What we once viewed as annoying, we now view as a treasure trove. There are many common everyday plants that are being rediscovered. Cheri of www.sweethollowfarm.com shares in her classes how to prepare medicinal herbs which is a fabulous idea and a great service. Making herbal preparations has been around long before medical schools were ever established and has been helpful for a number of folks for generations. It is an art and ancient skill that is making a come-back. Not too long ago we visited with a neighbor who told us a story about an elderly farm wife who used to live in these parts. Her grandson visited her and came down with the flu. She proceeded to venture into the woods to emerge with some roots and leaves which she cleaned and boiled and encouraged the young man to drink. The next day, the young man felt wonderful. To view simple plants the Good Lord gave us as His provision for our sustenance, enjoyment and health takes a deliberate mind-shift. Afterall, there are no glitzy television commercials, billboards or magazine ads insisting that they be noticed. No one stands to make a million from it. They are simple, just waiting to be discovered for those who have the eyes to see. Enjoying simple pleasures with my family, The Farmer's Wife 08:54 - 2006-Sep-23 - post comment
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Description Sharing our thoughts, events, ups and downs, as we restore a once profitable farm to its former greatness as a Christian agrarian family. Home User Profile Archives Friends Lighthouse Farm Our DVD's for homesteader's Homestead Series e-books Lighthouse Farm Podcasts No NAIS Recent Entries - Pig-headed or chicken-hearted???? - Health care - the way it used to be - The Egg Hog - Back in blogdom after chasing sheep - Ode to Winter 2007 - Chicken and Hog DVD's are now finished!! - Video clip of the birth of a piglet - News about Haitian friends!!!!! - Authentic AgricultureTM - Welcome! - A Peaceful Night in the Pasture - Big Sale at The Old Schoolhouse!! - Rendering Lard - Hog Butchering Time - John Ray - Founder of Biology - A Breath-taking Field Trip - Fat and Sassy - Real Men Eat Quiche - Green Tomato Recipes - Harvest - Two Cents Worth on Pinching Pennies... - Cockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing? - Gourmet Meals At The Farm Table - Seeds Worth Saving - Sweet cartoon - Commercial rice supply has been contaminated - Spermicidal Corn - Agricultural Science Fiction Horror Flick or Truth? - SImple Entertainment - "Gardening is like a treasure hunt!" - Pigs don't stink - Diggin' For Gold!! - Rain - a Blessing or a Curse? - My Sheep Know My Voice - er - Chain Saw... - The Old Farm Dog - An Alarming Nightime Visitor - Farming Magazine - A Pig's Nest - Meager chicken harvest - Bacon + Garlic = Piglets? - A Rare July 4th Tribute to Farmers - Fencing in more pasture - Three months on our new place.... - Blood suckers in Minnesota :( - Miss Bacon and Rocky Mountain Oysters - Sheep without a shepherd - Haying with my man! - Mink solutions, anyone? - Goat meets pig... - I Smell a Skunk... - URGENT!! Please forward!!!! - Did Adam Smell Like That? - Minnesota!!!!! - Problem solved - God is good - The Rat Trap and One Happy Girl - New Podcast - Farm Restoration - The Beginning - An Honorable Gentleman Has Died - Why teach our children about agriculture? - Cheap, Safe Food??? - New NAIS links worth reading - Old Tractors Never Die - A Lawyer comments on Constitutional Rights and NAIS - Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks - Big Bellies and Big Bags - Hosting Haitians on the Homestead - Minnesota, Here We Come (after we sell our house) and "the Chip" - And God saw that it was good - Greetings |