Oregon's Wild Harvest

 Fresh News

Biodynamic Farming

For the past two years, Oregon's Wild Harvest has been transitioning to becoming a certified biodynamic farm. In June of 2009, the farm will be not only certified organic, but certified biodynamic as well.

Biodynamic farming is founded on the belief that the farm is an organism unto itself, and is capable of meeting its own needs. The guiding principle is that the key to good health-of people and of the planet-is total sustainability in agriculture. [Click here]

Organic Farm Photo Gallery - Summer 2009

Please click here to visit our Organic Farm Photo Gallery

What does Gluten Free mean?

Once considered a rare childhood disease, Celiac Disease is now recognized as a disorder that affects many adults. As many as 1 in 133 Americans have Celiac Disease, making it the most common inherited disease. Unfortunately, Celiac Disease is also the most under-diagnosed common disease today.

Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disorder in which damage occurs to the villi lining the small intestine when exposed to the protein gluten. Symptoms can include frequent bloating and abdominal pain, stomach cramps, chronic diarrhea, fatigue, behavioral changes, and (in children) delayed growth. [Click here]

NPA and AHPA Announcement about Swine Flu and Natural Products

Recently the Natural Products Association (NPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) issued a joint warning against any "natural" remedies that are being promoted as ways to prevent or treat H1N1 influenza.

Their joint statement: "We are unaware of any scientific data supporting the use of dietary supplements to treat Swine Flu."

This is a cautious and responsible position on part of the NPA and AHPA, reflecting concern about some products' claims to prevent Swine Flu.

It is worth noting that there is no dietary supplement which treats any disease. By definition, supplements cannot treat a disease. If any dietary supplement were found to treat a disease, it would no longer be classified as a "supplement" .... It would have a status shift, becoming a "drug," not a "dietary supplement." [Click here]

Women's Herbs

Since the era of hunter-gatherers, our female ancestors have gathered and used various herbal remedies. The female body is in a continual state of change whether it is menstruating, pregnant, nursing, or menopausal. To augment this dynamic fluctuation, there are many herbs that can support a woman's well-being during these transitions.

(Please see Women's Herbs under Product Categories for more information and related products)

 Organic Farm Tours & Herb Walks

Come see, smell, touch and taste the medicinal herbs that grow fresh on the farm. Led by herbalist and Oregon's Wild Harvest founder, Randy Buresh, our herb walks are an interactive, educational experience. They're also a lot of fun! We hope you'll join us.  Please call us at (503) 668-7713 to reserve your spot for our next public walk this summer on July 18, from 10:00am to 12:00pm.

 Currently on the Farm

Things are moving very quickly on the farm as we move into the first few weeks of summer.

On Monday we planted more than an acre of Valerian. Tuesday we applied a fertilizer called eco nutrients to the transplanted Valerian. We will follow with a biodynamic prep, BD 500, which will help with the transplanted herb, allowing it to establish, stimulating the soil and the microbial life within. Once the plant is established -- usually in about two weeks -- we will apply the BD 501 prep. This prep enhances light metabolism of the plant, and stimulates photosynthesis and formation of chlorophyll.

It's nearly July, so it's really warming up, and with this heat comes a good time to harvest Artemesia, as the volatile oils are much higher in the leaves when it is warm. We harvested over 1200 pounds of fresh Artemesia absinthium, and this will go into our dryer for our fresh dried encapsulated Wormwood capsules. This will be the first of many harvests for this crop; we expect to harvest another 2400 pounds before the end of summer.

The dryers will be running pretty much non-stop for the next two months, as we will by drying St. Johns Wort flowers next, followed by Skullcap, and several thousand pounds of Echinacea tops.

The Holy Basil is just now starting to kick in -- it seems to have been waiting for the heat.

Our greenhouses are still full of Ashwagandha and Echinacea that will be planted when we return from the St. John's harvest.

There's never at dull moment on the OWH farm -- especially during these prime growing months!

[Click here] for previous posts.

 Herbs of the Month

Bilberry 60ct.

Documented cases of Bilberry show its use back in the 12th and again in the 18th century. Bilberry fruit has also been traditionally used as a traditional remedy in the prevention of scurvy, due to its vitamin C content. The modern use of Bilberry for eye health originates from World War II. British Royal Air Force pilots reported that the ingestion of Bilberry jam just prior to missions seemed to improve their vision.[Click here]

Fenugreek, Organic 90ct.

Fenugreek originates from India and northern Africa and has a long-history of medicinal and culinary use. Medicinal applications of Fenugreek were documented in ancient Egypt, where it was used in for embalming mummies.

As an aid to increasing milk flow, Fenugreek has been historically valued across many cultures and eras, from the relatively recent use by the wet nurses in the southern United States to other cultures such as Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, and Argentina. In India, once the child has been born women are encouraged to eat Fenugreek seeds as a food to encourage the healthy flow of milk.  [Click here]

 New ORGANIC Bulk Products

Ashwagandha root c/s, Organic

Ashwagandha has been used for over 3,000 years in its native India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Throughout history, ashwagandha has been widely used throughout India as a rejuvenative tonic, and is classed as a "rasayana". This group incorporates the most highly regarded therapeutic herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. The translation of Ashwagandha is roughly, "the smell and strength of a horse", possibly referring to its aphrodisiac properties. [Click here]

Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth

Dong Quai root c/s, Organic

Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth