Lucy Gabzdyl

We like to use Gomashio. Its made of ten parts dry roasted sesame seeds and one part salt, ground coarsely in pestle and mortar (or in the kitchen machine). Store in a jar and use like salt. Its a wonderful smell we do love in our dishes... It's part of the Japanese kitchen and sprinkled all over salads and sushi. I even put it sometimes on my porridge. Salt in porridge is more the Scots style though...

Hi Isabella, sounds very tasty! I notice you are in the north of Poland, whereabouts? My sister has a very good friend she visits in Gdansk.

I am passionate about health and have been learning about many different modalities through the years! I am now focusing on herbs because I think we are going to need their services in the future Currently doing a plant identification course and then a plant medicine making course from May. I also watch as many free videos as I can. I always look for the best in their field (I did my Permaculture Designer Certificate online with Geoff Lawton) and Sajah Popham is just amazing and so generous, he gives out so much free information and always in depth. I'm currently watching his Vitalist mini course (would love to do that maybe next year). He has both a scientific and spiritual background as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda among others and has been able to distill all his knowledge. I've bought his book Evolutionary Herbalism.

Like you I live in Spain and if you speak Spanish I know of a really good herbalist / naturapath in Galicia. He is the cousin of a lady in my village who is really savvy about all things healing. While I haven't needed his services, I did meet him and he is a really lovely human being. If you are interested I will find out where he is based. Another great resource we have here in Spain is Josep Pamies. He sells herbs, seeds and teas both singles and combinations for a huge variety of conditions. His website is https://pamiesvitae.com/es/tienda-online.html and he is another truly wonderful human being. His son is into permaculture.

I have been asked to edit my post. Please check out my full post in the cider press forum.

She is now also trying withania somnifera, ashwaganda and swears that when she had a bad a bad fall and sprained ankle  she didn't any but the initial pain even though the doctor told her to stay off it for 2 weeks that it was the ashwaganda. I recommended it because it is a great pick me up for older people (I'm 66) plus it helps restore natural sleep patterns. Ashwaganda is paricularly great for Vata or Kapha types (cold and dry or cold and damp constitutions.)

As mentioned above, tulsi is another fabulous herb and makes a really tasty tea. Both of them are really, really easy to grow from seed or to buy as plants. When I place an order with pamiesvitae I tend to overorder as the really expensive part is the postage. I harvested the roots from myy one year old ashwaganda plant and the tea was  than the much less bitter an the powder I have been using. I squished one of the berries and just covered it lightly with soil and I now have about 20 seedlings. Just like growing tomatoes (perhaps a bit easier in my climate, but easy enough to grow indoors).

I'm also experimenting with Meadowsweet Ulmaria filipendula for pain relief and my 85 year old friend loved drinking the tea Bayer chose meadowsweet to make aspirin the old scientific name was spirea I tthink. It is more gentle on the stomach than willow bark. But I would not  recommend without knowing more.

If you would like more info on any of the above just let me know or even if you just want to chat I am on skype. I am a retired EFT therapist and if you would like to know more about how you can use it for pain I would be delighted to talk you through it, there is nothing more rewarding than sharing things that have worked for me

Love the herb and spice mix, anything to get more herbs and spices into our diet and great for our health.

But I do feel I need to point out that in any discussion of SALT we need to differentiate between sodium chloride commonly referred to as SALT and sea salt or rock salt. Whereas SALT is a processed condiment and as such bad for our health, a good quality sea salt is excellent for our health as it contains a huge selection of minerals vital to our health. Morevoer it does not raise blood pressure as all the elements are in perfect balance, just as nature intended - god/nature got it right! Obviously, any food, herb, spice etc is bad when eaten in excess.

eric fisher wrote:

I only have access to vermicompost (it's too hot and too dry here to do ordinary composting). I have been making worm compost teas using molasses originally and now have managed to get humic acid and an organic seaweed solution. Any other suggestions? Did try to get fish hydrolyste but couldn't find it locally. I would particularly like to increase the fungal element. I just make the tea in a 5 litre bucket with a bubbler for 36 hours.

Hi Lucy,

You can go a long way with just vermicompost, it is one of those things that is in the awesome category if you look at some of the stats. With your suggestions you already have many of the bases covered.  I would go easy on the molasses because even though it helps generate microbial activity it is not so good for diversity which is something you should aim for. Really your question is very open ended if you have a look a the wild plants you have to hand and know what proportion of essential/beneficial elements they contain you can tailor preparations. For a balanced prep you need the big 3 (NPK), then plenty of micronutrients and traces. It is best that whatever you put in has already broken down and been properly composted or been decomposed in some other suitable way such as whizzing it up finely and encouraging some worm action. Just curious now what kind of food web you have where you are and how these critters could be encouraging to participate in your project.

For a fungal element you could proprietary fungal spores or find some oyster mushroom spores,  but often they need more preparation measures to get things going. You could also try adding some leaf mold to your mix. Alternatively if you want a greater fungal element you could try the IMO (Indigenous Microorganism Tea) method.  For a greater fungal presence it could be as simple as extra woodchip to mulches that have not been treated with retardants etc.

Hi Eric

Thanks so much for your detailed supply and will be checking out in detail your IMO and other suggestions.I am loving this thread.  I'm new to Castellon so it's been a huge adjustment! Sooo dry it's the ants breaking down the wood! (I had wondered why my seeds weren't coming up, until my partner found the ant nest FULL of my seeds, had to admire their ingenuity and hard work as they had moved them quite a distance.) Our village is renowned for having the most millenario olive trees - over 1,300! They grow olives, carobs and almonds. Unfortunately with the EU laws they have to keep the soil bare!!! So most spray with glyphosate, although we now have a growing number of young organic farmers 4 certified and a couple who can't afford to go the certification route. Luckily my plot, not yet developed, has not been worked for 30 years and one of my neighbours has just gone organic, plus I have unworked plots on 2 other sides, so it's only my south boundary that might get some trickle down glyphosate. Sorry, that was a bit long winded but it all impacts my soil food web. I would love a microscope, finances permitting to actually see what's in my worm tea, but opted to do a foraging course instead :) As you say the worms are just amazing (10,000 woofers hard at work LOL) I decided they already had all the science worked out for me.

Thanks again and good luck with the book it sounds awesome!
Lucy

Welcome Eric <3

I only have access to vermicompost (it's too hot and too dry here to do ordinary composting). I have been making worm compost teas using molasses originally and now have managed to get humic acid and an organic seaweed solution. Any other suggestions? Did try to get fish hydrolyste but couldn't find it locally. I would particularly like to increase the fungal element. I just make the tea in a 5 litre bucket with a bubbler for 36 hours.

Thanks

This episode of Remedy is totally dedicated to Lyme disease (his son caught it during the filming of the series and has been cured using the techniques in this episode!

Only up for today!!!

https://remedy1.thesacredscience.com/episode5apl

Hope it helps
Lucy

The tools look fantastic and the belt had me drooling! Unfortunately you don´t ship to Spain

Hi Adam

I´ve messaged Will Loughran on FB and he's happy to connect. Do you have a FB page, let me know what name you go by. I´m just under lucygabzdyl.

A blog would be a great idea. Keep me posted.

Kind regards to you and your wife

Lucy and David

Hi

Sounds fantastic!!! Look forward to hearing more, do you have a FB page, blog or website? I bought a small finca 1.8 hectares in Canet lo Roig, although still renting house in the village for the present. I too love permaculture and have just finished my online PDC with Geoff Lawton - he is sooo amazing learned loads! One of the TAs (Teaching assistants) was Will Loughran who was very helpful and he lives in Tenerife so might be a great contact for you. He is on Facebook as Will Loughran.

Good luck with all your projects!
Lucy

PS My parents were Polish although I was born in the UK and now I feel very Spanish

Hi Molly and Clare
Welcome!
Was wondering if you had ever come across underground rammed earth house building? Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton say it´s the cheapest and quickest way to build following a ring/turkey nest dam/pond design making it flood proof, fire proof etc. I'm looking for anyone with info on the subject and experience building. Would love to build here in Spain and run it as a workshop so looking for a facilitator Would plan on using a digger for the main excavation rather than doing it by hand.
Any help / info would be most welcome.
Thanks
Lucy