This week on Herbal Radio, join Minneapolis-based herbalists Emily Pearson Ryan, Lise Wolff, and Ashley Marie Elenbaas as they reflect with Jiling Lin on herbal mutual aid and rapid-response herbalism during Operation Metro Surge (December 2025 - February 2026).

Listen in as we discuss:

• How herbalists creatively showed up under pressure, including making house calls, hosting pop-ups and community nights, practicing street herbalism, and offering other forms of community support. This included herbal donations from the wider herbal community and cheer and other forms of support from even wider circles.
• Convenient herbal preparations to serve as many people as possible in a short time, including teas,tinctures, flower essences, aroma sprays, and sachets.
• Commonly used herbal categories during this time, such as immuno-supportive and warming botanicals, and herbs to support the nervous system, especially for sleep and during trauma.
• Some herbal rockstars, including California poppy, anise hyssop, roses, and “sunshine plants” like calendula, St. John’s wort, and goldenrod.
• Discerning healthy stress and anger— instead of simply stress reduction for everyone, every time.
• The power of collaboration and simple medicines during crisis care. Asking, “How can I contribute?” then slowing down, seeing where help is needed, then acting where needed— and remembering to stay flexible, and be easy with yourself.

Learn more about these herbalists below!

🌼 Emily Pearson Ryan is a mother, partner, tender of transitions, practicing herbalist and wearer of many hats, who supports her community through plant medicine, ritual, and keeping an open door. Emily has surprised her young self by staying put, and has now lived most of her life several miles from the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, in the city of Minneapolis, Mni Sota Makoce.

Visit Emily Pearson Ryan at www.lowlandplantmedicine.com

🌸 Lise Wolff empowers communities through the healing power of local plants. She gathers and prepares regional botanicals for her South Minneapolis apothecary, where she offers private consultations. Through her Three Seasons of Herbal Wisdom courses, Lise trains aspiring herbalists to apply plant remedies in their own neighborhoods and everyday lives.

Visit Lise Wolff at www.herbalistlisewolff.com

🌺 Ashley Marie Elenbaas, M.Sc., RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist, educator, and founder of Sky House Herb School and Apothecary. During the ICE raids in Minneapolis, she helped organize mutual aid, bringing community members together to prepare and distribute herbal care kits for families and workers sheltering in place. Her work connects herbal education with community care.

Visit Ashley Marie Elenbaas at skyhouseherbs.com

🪷 Jiling Lin is an acupuncturist and herbalist in coastal southern California. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer. Visit her at JilingLin.com and get her free Nourishing Life (養生) template and Five Phases (五行) outline. Join Jiling's newsletter for seasonal beauty, and updates on her coming book! (Anticipated publication 2028)

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Check out the video version of this interview on YouTube!

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Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.

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