Welcome back to Herbal Radio plant-enthusiasts, thank you for joining us for this week’s episode. We had the pleasure of sitting down with our long-time friend and proprietor of Herbcraft, jim mcdonald. Last time jim was our featured guest on Herbal Radio, we shared his enthralling presentation from the Summer 2022 Free Herbalism Project on the virtues of plantain – an infinitely sustainable and resilient plant that often carries the unfortunate reputation of being a pesky weed. Today, jim dives deeper into what constitutes a “weed”, and what allows a botanical to cross over the threshold of what we consider carrying medicinal value. Without giving too much of Thomas and jim’s conversation away, here is a quote from jim to start us off with an introspective thought, “Just because you can’t do everything, doesn’t mean you can’t do anything”. We truly hope you enjoy today’s episode of Herbal Radio, we’re so happy to have you here with us on this botanical ride.
jim mcdonald is an herbalist, manic wildcrafter, and medicine maker in Southeast Michigan (that cool state that looks like a mitten you can see from space) where he teaches, sees clients, wildharvests, and concocts herbal formulas. In 1994, jim's life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon. Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of Southeast Michigan has centered itself on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him. His approach to herbalism is a blend of traditional folk and Indigenous influences mixed up with a bit of 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism. He weaves his sense of humor and discretionary irreverence to his approach so as not to appear too serious about life! Jim hosts the websites www.herbcraft.org & herbcraft.podia.com, which list his offerings and conveys his thoughts on plants and herbalism (and if you’ve ever wondered, the lack of capitalization is an homage to e.e. cummings).
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