A few nights ago, a lucky group of us got to spend the evening with herbalist Mischa Schuler talking about all of the medicinal plants in the mint family. Who knew the mint family had so many plant allies? Of course most of us know about peppermint, which is obviously a mint, but what about wood betony and bergamot? Did you know that rosemary and lavender are mints?

Opening her talk with an image from the book “Botany in a Day”, (which is a favorite of mine and Mischa also strongly recommends!) we learned some key identifying features for these plants. Square stems, opposite leaves, “mint” flowers (5 fused petals), and an aromatic smell will just about guarantee your plant is in the mint family. Mints can support multiple body systems including our digestive, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and nervous systems.

What is amazing to me is the subtleties of working with these plants. For example, Mischa describes a nervine stimulant as a plant that will be both soothing on the nervous system but also keep us alert. Peppermint has a cooling effect in that it dilates blood vessels, bringing them closer to the surface of the skin and release heat — but only if you drink it hot. Wood betony can be used to bolster self-confidence, while skullcap is useful for letting go of other’s opinions about us.

Mischa brought dried plant material to pass around and tinctures for us to taste. The highlight of the evening was the sharing of lemon balm tea. Together, we made a brew of the dried leaves and allowed them to steep while we continued a conversation about the benefits of this incredible plant. We then sipped it together, taking a long moment of silence to really feel into the experience. I was struck by how alive the tea felt in my body, like it was traveling from my tongue to my belly to all the peripheral places, fingers and toes. In early March, when the snow is still on the ground and it feels as though spring may never come, this aliveness is a welcome sensation.

Mischa has a way of bringing the spirit of the plants to the foreground. Her knowledge shines through in a totally unpretentious way – she so obviously loves what she does and does it for the right reasons. If you are at all interested in how plants can be used as medicine, I highly recommend signing up for her Beginner Herbalism Garden Series. This series will take place over 4 weeks in May in Mischa’s yurt, as the plants begin to emerge from their winter slumber. Learn more or sign up here!

It’s permablitz planning season and you’re invited!

•Are you part of a community group that could benefit from increased access to your own fruits and vegetables? From reduced water or electricity bills?

•Are you an organization doing community organizing or direct support work that has an idea for the way that small-scale energy or food/medicine production could support your work?

•Are you a tenant or a renter in an urban area wanting to increase your access to fruits and vegetables, decrease water or electric bills, and learn about and demonstrate urban gardening techniques?

•Are you a property owner in a rural, urban, or suburban area looking to build your household’s resilience and also committed to building equity in your community by leveraging your property towards community benefit? (This could look like land sharing agreements, building a community gathering space, creating a neighborhood food distribution network with surplus, running a community research project on soil remediation, etc.)

The Resilience Hub is seeking proposals for projects to build community-scale resilience for this year’s season of permablitz work parties! To apply with your idea for hosting, fill out this form!

The Portland Permablitz Network organizes work parties to build projects that increase resilience through backyard or neighborhood food production, energy generation, water catchment, and community-building. We take a permaculture approach – a way of designing that mimics nature’s patterns. Together, we can accomplish in a day what it might take an individual or small group a whole season to complete. We will convene 5-6 permablitz work parties from May through November this year.

Do you know groups or individuals that might be interested? No permaculture experience necessary! Can you pass the word along?

To apply with a proposal for hosting, fill out this form by April 1!
Please contact Kate at kate@resiliencehub.org if you have any questions. Thanks so much!

Why participate in a Group Order? Get a discount, order great stuff, have your plants delivered to Portland, and support the work of permaculture education here in Maine.

1. For all inquiries regarding orders, email at kate@resiliencehub.com.
2. You can use the paper Fedco Tree catalog if you have one or the online catalog to put together your wish list. Order early, as popular items tend to sell out.
3. Log into Fedco Trees using your email address and follow the directions given here. When you review your order prior to checking out, click the “Part of a Group” button as your shipping option. Then go to “Checkout Securely” and type in our group order number: 49801.
4. You will not pay on the Fedco site, but you will click here to send your total amountto The Resilience Hub. We collect the money and make one big payment to Fedco in order to qualify for the discount.
5. You need to place your order with Fedco and make your payment to us by the ORDER DEADLINE OF JANUARY 11, 2019.
6. PIckup up your order in Portland at the end of April. Depending on how much of a discount we receive, we will process a refund* back to you via PayPal.

We will be organizing 2 or 3 members with trucks to drive up and get all our stuff on Friday April 26th. Your order will be available for pickup in Portland on the afternoon of April 26th and over the course of the 27th and 28th weekend. More details about the specific location and times for pickup will be shared closer to the date.

Kate will be available to help out with any order problems or shortages after the fact.

Here’s to more perennial food in the landscape!

* Depending on the size of our order, Fedco will issue a discount of between 10% and 20%. Then sales tax will be added back in, we will put a bit of money toward fuel for the volunteers who drive to Fedco and bring the order back down to Portland, and a bit of money toward a stipend for the order coordinator. You will get at least 10% back, support the Hub and contribute to a reduced number of vehicles driving up and back for pickup!