Upcoming Educational Webinars

Join The Lilium Initiative in these upcoming inspiring talks from local farmers, herbalists and authors.

Asian Medicinal Flora: Towards a Sustainable Future with Dr. Jasmine Rose Oberste, DACM

Thursday, May 18, 2023

5:00 PM 7:00 PM

This presentation will identify some of the challenges to sustainability of East Asian medicinal herbs, examine growth habits of some commonly used herbs in terms of hardiness and climate zones, explore climate shifts already occurring and project into the future with consideration on how farmers may work to adapt to a shifting climate. 

Dr. Jasmine Rose Oberste, DACM, is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, certified Functional Medicine practitioner licensed in California and Hawaii and practices permaculture in a community-based restorative agriculture setting of schools and developing community gardens. She founded the Chinese Herb Garden, a non-profit project sponsored by Three Treasures Institute with the mission of promoting the sustainable use of Asian medicinal flora. www.chineseherbgarden.org

THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR ALL LILIUM INITIATIVE MEMBERS. BECOME A MEMBER AND ATTEND MANY OF OUR EVENTS FREE OF CHARGE HERE.

IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THIS EVENT WITH A SLIDING SCALE DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION HERE.

Registration for this event will open on April 25th, 2023 at 12pm PDT.

Qing Hao, Huang Lian, and Dan Shen: Historical perspectives and Modern Research with Toby Daly, Ph.D., L.Ac.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

5:00 PM 7:00 PM

In this Lilium Initiative discussion, we will explore the history, clinical application, and latest research on Qing Hao (Artemisia annuae Herba), Huang Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma), and Dan Shen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix). These explorations will include these medicinal substance's Nobel Prize winning applications that benefit millions of people every year. We will also look at these herbs' ability to address the virulent epidemic qualities of the Chinese medical pattern Gu Syndrome. We will discuss our three herb's bioactive components, including components that have been shown to regulate glucose levels so effectively that they are comparable to current first-line diabetic treatments. Finally, we will investigate their ability to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular diseases which are among the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide.

Throughout the discussion, a special emphasis will be placed on research that is not solely focused on isolated bioactive components extracted from the medicinals, but instead on research involving the entire crude medicinal. This emphasis will include a look at the first ever herbal formula to progress through FDA clinical trials. This formula's efficacy and lack of side effects propelled it through its trials and it will soon be submitted to regulatory authorities for approval for use in the general population.

Toby received his undergraduate degree in Food Science from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He began studying Chinese medicine in 1997 with Sunim Doam, a Korean monk trained in the Saam tradition. He earned his master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2002 upon completion of training at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco and Chengdu University in China.

During his four years of training in San Francisco, he interned with the prominent acupuncturist Dr. Angela Wu and learned to apply the lofty theories he was studying in school into the pragmatic setting of a busy clinic. In 2013, he developed the Chinese Nutritional Strategies app to provide digital access to the wealth of Chinese dietary wisdom. In 2016, he completed a PhD in Classical Chinese Medicine under the guidance of 88th generation Daoist priest Jeffery Yuen. In 2021, he developed the Chinese Medical Characters app to enable direct access to foundational Chinese medical terms and concepts. 

His first book, An Introduction to Chinese Medicine, will be published in April 2023.

Herbal Spotlight: Huang Qin

Herbal Spotlight

Scutellaria baicalensis

Huang Qin

Baikal Skullcap

Scutellaria baicalensis, photo courtesy of Robyn Klein

This member of the mint family has at least 300 species in the same genus. This species has been used in China for at least 2,000 years (Foster and Chongxi, 34). 

Scutellaria baicalensis is a perennial that grows 1½ feet tall by 2 feet wide. Leaves are opposite, lance shaped to linear ½ - 1 ½ inch long with many branches that terminate in purple-blue flowers. It flowers from July-August.  Scutellaria baicalensis likes high, dry, sandy mountain soils in northeast China and north of the Yangtze River. Major production includes the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Heibei, Nei Mongol, and Shanxi. 

Scutellaria baicalensis prefers full sun, is drought tolerant and hardy. It must have good soil drainage. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to at least 9. They do not tolerate saline conditions well. Do not overwater. Germination occurs in 15-20 days. 2 and 3 year old plants can be used for seed collection. 

Roots can be dug in Spring or Autumn, Spring preferred. Harvest plants 3-4 years of age. Root is dried in partial sunshine until ½ dry, then root bark scraped off or after ½ dried it can be sliced thinly and fully dried. 

Herbal Uses

As an herbal medicine it is considered bitter and cold. It enters the gallbladder, large intestine, lung and stomach channels. It purges fire and expels damp heat, especially from the upper burner (Bensky, 75). It clears heat and stops bleeding. It clears heat and calms the fetus when the fetus moves recklessly (Bensky, 76). Huang Qin has been shown to lower blood pressure with no reported side-effects. It has shown great effectiveness in the treatment of chronic hepatitis (Foster and Chongxi, 36).

Sources

1. Foster, Steven and Chongxi, Yue. Herbal Emissaries. 1992. Healing Arts Press. Rochester, VT. 

2. Bensky, Dan and Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. 1986. Eastland Press. Seattle, WA. 

3. Shafer, Peg. The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm. 2011. Chelsea Green Publishing. White River Junction, VT.

Photo courtesy of Robyn Klein

Spring Wind Spring Inventory

Photo courtesy of Ron Dunham

Our spring offerings through Spring Wind are:

Yi Mu Cao - Leonuri Herba

Han Lian Cao / Mo Han Lian - Ecliptae Herba 

Xia Ku Cao - Prunellae Spica

Qing Hao - Artemisia annua Herba

Bo He - Menthae Herba

Ju Hua - Chrysanthemum morifolium Flos

Hong Hua - Carthami Flos

Jing Jie - Schizonepetae Herba

She Gan - Belmacandae Rhizoma

Ye Ju Hua - Chrysanthemi indici Flos

Bai He - Lilii bulbus (coming soon!)

Many of the others have already sold out, but keep checking back on the Spring Wind website as there will be more posted very soon. Please inquire with Spring Wind Herbs directly to get the most up-to-date inventory!

New Board Members of 2023

Please join us in welcoming our newest board members of 2023! 

We want to introduce you to some incredible herbalists, writers, researchers, farmers and all around amazing human beings that have jumped on board the Lilium Initiative boat. We couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the team. Please read their bios to get a sense of the wonderful people representing your interests and this movement. We are sure this will be a generative and inspiring year with their added knowledge and skills. 

Andi Houston

Andi Houston is the Clinic Manager for Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Gainesville, Florida and owner of Three Treasures Medicinal Herb Farm. She has worked for the Academy since 2008 and has managed the herbal dispensary since 2014. She has been a passionate gardener for her entire adult life and dabbled in Western herbs since the mid 90's. Her interest in growing Chinese medicinal herbs was sparked in 2012 by reading an article by Jean Giblette of High Falls Garden and the book "Herbal Emissaries: Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West" by Steven Foster. She began seeking herbs to test in her humid 9A climate and purchased a small piece of property just a few years later when her herb garden outgrew her small yard, focusing on forest-grown medicinal herbs for the humid subtropics. Since then, she has traveled to Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, and all over Florida connecting with other herb growers and teachers. This led to the formation of the Florida Herbal Cooperative in 2018, which is currently on hiatus. Andi has been volunteering with the Lilium Initiative since finding an LI postcard in a Spring Wind Herbs shipment in late 2019.

Colleen Hayes

Colleen Hayes has over 20 years experience working with ornamental, edible and medicinal plants in various settings. Her academic background in environmental health gave her an understanding of the American health care industry and fueled her desire for something different. Her appreciation and ongoing casual study of traditional Chinese medicine led her to focus on growing herbs for medicinal use. Though she no longer operates an herb farm, she still wants to see an increase in the cultivation and processing of herbs in the United States. She currently works for an organic certifier, reviewing farms' compliance with the organic regulations. She loves to cook, tend plants, listen to music and read non-fiction.

Erin Wilkins

Erin Masako Wilkins is an Asian American herbalist and acupuncturist. Her clinical work is rooted in Eastern energetic theory - tapping into her own ancestral healing traditions to empower others to restore health and prevent illness. She has been a practicing herbalist for over a decade specializing in Asian folk remedies and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is passionate about applying Eastern energetics to domestically grown herbs and herbal medicine.  

A seasoned educator, her classes include Asian American herbalism and folk traditions, TCM theory, seasonal wellness, and community care workshops. Erin has a master’s degree from the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley, CA. Her book, “Asian American Herbalism: Traditional and Modern Wellness Practices for Everyday Wellness” is set for publication in Fall 2023. To learn more about her work visit HerbFolkShop.com

Pam Sherman

Pam Sherman researches and writes about food and medicine crop plants in regenerative agriculture, gardening, and landscaping and is particularly interested in the integration of Chinese Medicinal plants in these areas.

Robyn Klein, M.S.

Robyn’s herbal education includes Dominion Herbal College (1982) and Southwest School of Botanical Medicine(1995). After completing a MSc degree in plant sciences (2004), and as an adjunct instructor at Montana State University, she’s been teaching plant identification and ethnobotany to K-12 teachers. Her gardens are a mix of native, Chinese, and European medicinal species, and the odd carrot. Her favorite hobby is diving into rabbit holes, a.k.a., phytosleuthing medicinal plants.

Spring Asian Medicinal Seeds Available

We would like to share the availability of high-quality, organically certified Asian medicinal seeds available from Jonathan Major at Still Moon Farm. Please get in touch with him directly to place an order.

We are an Independent Nonprofit!

Please celebrate with us our 1 year anniversary of being an independent non-profit! Last April we left the umbrella of our friends at the Sonoma County Herb Association and attained our own official 501(c)(3) non-profit status. 

So please tell a friend, tell your family, and make a tax-deductible donation today to ensure the possibility of a safe, regenerative herb trade for us and for our future!

Herbal Spotlight

Astragalus membranaceus

Pin Yin Medicinal Name: Huang Qi

Common Name: Astragalus or Milk Vetch

Astragalus membranaceus, commonly known as Milk Vetch, and as Huang Qi in Pin Yin, is one of the most popular Chinese herbs for tonifying qi. It is sweet and slightly warm and enters the spleen and lung meridians. It is used to stop sweating, replenish vital energy, to consolidate defensive qi (which translates to increasing immune function), to regulate water metabolism and to accelerate the healing of wounds (Him-che Yeung C.A.,O.M.D., Ph.D., Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas Vol.1). It is part of the formulas Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and Yu Ping Feng San. Yu Ping Feng San has been a very popular formula in the last 2 years because it is used preventatively against external pathogens like colds and flus. It is the base formula for many of the preventative measures taken at Chinese hospitals currently for hospital staff. 

Huang Qi has also been studied for its impact on the immune system. In a literature review from the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the authors concluded that Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceus), “promotes the development of immune organs, enhances mucosal immune function, increases the quantity and phagocytic capacity of innate immunity, promotes the maturation and differentiation of acquired immunity cells, and improves the expression of antibodies in acquired immunity” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/).

Astragalus membranaceus is in the pea family and can grow in USDA hardiness zones 4-10. It needs very good drainage and sandy soil and is drought-tolerant. It can be direct-seeded in the spring and can vary in seed emergence from 2-4 weeks. The roots should be harvested in the Fall or Spring after 4 years of growth (Schafer, The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm).

Huang Qi makes a wonderful addition to broths and soups to support the immune system and bring more energy. Ask your acupuncturist about its use in a formula that’s right for you. 

Farmer's Corner

I met with Farmer Ron Dunham over Zoom in late January to talk with him about his experiences with farming, health and herbs. Ron grew up farming with his father first in Illinois and then Iowa. He continued to grow in backyards and on his parents’ land during his childhood and young adult life. 

While living in Atlanta, he experienced a healing crisis from years of working around toxic chemicals in landscaping, carpentry and cabinetmaking industries. He would later be diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. He relocated to Asheville for cleaner air, where he attended an herbal studies program. After graduating from this program, he continued his herbal studies in Alabama with a fourth generation Creek medicine woman, who taught the art of ethical wildcrafting, among many other skills. He would wildcraft as well as wild tend herbs in the forests there including Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa). His love for wildcrafting has continued and he harvests sustainably from the wild to this day. 

I asked Ron more about his farm today in California. 

Peregrine: What are you growing? Are you growing herbs and vegetables? 

Ron: I only grow a little bit of vegetables just for us. But I am currently growing Zhi Mu [Anemarrhena asphodeloides], Elecampane [Inula helenium], Echinacea purpurea, She Gan [Iris domestica], Goji berries [Lycium barbarum], jujubees [Ziziphus jujuba], two varieties of chrysanthemums, safflower, and saffron. 

Peregrine: What USDA hardiness zone are you in?

Ron: Depending on who you read it’s 9a or 9b. We get 20-30 frosts per year. They’re not hard frosts, they're gone as soon as the sun comes out. We have had a couple of snows. We do have temperatures of 110° - 140° during the summer.

Peregrine: So you work only at night in the summer?

Ron: We start at 6 until 2pm.

Peregrine: So it’s you, your girlfriend and did you say you hire people too?

Ron: Yeah, it’s really hard to find people that are good. No one wants to weed. Sometimes I have found good people but then they move on. I have hired up to 10 people for weeding sometimes but usually we have just 1 or 2 people working. 

Peregrine: What do you hope to grow or change on your farm in the future?

Ron: Huang Qin [Scutellaria baicalensis] Dan Shen [Salvia miltiorrhiza] can grow here. I haven’t really tried yet, but I’d like to try those. Leslie, my girlfriend, wants to grow cut flowers too so we’re going to start that. I’m 62 years old. I am not as energetic as I used to be. I’d like to get the farm really going and then sell it in the next few years. I need to get a farm manager. 

Peregrine: How many acres do you have? 

Ron: We’re on 13 acres give or take.

Peregrine: What are you wild harvesting? 

Ron: California peony is a great medicinal. There’s a lot of Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) which is in the borage family. 

Peregrine: Are you certified organic? 

Ron: I am not certified organic. I do organic farming. I have chronic illness and multiple chemical sensitivities, so I can’t use any chemicals or it will make me sick. I have the application and I am working on it. There’s an organic farm near me who is helping me to work on certificates to get up and running. 

Peregrine: Do you make a profit on the farm? 

Ron: We would have this year but we only harvested 10% of the Ju Hua, because we couldn’t get enough people to help us harvest. But if we did I would have made a large profit. 

We are grateful Ron joined us for this interview. Ron is a farmer in San Luis Obispo as well as a current Board Member at LI. He has grown Ju Hua - Chrysanthemum morifolium for the Lilium Initiative. 

Donate to Lilium Initiative

Help expand the potential of Asian medicinal herbs grown sustainably in the U.S.

Join our movement by making a donation today that will support ecological farmers and TCM practitioners as well as the health of patients and our planet.

Consider making a donation as small as $5 or as large as $5,000 to the Lilium Initiative for the 2022 calendar year now, everything helps us achieve our goals! Donations are tax-deductible.

Join Us!

Thank you to all of our members for keeping us going in 2022!

With your help we have made great strides this year. And we cannot do it without you! Please renew your membership for 2023 so we can bring more educational opportunities for farmers and practitioners as well as  access to high quality herbs for patients and the planet. 

If you’re not a member yet, become one today and help us do more good work in 2023!