Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People

My mission is to make herbal medicine available and useful to regular people in everyday life. The folks I learned herbal medicine from in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, were practical people. They were farmers and woodsmen - traditional, conservative, Christian, Appalachian people with deep family roots in the area. Preparedness, survival and living off the land were natural parts of life - gathering, growing and using herbs was as practical and common sense a tradition and skill, as growing a vegetable garden, hunting, fishing and trapping, food preservation and storage, doing your own home repairs or working on your own vehicle. In the rural mountains, down dirt roads and far from towns, folks simply did not have easy access to doctors, nor the money to pay medical bills. Rugged, self-reliant people maintained the herbal traditions of their ancestors. It is a sign that I am doing things right, that new generations who also value rugged individualism and self-reliance trust me to hand on the information I learned from those who have passed.

Many herbals have been written over the last 3,000 years or so, but I know of no other book that has ever made practical, common sense information on herbal medicine so readily available to people of all skill levels and experience.

The Prepper will find instructions on herbal first aid and herbs that can be used in emergency situations. This section places an emphasis on herbal preparedness in the case of supply chain disruptions or when doctors are not available and prescription medications simply cannot be purchased. This covers many topics, including bleeding, injuries, pain, bites and stings, burns, shock, diarrhea and much more - what herbs to have on hand and how to use them.

The Homesteader will learn about treating common family illnesses such as colds and flus, allergies, sleep remedies for complaints common to men, women and children and many other issues that an individual or family may expect in the course of normal life. We discuss growing herbs and finding them in the wild. Extensive information is given on how to make your own herbal medicine - infusions, decoctions, tinctures, poultices, oils, salves, lotions, lozenges, syrups, etc., and even how to make herbal wines and beers.

The Permaculture folks will learn about how to integrate herbs into their designs. We discuss strategies for incorporating herbs into the Permaculture zones for convenience and abundance. Advanced concepts are covered in this section, such as herbal energetics, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms and ferments. This section is unique in that it is not about using herbs for specific conditions, but embracing an herbal lifestyle to keep us in optimum health and (hopefully) avoid disease as much as possible.

Throughout this book, I share with you the lessons I learned from my great grandparents who lived into their late 90s, strong and healthy with little need for doctors. I discuss the agrarian lifestyle and diets of the old mountain people from whom I learned. I also share with you a great deal of German Folk Medicine, another tradition that I was blessed to be exposed to in my childhood and which has become a big part of my own herbal tradition. Finally, I discuss the traditions of specifically Christian herbal medicine, from the Monastic Medicine to the current day. I believe it vital that this rich history not be forgotten.

"BUT WAIT," you may ask, "What if I am not a Prepper, Homesteader or a Permaculture practitioner? Will this book be useful for me?"

YES! This book should be useful for anyone who is interested in learning about herbs and how to use them. Anywhere you are on the Prepper to Permaculture spectrum... or, if you are not in that spectrum at all - if you are a college student or an urbanite - if you are interested in herbs and how to use them, this book should serve as a guide.