In spite of heavy rain on Friday and more on Sunday, we were fortunate to have a clear, if windy day on Saturday for our first herb course, teaching people how to propagate herbs, how to use them in cooking and what to forage.Nettle tea was served on arrival and people were surprised at how nice it tasted, particularly how sweet it was. Interestingly, nettle tea is said to help people suffering from diabetes as it helps to reduce blood sugar. Of course the nettles were freshly picked and definitely organic! Later on, participants were invited to try a wild garlic pesto, which went down very well!
After some gardening and lots of talk on where to grow herbs and what to do with them, we went for a walk around the farm to see what was growing wild and how it could be used. However, we spent some time before hand identifying a number of different plants to help participants feel more comfortable knowing what they were picking and whether it was safe to pick. On our walk we found plenty of chickweed, (great for treating itchy skin), no shortage of dandelions, (a tincture of which is good for treating hangovers!) and meadowsweet whose smell is rather wonderful, reminding me of warmer days to come! Our next event at the farm is the dawn chorus on the 5th May, please see the website for more details.
