Healing on the Farm

Over the weekend, one of our campers came down with a bug. Her father, Baruch, is on our farm staff and is a master herbalist. He has spent much of the past few days at her side, providing her support and love. As you can imagine, this can be somewhat draining. At the same time, many of the herbs that we had started in anticipation of his arrival to camp, desperately needed to get in the ground and Baruch was eager to spend sometime in the field.

The days this week have been hot and dry, and the plants on the field are thirsty. Mid-day is a hard time to be in the direct sun, but evenings have been cool and breezy, and sunsets have been rejuvenating and refreshing.

So around dusk on Sunday, Baruch came out to the field to plant some Evening Primrose and Echinacea. A few years back, when I was on Oz Farm in northern California, Baruch came to lead a plant walk for the group of students I was with. He said that in herbal medicine, we develop relationships with plants and their healing qualities that are very different than the relationship we have with more Western medicine. He shared that once he has a deeper connection with a particular plant, he no longer needs to consume it to benefit from its medicinal value. He can simply sit next to it, or even think about it, and immediately begin to feel its effects.

On Sunday, Baruch sought some healing, not only for himself, but also for his daughter, simply by planting the herbs he cares so much about. By placing himself back in his element, he was able to draw strength from the plants, and have more strength to share with others. We all wish Baruch and his daughter the best and are sending out vibes for a quick and speedy recovery.

P.S. The plant in the picture is Tulsi, known for its healing qualities in Ayurvedic medicine.