12/08/2026
Playing this morning, keeping cool, milling a mix of herbs that I’ve grown - Hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis; Wood betony, Stachys officinalis; Mugwort, Artemesia vulgaris; and Elecampane, Inula helenium.
I shall add this mix as an inclusion, a botanical blend, along with a small quantity of cooked elderberries to add diversity, flavour, and additional nutrients. This is the time of harvesting these plants, reaching back to our ancestral way of collecting a wide range of foods to include in our diet - seasonal and diverse.
Diversity is one of the key factors affecting our gut health, and with a family prone to gut disorders and dysregulation I’m delving into this approach wholeheartedly.
As a scholarship student of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell at The Sourdough School I’m deeply appreciative of the research and time-served by Vanessa in baking sourdough and her deep-dive into the connections between soil health and gut health.
I’m incorporating this knowledge into planning a Forest garden/Market garden, as well as ancient grain trials on a smallholding I steward, with the generous support of .tacheron farm. I’ll be collaborating with others, and sharing my plans at the upcoming Regen Gathering Jersey to perhaps invite others to become involved.
Meanwhile, baking sourdough on this eclipse day is my way of remaining grounded and resourced, as my 89 yr old mother is recovering from a stroke in hospital. Hopefully, she’ll be able to taste a little tomorrow.
🌿