Prairies are one of the rarest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest — and restoring them starts with seeds. In this episode of Hands on Plants, I’m visiting the South Sound Prairies seed farm in Tenino, WA, where thousands of pounds of native wildflower seeds are grown each year to bring prairies back to life. Join me and seed specialist Justine Mischka for a behind-the-scenes tour of the farm: - How seeds are harvested with specialized tools like seed vacuums and combines - The drying sheds, seed storage containers, and cleaning machines that prepare seed for the field - Amplification beds where wild-collected seed is scaled up for restoration - The dedicated people making large-scale prairie restoration possible This YouTube version gives you the full farm tour — if you’d like to see the extended cut with even more behind-the-scenes details, that’s available on my Patreon. 👉 Volunteer with South Sound Prairies: https://www.cnlm.org/donate-get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/#1686003001633-7b13ac34-80b7 👉 Join their mailing list: https://www.cnlm.org/donate-get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/#1686003001639-e4e01935-c5fe 🌱 Support the Hands On Plants series + get access to extended cuts and monthly classes: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist 🎥 Subscribe to follow along as we visit more inspiring plant people for the Hands on Plants series! 📚 Check out my books: - Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/edible-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest - Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest - https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/medicinal-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest

✨ My New Book Is Here! ✨ I’m so excited to share my brand-new book: Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest (published by Skipstone). In this video, I’ll take you on a tour through the pages—showing you the in-depth plant profiles, recipes, and the many photos that make this book a true field companion for foragers, gardeners, and plant lovers. Inside you’ll find: 🌱 Sustainability at the heart of every entry (always leaving some for wildlife). 🌱 Multiple ID photos for each plant at different stages of growth. 🌱 Practical information and harvesting tips. 🌱 A recipe for every plant to bring your foraging finds into the kitchen. I also share a bit about my writing journey—from my first book Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest, to this one, and even a sneak peek of my next project: a Winter Twig ID Guide. 📖 Get the books: Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest → https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/edible-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest-a-visual-guide-to-harvesting-and-cooking-with-40-common-species Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest → https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/medicinal-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest-a-visual-guide-to-harvesting-and-healing-with-35-common-species 🌿 Stay connected: Join my newsletter for updates → subscribepage.io/vTL6LC Support my work on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/adiantumschool/ Thank you for being here and for supporting this path—it means the world to me! 💚 #EdiblePlants #PacificNorthwest #Foraging

What does ethical wildcrafting look like in practice? In this interview, herbalist and teacher Sean Croke shares his thoughts on harvesting with reciprocity, wild plant propagation, the complexities of invasive species, and the constant project of planting trees on his small section of the black river— including how beavers have been munching through many of his newly planted trees. Sean runs The Hawthorn School of Plant Medicine, where he offers a 9-month program in which he teaches about plant propagation, plant communication, herbal medicine making, and sustainable wildcrafting practices rooted in respect for the land. This conversation blends practical knowledge with thoughtful perspectives on how humans can participate in the ecosystem in ways that nourish both people and place. 🔗 Learn more about Sean: The Hawthorn School of Plant Medicine: https://hawthorn-school.weebly.com/our-philosophy.html Order Sean’s Book: https://revelore.press/product/one-time-around-the-wheel/ 🌱 Support the Hands On Plants series + get access to extended cuts and monthly classes: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist 🎥 Subscribe to follow along as we visit more inspiring plant people for the Hands on Plants series!

Join me for an inspiring visit to Friends of the Trees Botanicals, where father-son duo Skeeter and Ashley Pilarski are growing over 80 species of medicinal herbs on a quarter-acre permaculture plot in Chimacum, Washington. You'll hear about soil-building tips, how the farm supports wildlife, some of the plants they grow on the farm, and about the productive hedgerows they cultivate for free on the Finn River orchard. This is part of my Hands on Plants video series, featuring herbalists, foragers, farmers, and plant lovers around the Pacific Northwest and beyond. I hope you'll follow along as I visit more inspiring people, and leave supportive comments and likes to keep me going. Friends of the Trees Youtube Channels: https://www.youtube.com/@PlantWizardSkeeter https://www.youtube.com/@friendsofthetreessociety8540 🔗 Learn more about Friends of the Trees Botanicals: https://friendsofthetreesbotanicals.com/ 🌱 Support this series + get access to monthly herbal classes: https://www.patreon.com/backcountryherbalist 🎥 Subscribe to follow along as we visit more inspiring plant people. #herbfarm #permaculture #medicinalplants #friendsofthetrees #planttour #herbalism #nativeplants #backcountryherbalist #handsonplants

I hop on my bike to search for black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) berries—one of my favorite late-summer wild foods. In this video, I show you how to find them, how to tell when they’re ripe, how to identify them confidently, and what makes them special as both food and medicine. I also share some tips on ethical harvesting and what to look for in their natural range. If you're curious about herbal medicine, wild food foraging, or just want to feel more connected to the land around you, you're in the right place. 📚 Check out my books: - Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/edible-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest - Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest - https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/medicinal-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest 🌿 Support my work & join my monthly live classes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe if you want to learn more about wild plants, folk herbalism, and reconnecting with the land. #foraging #hawthorn #herbalism #wildfoods #blackhawthorn #crataegusdouglasii #pnwplants

Join me for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Oxbow Native Plant Nursery, where native plants are grown from seed and sold at their native plant sales and stand. We dive into ecotypic seed sourcing, seed treatments, biological pest control, and why growing native plants from seed matters. This nursery really goes above and beyond to be a force for good in the plant world. Whether you're a gardener, land steward, or just curious about native plant production, this tour is full of insight and inspiration. Links mentioned in the video: Neonicotinoid-free (systemic insecticide) nursery list - https://pollinatorpathwaynw.org/neonic-free-nurseries/ Xerces Society for Invertebrate conservation - https://xerces.org/ 👇 Chapters: 0:00 Intro to Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center 3:40 Ecotypic Seed Sourcing 4:27 Seed Stratification and Scarification 9:14 Seed Germination 12:45 Fertilizers + Pest Management 15:08 Biological Pest Control 17:21 Cultural Pest Control 18:26 Chemical Pest Control 20:44 Where the Plants End Up 23:42 Why They Don’t Use Systemic Insecticides 27:59 Greenhouse + Shade Cloths 29:02 Irrigation and Watering 31:27 Snowberry 35:34 Why Grow from Seed 📍 Learn more about Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center's Native Plant Nursery: WEBSITE: https://www.oxbow.org/native-plant-nursery/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/oxbowcenter/?hl=en 🌱 Support my storytelling and slow media work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist 🧡 Thanks for watching! If you love native plants, ecological restoration, or thoughtful farming, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more videos like this. #NativePlants #OxbowFarm #EcologicalRestoration #SeedSourcing #NativePlantNursery #BiologicalPestControl #PNWPlants

What’s it really like to run an herb farm? 🌿 In this video, I visit Ben, the herbalist-farmer behind Root Digger Farm in Olympia, Washington. As he prepares his monthly CSA boxes full of fresh medicinal herbs, we chat about his journey into farming, what keeps him inspired, and the deeper mission behind his work. We cover: – Why Ben started farming herbs – What his herbal and farming education looked like – The realities and challenges of small-scale herb farming – Mulching, soil care, and habitat stewardship (yes, even pocket gophers!) – The vision he holds for a stronger, more connected medicinal herb grower community – What a CSA is, and why he chose it as the model for his business Whether you’re an herbalist, aspiring grower, or simply curious about what it takes to grow herbs for a living, this conversation will nourish and inspire. 👉 Learn more about Root Digger Farm and sign up for his CSA: https://rootdiggerherbfarm.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorpodFAPscVDntkz2jWqmshfDFelrTcGyGUpE76GSWqwFf6rKZP 📘 Grab a copy of my book Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://amzn.to/4ewPAD7 ✨ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want more videos like this!

Three years ago, I had a dream to write a book. Now I’m on my third book deal—with some ideas for a fourth book in the works. In this video, I share the full story of how I went from a self-publishing novice to an experienced published author. I’ll walk you through: 🌿 Why I chose to self-publish my first book 📚 What it was really like to edit, design, and launch on Kickstarter 💼 How I landed a traditional publishing deal—and what that meant financially 📣 Marketing wins (TV spots, bestseller lists, and hardware store shelves!) 📝 Tips for writing pitches and building author skills 💡 Why choosing the right publisher for your niche matters 📖 How my background in herbalism, foraging, and teaching helped me build a loyal readership Whether you're dreaming of publishing your first book or navigating next steps as a writer, I hope this behind-the-scenes look gives you inspiration, guidance, and real-world insight. 👉 Like + subscribe for more on wild foods, herbalism, and the creative process MY FIRST BOOK: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/medicinal-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest-a-visual-guide-to-harvesting-and-healing-with-35-common-species PREORDER MY SECOND BOOK: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/edible-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest-a-visual-guide-to-harvesting-and-cooking-with-40-common-species MY PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist #publishingjourney #authorlife #selfpublishing #bookdeal #herbalism #writingtips #creativeentrepreneur

Come wander through my wild kitchen + apothecary! In this video, I’m sharing a peek at the many foraged and handmade projects I’ve got going right now — from bubbling ferments to pine needle baskets, medicinal salves, botanical inks, and more. This is part of my seasonal rhythm: small, earthy projects that connect me to the land and invite slowness, creativity, and care. Projects featured include: • pine needle proofing basket (ponderosa pine needles and waxed linen thread) • sourdough bread • aronia berry and elderberry mead • immature pine cone wild yeast starter • plantain oil • black walnut ink If you’re curious about foraging, plant-based healing, or living more in sync with the natural world, I hope this inspires your own journey. — 📌 Want more? → Join me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes updates, recipes, and deeper seasonal stories: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist → Follow me on Instagram: @adiantumschool → Join my newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/vTL6LC Thanks for being here 🌲 Let me know in the comments which project sparked your curiosity! #foraging #homesteading #wildcrafting #herbalism #seasonalliving #slowliving #plantmagic