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

March is here and the time to harvest stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is upon us! Come with me to my favorite nettle patch and learn how to identify and harvest spring nettle, one of the most nutritious and delicious wild edible greens out there. Note that stinging nettle grows in most places in the United States, and many places in Europe and Asia as well. Its habitat will look a bit different than in the video, but its love for moist areas and soft leaf duff are consistent wherever it grows! MY BOOK There is a lot more info about harvesting nettle and its medicinal uses in my book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest, which is available here: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/medicinal-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest-a-visual-guide-to-harvesting-and-healing-with-35-common-species PATREON If you are enjoying my channel and you want to be part of my Patreon community, you can check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/thebackcountryherbalist

You might think that growing stinging nettle in your garden is a crazy notion, but with all the edible and medicinal benefits it has, I think you'd be crazy not to. In this video you can learn how to propagate nettle for your home garden. I also talk a little about nettle ecology, which I think is helpful for gardeners and foragers alike to know about! Here are the articles I promised: PERRIN, R.M. (1975), The role of the perennial stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, as a reservoir of beneficial natural enemies. Annals of Applied Biology, 81: 289-297. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1975.tb01644.x Alhmedi, Ammar & Haubruge, Eric & Francis, Frédéric. (2009). Effect of stinging nettle habitats on aphidophagous predators and parasitoids in wheat and green pea fields with special attention to the invader Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Entomological Science. 12. 349 - 358. 10.1111/j.1479-8298.2009.00342.x. If you love medicinal plants and you live in the Pacific Northwest, you should check out my book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://amzn.to/3ZExnxm If you want to keep learning with me, I have many recorded classed for sale here: https://adiantumschool.podia.com/

Foraging in winter?! It is a thing. Come learn about 4 of my favorite wild edibles that grow even in the cold weather. If you're into foraging for food and medicine, subscribe to my channel! My books - Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://amzn.to/3Z4tSQB - Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: coming in Summer 2025 - I'll let everyone know when preorders open.

Black cottonwood, a species of poplar, grows all over the Pacific Northwest. The buds are used medicinally in a balm for pain and wound healing. Watch to learn how to find, ID and harvest these buds in this video! Black cottonwood is one of the plants in my book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest, which can be found here: https://amzn.to/3ZExnxm If you want to keep learning with me, I have many recorded classed for sale here: https://adiantumschool.podia.com/ Check out my channel if Thanks for watching!

I've had restless leg syndrome for more than 10 years now, and I have found some herbs and supplements that help be IMMENSELY, so I wanted to share them with you. FYI: Though these are affiliate links, they are products I genuinely use with no persuasion from the companies. CAL-MAG SUPPLEMENT Cal-Mag Citrate from Solaray: https://amzn.to/3CVFtss (I recommend this product first) OsteoBalance from Pure Encapsulations: https://amzn.to/3CVFtss (This product has more "other stuff" in it, aimed at people with osteoporosis, which runs in my family. Calcium citrate: https://amzn.to/3Z9g8CN (try this is you're curious to test whether it's the calcium helping) WHITE PEONY ROOT Dried white peony root for tea: https://mountainroseherbs.com/white-peony-root (use about 2 tsp of dried root per cup of tea, boil in 10 oz of water for 15 minutes, then strain and drink before bed) (read my blog post for more info about white peony: https://www.adiantumschool.com/single-post/2019/08/26/medicinal-uses-of-white-peony-root-bai-shao) IRON Easy Iron from Natural Factors: https://amzn.to/497YTq8 (take 1 tablet a day WITH A MEAL) HCL (something to try for those with chronic reflux ONLY) Betaine Hydrochloride: https://amzn.to/3CYhVTK (1 capsule before meals) Please share what works for YOU in the comments!

Cramp bark does grow wild in the Pacific Northwest, and can easily be propagated and grown in your garden as well. This super detailed video goes into different species, id, harvest, tincture making, uses and dosage. There is even more information about cramp bark in my bestselling book about cramp bark. Here's a link: https://amzn.to/4hV6jRH While you're here, check out some of my other videos about herbalism, foraging and wild edible plants.

Usnea lichen, also known as old man's beard, is a commonly used medicinal lichen. However, lichen ID can be difficult, and I have seen people harvest the wrong lichen many times! Please watch this video so you can get the right lichen next time you harvest. By the way, for those of you watching in the fall and winter, you should know that's an excellent time of year to harvest Usnea! Wind storms often brings branches laden with Usnea down to the ground, making harvest very easy. The lichen book mentioned in the video: Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest: https://amzn.to/4fLOvGS My book: Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest: https://amzn.to/3Z4tSQB