On August 12th, we visited Shen Nong Chinese medicinal herbal farm in Chehalis, WA.
About two hours north of Portland, OR, Chehalis, meaning "shifting and shining sands" is a small town born of railroads and homesteads. One such homestead was owned by the grandparents of Byron Care, owner and farmer of Shen Nong Farms. After inheriting the homestead, deciding to keep it, and not create a commercial farm, Byron turned to herbal medicine cultivation. He has been interning with Peg Shafer, author of The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm for several years, and is also a member of the North West Asian Medicinal Herb Network (NWAMHN).
He has a clear passion for growing medicinal herbs, and is clearly joyful in his part of "alternative medicine as a vehicle to attend to the needs of under-served communities, including those caught in the inescapable cycle of disease treatment versus whole person sustainability".
There are many gorgeous herbs growing, here are pictures of a few:
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| Bai Zhi, Angelica Dahurica |
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Che Qian Cao and Che Qian Zi, looking regal as revered medicinals rather than pesky weeds! |
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| Qu Mai, flowering purple to clear blood lin syndrome in real life. |
The farm is in its second year, looking forward to its first harvests. One of the most delightful experiences was meeting Hong Hua, or Carthamus live and in person for the first time! The vibrant, orange-red flower is strugging in its first year due to a newbie error, which Byron is free to admit. It turns out that these seeds are so eager to sprout, their heads bursting toward the sun that they don't need the heat mats he thought would be a favor to the plant. As a result, the stalks are high and a bit spindly for the first sprouts, but shorter and hardier for the rest. The petals (the part of the plant used for blood moving, especially in the upper body) however were sweet and only slightly bitter, with a hint of honey. What a treat! It is exciting to think about how the plant sprouts & grows might be analogous to the way the herbs from it work in the body. We will definitely be visiting the farm again! Click here to add yourself to the email list of people who may want to visit with us, or know more!
