Episode 148: Arnica with Michael Pilarski

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Episode Summary

It’s been on my mind to have Michael Pilarski on the show for quite a while now, so when he dropped by the other day to see my garden, it seemed like the perfect time to invite him to be here.  I loved talking with Michael about his experience of both wildcrafting and farming, and his perspective about the benefits and drawbacks of both of those ways of working with the land.  And it was so much fun chatting with him about our love for herbal gatherings!

Michael also shared some fantastic tips on gathering arnica and making medicine with it, including his recipe for Arnica Liniment.  You can find the link to a beautifully illustrated recipe card for Michael’s liniment in the section below.

Arnica is an herb that belongs in everyone’s first aid kit! Here are two ways arnica’s medicinal gifts shine:

► To help speed recovery of bumps and bruises

► To reduce joint and muscle pain and swelling

To get all the details and hear more about gathering and working with arnica, be sure to tune in to the entire episode!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How working with wildcrafted herbs can sometimes be more sustainable than working with farmed herbs

► Which arnica species are medicinally active - and how to tell by looking at the plant

► Why Michael prefers using arnica liniment rather than arnica-infused oil

► Why medicine made with fresh arnica is better than dried - and why you should make your own!

► Harvesting tips for arnica

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Michael Pilarski is an herb farmer, wildcrafter and educator with 50 years of experience in Washington State, Oregon, North Idaho and Northwest Montana.  He farms a diversity of medicinal and food plants in agroforestry/permaculture systems and has expertise in seed collecting, value-added products and propagation of native and non-native species. He has worked with over 1,000 species of plants.

Michael combines the science of herbs with the magic of herbs through his studies in plant spirit medicine. He has initiated and organized many herb gatherings including the Northwest Herbal Fair, the Montana Herb Gathering, and the Medicinal Herb Growing & Marketing Conference.

I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!

Would you prefer reading this episode? If so, click here to download a transcript.

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, scroll down below.

Connect with Michael

• Website | Friends of the Trees Botanicals
• Instagram | @friendsofthetreesbotanicals
• YouTube | @PlantWizardSkeeter
• Do you want to learn more about the Northwest Herbal Fair?  There’s a discounted registration fee through July 31, 2024, after which the price goes up!  Get more information about the fair and register here.

What You'll Learn from This Episode

• [01:10] Introduction to Michael Pilarski
• [04:06] How Michael found his herbal path
• [09:22] Wildcrafting ethics, sustainability, and social justice issues
• [14:46] Why farming herbs is sometimes more problematic than wildcrafting
• [17:54] Waves of weeds: plant succession in the Pacific Northwest
• [19:44] Medicinal benefits of Arnica
• [21:40] Different species of Arnica
• [27:50] Arnica liniment
• [31:35] Tips for buying high-quality dried Arnica
• [34:49] Arnica harvesting tips
• [37:10] Northwest Herbal Fair
• [39:50] Why attend an herbal gathering?
• [47:26] Michael’s current projects
• [48:47] How herbs give Michael hope
• [53:31] Herbal tidbit

Get Your Free Recipe!

-- TIMESTAMPS -- 

• 01:13 - Introduction to Michael Pilarski
• 04:12 - How Michael found his herbal path
• 09:51 - Wildcrafting ethics, sustainability, and social justice issues
• 15:31 - Why farming herbs is sometimes more problematic than wildcrafting
• 18:48 - Waves of weeds: plant succession in the Pacific Northwest
• 20:44 - Medicinal benefits of Arnica
• 22:50 - Different species of Arnica
• 29:19 - Arnica liniment
• 33:34 - Tips for buying high-quality dried Arnica
• 36:54 - Arnica harvesting tips
• 39:24 - Northwest Herbal Fair
• 42:44 - Why attend an herbal gathering?
• 50:23 - Michael’s current projects
• 51:47 - How herbs give Michael hope
• 56:40 - Herbal tidbit

Connect with Rosalee

• On Instagram | @rosaleedelaforet

• On Facebook | Herbs With Rosalee
• On YouTube | Herbs With Rosalee

• Website | herbswithrosalee.com


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