Season 8 Episode 10:
Environmental Contamination Issues for Foragers and Gardeners with Sarah Sorci

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Episode Summary

If you've been following my herbal offerings for even a short time, you know that I'm not about focusing on fear. While some alternative health practitioners rally around toxins and pollutants, I'd rather focus on joy and the things that I do have control over. But unfortunately, environmental contaminants do exist, and we can't simply ignore them away. 

That's why I'm especially grateful to Sarah Sorci for coming on the show. She has taken it on to research important contamination issues for gardeners and foragers, and then shares that information in a way that's based on empowerment rather than fear. (Love that!)

By the end of this episode, here’s just a sprinkling of what you’ll know:

► As a forager, how can you navigate effectively around contamination concerns?

► How can you address it if your garden soil has contaminants?

► How can you approach conversations with neighbors about using herbicides or pesticides on their property?

► What simple and practical safety tips can you implement today when using your garden hose? (Don’t forget to download your handout from Sarah below!)

If you’re not already familiar with Sarah, she is an herbal educator, writer, and the founder of Sweet Flag Herbs. She loves supporting folks who seek meaning, empowerment, and environmental sustainability by connecting with plants.

Through her writing project, A Nourishing Harvest, Sarah explores environmental contamination issues that affect gardeners and foragers, translating scientific data into practical and approachable free articles. She also creates beautiful educational boxes that facilitate ancestral connection by way of the plant world. Sarah has offered hundreds of classes and plant walks throughout Western New York and beyond.

Sarah came to herbalism by way of an Environmental Studies degree, farm work, and offering therapeutic gardening programming. She’s a 2014 graduate of the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine's Holistic Herbalism program, and she’s taken clinical herbalism classes with the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine. Sarah is grateful to the unnamed elders, foragers, and tenders who have contributed to our collective herbal knowledge.

Sarah lives and gardens with her partner in Chautauqua County, NY, homeland of the Seneca Nation of Indians (sni.org).

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

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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 Sarah

• Website | ANourishingHarvest.com
• Instagram | @anourishingharvest
• Facebook | @anourishingharvest
• Patreon | @anourishingharvest

What You'll Learn from This Episode

• [01:09] Introduction to Sarah Sorci
• [03:26] How Sarah found her plant path
• [10:03] A Nourishing Harvest
• [16:20] Why EPA-approved doesn’t necessarily mean safe
• [20:56] Foraging: Concerns, questions to ask, and the collaborative opportunity we have
• [29:44] How long do you need to wait before foraging after an area has been sprayed?
• [34:44] What do you do if your garden soil is contaminated?
• [37:08] Considerations for using plants to help remediate contaminated land
• [39:33] What if your neighbors are using contaminants?
• [44:02] How to avoid contaminants in garden hoses
• [48:51] Sarah’s current projects
• [49:47] What is the real medicine?
• [54:02] Herbal tidbit

Download your Handout!

-- TIMESTAMPS --

• 01:17 – Introduction to Sarah Sorci
• 03:34 – How Sarah found her plant path
• 10:36 – A Nourishing Harvest
• 17:24 – Why EPA-approved doesn’t necessarily mean safe
• 22:31 – Foraging: Concerns, questions to ask, and the collaborative opportunity we have
• 31:53 – How long do you need to wait before foraging after an area has been sprayed?
• 37:21 – What do you do if your garden soil is contaminated?
• 40:01 – Considerations for using plants to help remediate contaminated land
• 42:34 – What if your neighbors are using contaminants?
• 47:36 – How to avoid contaminants in garden hoses
• 52:55 – Sarah’s current projects
• 53:58 – What is the real medicine?
• 58:13 – 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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