Elise Higley's guest appearances

Elise Higley

Farmer to Farmer with Chris Blanchard

The Herbalist's Path

Herbs with Rosalee

Michael Phillips

Ben Hartman

Dave Chapman

Dan Brisebois

Curtis Stone

Karl Hammer

Chris Field

MARK SHEPARD

Jim Crawford

Scott Chaskey

Michael Ableman

Simon Huntley

Josh Volk

Andrew Mefferd

Shawn Jadrnicek

OwlTail

You have a double treat in store with this episode.First, have you ever wondered what it takes to grow herbs commercially on a large scale? I kept hearing about Oshala Farm from my students, so last year, I placed an order to check them out. I was so impressed with the herbs I received and knew immediately that I wanted to interview Elise Higley, the farm’s cofounder! From finding the right location to the hard work of growing, harvesting, processing the harvest, fulfilling orders, stewarding the land… there are so many details to juggle! I came away from this episode with even more respect for herb farmers than I already had. I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into running a successful herb farm, too!Second, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of those herbs that people grow to love and crave, even if they’re not initially drawn to the taste. I loved discussing the gifts of this nutrient-dense herb with Elise! Who couldn’t benefit from an herbal ally that:► Is deeply nourishing, strengthening, and energizing – an herbal tonic you can enjoy every day (and that your body will thank you for)► Can provide support to folks who suffer from seasonal allergies► Supports kidney health► and more…To quote Elise, “Nettle is nutritive, high in iron, high in minerals… I feel like it’s a staple as far as nourishing and fortifying the body.” I completely agree.This episode is full of tips and ideas you can borrow like:► Best practices for growing medicinal herbs (whether you use this to inspire your own garden or as a springboard for asking questions when you’re sourcing herbs to purchase)► Possible herbs to blend with nettle when making infusions (and how they complement nettle)► Various ways to work with both fresh and dried nettle leaf► How to grow stinging nettle in your own gardenFor those of you who don’t already know her, Elise Higley is a folk herbalist, wife, mother, grandmother and farmer.With her background in Western Herbalism at California School of Herbal Studies and her husband Jeff’s background in organic farming, they blended their dreams and created a full-fledged herb farm in 2013. Together they own and operate Oshala Farm. Located in Applegate Valley, Oregon, Oshala Farm has over 80 medicinal herbs in cultivation.Elise’s teachers and mentors include Cascade Anderson Geller, Rosemary Gladstar, Karen Aguiar, Teri Jensen, Lily Mazzarella, Autumn Summers, David Hoffman, Shana Lipner-Grover, Jon Carlson and, of course, the plants themselves! In her downtime, (9pm-5am) she helps with the Breitenbush Herbal Conference and TerraVita Herbal Symposium and works on agricultural advocacy with Our Family Farms.If you’d like to hear more from Elise, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so delighted to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods &amp; Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.  

You have a double treat in store with this episode.First, have you ever wondered what it takes to grow herbs commercially on a large scale? I kept hearing about Oshala Farm from my students, so last year, I placed an order to check them out. I was so impressed with the herbs I received and knew immediately that I wanted to interview Elise Higley, the farm’s cofounder! From finding the right location to the hard work of growing, harvesting, processing the harvest, fulfilling orders, stewarding the land… there are so many details to juggle! I came away from this episode with even more respect for herb farmers than I already had. I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into running a successful herb farm, too!Second, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of those herbs that people grow to love and crave, even if they’re not initially drawn to the taste. I loved discussing the gifts of this nutrient-dense herb with Elise! Who couldn’t benefit from an herbal ally that:► Is deeply nourishing, strengthening, and energizing – an herbal tonic you can enjoy every day (and that your body will thank you for)► Can provide support to folks who suffer from seasonal allergies► Supports kidney health► and more…To quote Elise, “Nettle is nutritive, high in iron, high in minerals… I feel like it’s a staple as far as nourishing and fortifying the body.” I completely agree.This episode is full of tips and ideas you can borrow like:► Best practices for growing medicinal herbs (whether you use this to inspire your own garden or as a springboard for asking questions when you’re sourcing herbs to purchase)► Possible herbs to blend with nettle when making infusions (and how they complement nettle)► Various ways to work with both fresh and dried nettle leaf► How to grow stinging nettle in your own gardenFor those of you who don’t already know her, Elise Higley is a folk herbalist, wife, mother, grandmother and farmer.With her background in Western Herbalism at California School of Herbal Studies and her husband Jeff’s background in organic farming, they blended their dreams and created a full-fledged herb farm in 2013. Together they own and operate Oshala Farm. Located in Applegate Valley, Oregon, Oshala Farm has over 80 medicinal herbs in cultivation.Elise’s teachers and mentors include Cascade Anderson Geller, Rosemary Gladstar, Karen Aguiar, Teri Jensen, Lily Mazzarella, Autumn Summers, David Hoffman, Shana Lipner-Grover, Jon Carlson and, of course, the plants themselves! In her downtime, (9pm-5am) she helps with the Breitenbush Herbal Conference and TerraVita Herbal Symposium and works on agricultural advocacy with Our Family Farms.If you’d like to hear more from Elise, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for her website and social media. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes.I’m so delighted to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: <a href="http://herbswithrosaleepodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">herbswithrosaleepodcast.com</a>For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rosaleedelaforet/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@rosaleedelaforet</a> on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you <a href="https://bit.ly/3EtBEqe" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">sign up for my newsletter</a>.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at <a href="http://herbswithrosalee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">herbswithrosalee.com</a>.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140195006X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=metvalher-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=140195006X&amp;linkId=015132911186b966727b15dabec8da5d" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods &amp; Remedies That Heal</a> and co-author of the bestselling book <a href="https://amzn.to/3a2G3R4" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine</a>. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in <a href="https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/rosalee-de-la-foret.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">her full story here</a>.

Stinging Nettle with Elise Higley + Nettle Spring Tonic Vinegar

Melissa Mutterspaugh sits down with Elise Higley, owner of Oshala Farm, a 50-acre farm in southern Oregon in its eighth season.  They discuss what it means to be an herbalist and maintain integrity within your own business while providing quality product that empowers others to explore herbs for mind, body, and soul. Elise’s herbalist path began decades ago in California when she randomly picked up a beautiful, pictorial herb book, inspiring her try herbal remedies. When she did, she was blown away and has been using medicinal herbs since. Then, at the California School of Herbal Studies, Elise recalls a teacher saying, “We need more herb farmers...” This stuck with her when she moved to Oregon, making her own herbal products, she found a shortage of local sources.  She &amp; her husband, Jeff, decided to incorporating herbs into their farm. Now, years later, Oshala is producing some of the highest-quality herbs available. Melissa notes that the Oshala products she uses are dramatically more fragrant, whole, and potent than previous suppliers. Elise is part of Our Family Farms, an organization working to protect small farms and create GMO-free seed sanctuaries. A 2013 push to ban genetically-engineered crops in Jackson Co, OR, brought about a ruling that  “deemed GE crops are an economic harm to traditional seed farmers”. OFF continues to support these ideals.This is a crucial time to return to our historical, herbalist roots. Everyone can feel empowered to use plant medicine. Some considerations: know where your herbs come from. What grows in your region? Growing your own is best, but if you can’t, find a farmer near you; pay attention to who &amp; where your herbs are coming from. Happy medicine come from happy people &amp; plants. Elise &amp; Melissa faced challenges growing beyond at-home, folk herbalism. Elise explains that farming is challenging. So many unpredictable variables: nature, fire, water supply, wages, equipment costs, etc. You start small or plan on a huge investment to 🌼Wondering what medicinal herbs you should grow for your family?Grab this guide, Medicinal Herbs Every Mom Must Know &amp; Grow! You'll learn how to grow them, and how you can use them. Time to start diggin' in the dirt momma!Support the showIf you love the show and learned something new, please don't forget to leave us a bunch of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!And, share it with your friends so that we can make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers Are you ready to use more plants as medicine within your family???Well if you love learning about herbs...Grab my Medicinal Herbs Moms Must Know &amp; Grow Guide Here. 🌼Take A Class With Me Here:☺️Be sure to reach out with questions, comments, or dreams of future episodes!Join Me In These Places Too: tiktok.com/@herbalistspath instagram.com/theherbalistspathfacebook.com/TheHerbalistsPathpinterest.com/TheHerbalistsPathyoutube.com/c/TheHerbalistsPath Disclaimer:*The information I’ve provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Melissa Mutterspaugh sits down with Elise Higley, owner of <a href="https://oshalafarm.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oshala Farm</a>, a 50-acre farm in southern Oregon in its eighth season.  They discuss what it means to be an herbalist and maintain integrity within your own business while providing quality product that empowers others to explore herbs for mind, body, and soul. Elise’s herbalist path began decades ago in California when she randomly picked up a beautiful, pictorial herb book, inspiring her try herbal remedies. When she did, she was blown away and has been using medicinal herbs since. Then, at the <a href="https://cshs.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California School of Herbal Studies</a>, Elise recalls a teacher saying, “We need more herb farmers...” This stuck with her when she moved to Oregon, making her own herbal products, she found a shortage of local sources.  She &amp; her husband, Jeff, decided to incorporating herbs into their farm. Now, years later, Oshala is producing some of the highest-quality herbs available. Melissa notes that the Oshala products she uses are dramatically more fragrant, whole, and potent than previous suppliers. Elise is part of <a href="https://www.ourfamilyfarms.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Our Family Farms</a>, an organization working to protect small farms and create GMO-free seed sanctuaries. A 2013 push to ban genetically-engineered crops in Jackson Co, OR, brought about a ruling that  “deemed GE crops are an economic harm to traditional seed farmers”. OFF continues to support these ideals. This is a crucial time to return to our historical, herbalist roots. Everyone can feel empowered to use plant medicine. Some considerations: know where your herbs come from. What grows in your region? Growing your own is best, but if you can’t, find a farmer near you; pay attention to who &amp; where your herbs are coming from. Happy medicine come from happy people &amp; plants. Elise &amp; Melissa faced challenges growing beyond at-home, folk herbalism. Elise explains that farming is challenging. So many unpredictable variables: nature, fire, water supply, wages, equipment costs, etc. You start small or plan on a huge investment to 🌼Wondering what medicinal herbs you should grow for your family? <a href="https://www.theherbalistspath.com/family-herb-garden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grab this guide, Medicinal Herbs Every Mom Must Know &amp; Grow</a>!  You'll learn how to grow them, and how you can use them. Time to start diggin' in the dirt momma!<a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/840427/supporters/new" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a>If you love the show and learned something new, please don't forget to leave us a bunch of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! And, share it with your friends so that we can make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers Are you ready to use more plants as medicine within your family??? Well if you love learning about herbs... Grab my <a href="https://www.theherbalistspath.com/family-herb-garden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medicinal Herbs Moms Must Know &amp; Grow Guide Here</a>. 🌼<a href="https://www.theherbalistspath.com/herb-classes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Take A Class With Me Here</a>: ☺️Be sure to reach out with questions, comments, or dreams of future episodes! Join Me In These Places Too: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@herbalistspath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tiktok.com/@herbalistspath</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theherbalistspath/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instagram.com/theherbalistspath</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHerbalistsPath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">facebook.com/TheHerbalistsPath</a> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/TheHerbalistsPath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pinterest.com/TheHerbalistsPath</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHerbalistsPath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">youtube.com/c/TheHerbalistsPath</a> Disclaimer: *The information I’ve provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Journey the Herbalist's Path of Elise Higley of Oshala Farm

Jeff and Elise Higley of Oshala Farm in southwest Oregon’s Applegate Valley raise 37 acres of medicinal and culinary herbs for the wholesale herb market, as well as for direct- and value-added production. Jeff and Elise provide insights into their business model for working with medicinal herbs, and how they went about getting the business established. We discuss how they balance labor needs, infrastructure utilization, and production cycle for over 70 annual, perennial, and biennial crops, and how they have developed processes that provide their products with stand-out quality and a significant “wow factor” – something that’s surprisingly important even in the wholesale market that forms the economic backbone of their business. We also discuss property selection for medicinal herb production, how they’ve used regulatory changes as an opportunity to grow their business, and employee management in a business that is even scratchier, sweatier, and dustier than vegetable production. We also dig into the impacts of the “green rush” prompted by Oregon’s legalization of marijuana, how that’s affected their farm economics, and how they’ve adapted to those changes. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company and BCS America. Pictures, show links, and more at farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/higley.

Jeff and Elise Higley of Oshala Farm in southwest Oregon’s Applegate Valley raise 37 acres of medicinal and culinary herbs for the wholesale herb market, as well as for direct- and value-added production. Jeff and Elise provide insights into their business model for working with medicinal herbs, and how they went about getting the business established. We discuss how they balance labor needs, infrastructure utilization, and production cycle for over 70 annual, perennial, and biennial crops, and how they have developed processes that provide their products with stand-out quality and a significant “wow factor” – something that’s surprisingly important even in the wholesale market that forms the economic backbone of their business. We also discuss property selection for medicinal herb production, how they’ve used regulatory changes as an opportunity to grow their business, and employee management in a business that is even scratchier, sweatier, and dustier than vegetable production. We also dig into the impacts of the “green rush” prompted by Oregon’s legalization of marijuana, how that’s affected their farm economics, and how they’ve adapted to those changes. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by <a href="http://vermontcompost.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vermont Compost Company</a> and <a href="https://bcsamerica.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BCS America</a>. Pictures, show links, and more at <a href="http://www.farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/higley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/higley</a>.

133: Jeff and Elise Higley of Oshala Farm on Picking a Niche and Getting to Scale in the Medicinal Herb Business