“Sadly, ignoring public opinion and strong statements made with direct action, Yellowstone insists on catering only to Montana livestock interests and is still sending buffalo to slaughter.”

A yearling buffalo struggles to free herself from the the Silencer, as a Yellowstone bison biologist stands by, waiting to conduct invasive procedures. Photo by Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign.

Last Wednesday morning, two people with the direct action collective Wild Buffalo Defense locked down to the “Silencer,” the squeeze chute located inside Yellowstone National Park’s infamous Stephens Creek buffalo trap. Cody Cyson, an Ojibwa man, and Thom Brown, a former volunteer with BFC, risked life, limb, and freedom to halt buffalo slaughter operations facilitated by Yellowstone, and draw attention to the trap that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of the country’s last wild, migratory buffalo. The trap’s squeeze chute has been a vehicle for terrifying and torturing countless wild…

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That Funny Little Spring Weed: Lamb’s Quarter

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Lambs quarter is one of the most common weeds in gardens, backyards, and fallow fields, following human habitation closely. If you add horse or cow manure to your garden you will have a steady supply of these tasty wild greens for most of spring and summer. Easy to recognize with its alternate, triangle-to-diamond shaped leaves which are coated on the underside with a whitish grey powdery meal resembling flour. This coating may sometimes possess a coppery-fuchsia sheen and is sold as a cultivar called “magenta spreen” in some garden catalogs. The coating is a natural part of the leaf and is fine to eat. Put a leaf under water and the meal will cause the water to bead up in a beautiful iridescent fashion. Lamb’s quarter grows to 3-5 feet and is a branching annual with a grooved stem which is often tinged with red, especially at the node, or…

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Crushed Terracotta – The Underdog Of Protection

Plant Profile: White Sage {Salvia apiana}

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Also, Known As:

Bee Sage
Sacred Sage
White Ceremonial Sage
White Sage

Salvia apiana or white sage is a perennially growing evergreen shrub that is indigenous to the southwestern regions of the United States and the adjoining north-western areas of Mexico. This herb is mostly found growing in the wild in the scrub habitat in the coastal regions of Baja California and Southern California, located on the western peripheries of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts.

White sage possibly derives its name from its ashen evergreen leaves, which contain oils and resins. The leaves of white sage emit a potent aroma when they are rubbed. The white to light lavender hued blooms of this plant attract bees, and this is described in the plant’s specific name – apiana. White sage bears many flower stalks, which measure anything between 1 meter and 1.3 meters (3.3 feet to 4.3 feet) in height. Occasionally…

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Plant Profile: Sage

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Salvia officinalis

Also, Known As:

Common Sage
Dalmatian Sage
Garden Sage
Meadow Sage
Red Sage
Sage
Scarlet Sage
True Sage

Considered all across the world as a valuable culinary spice, and cultivated everywhere, the sage is a perennial shrub that grows best in its wild state in Europe and in the Mediterranean areas of the world. The plant consists of a strongly branched root system, which produces square and finely hairy sterns. These are woody at the base and bear oblong leaves. The floral leaves of the sage are ovate to ovate-lanceolate. The flowers of the sage are small and two-lipped and they grow in whorls. The flowers are blue, purple or white in color.

The versatile sage can be used for bringing in quick relief from a variety of ailments, both minor and major. For example, to gain immediate relief from itching and swelling accompanying insect bites, a few fresh…

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Boost Your Juice With Herbs

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Have you ever cracked open a fresh aloe plant and watched it ooze a clear, sticky gel? This is one of the earth’s natural juices that can be scraped from the inner plant and used externally to soothe inflamed skin.* Humans have been juicing plants for hundreds of years, traditionally by mashing them or with simple tools like a mortar and pestle.

In the last hundred years, juicing has evolved from human hands to high-powered machines. We understand why juicing is so popular, as it is a quick and tasty way to get an abundance of nourishing fruits and veggies in daily. However, we don’t always agree with the new jargon surrounding this age-old practice. Often, juicing is touted as a way to “cleanse” the body and rid it of toxins. We believe in the many benefits of juicing, and we believe that our bodies are intelligent— not inherently flawed…

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Spiritual Cleansing Bath – Basic Recipe

Seven Safe, Effective Natural Antibiotics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Certain natural substances have antibacterial properties, but which are safe to use, and when should a person use them?

Prescription antibiotics, such as penicillin, have helped people to recover from otherwise fatal diseases and conditions since the 1940s.

However, people are also turning to natural antibiotics for treatment.

According to the NHS, 1 in 10 people experiences side effects that harm the digestive system after taking antibiotics. Around 1 in 15 people are allergic to this type of medication.

In this article, we look at the evidence behind seven of the best natural antibiotics. We also discuss which to avoid, and when to see a doctor.

Seven best natural antibiotics

Garlic may be an effective treatment against bacteria.

The scientific jury is still out concerning natural antibiotics. While people have used remedies like these for hundreds of years, most treatments have not been thoroughly tested.

However, some show promising results under medical…

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

If you’re old enough to count among the Baby Boomer generation, you certainly remember the sensation caused by the release of Simon and Garfunkel’s hit song, “Scarborough Fair,” with its haunting refrain, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.” Most people who bought the album (yes, it was an album, not an MP3 back then) didn’t really think about the properties of the herbal list as they sang along, and it’s doubtful that Simon and Garfunkel had anything prescriptive in mind, but in fact, they adopted the song from an old English ballad that some say is about the Great Plague in the Middle Ages. The fact is that parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme were commonly used medicinally in earlier times and may have been used in an attempt to heal victims of the Plague. On the other hand, the four herbs were chief components in a love potion that witches concocted in…

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Lily Lore

Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: lily
GENUS: Lilium
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS:
Many of the 200 species of lilies are native to the United States. Plant breeders have done extensive hybridization work on the lilies to make them hardy and free flowering. Lilies are now available in every color except blue.
FAMILY: Liliaceae
BLOOMS: late spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Lilies are one of the most beautiful of all garden plants. The flowers are large and deliciously colored, and they usually occur many to a stem. The height of lilies ranges between 2 to 6 feet. Flower forms include trumpet shape, pendant, flat-faced, or bowl-shaped.
CULTIVATION: The most important requirement for growing lilies is well-drained soil. Water standing on the bulbs will cause them to rot. The bulbs should be kept cool. This can be done by overplanting with annuals or perennials. Depending on the size of the bulbs, they should be planted…