The herbal world is huge and I don't mind admitting that the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. You too?

Wouldn't it be nice to have an herbal guide to tell you what to do with the plants you grow or forage from the wild? That's exactly what The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders: Farmed and Foraged Herbal Remedies and Recipes is!



Needless to say, the "for homesteaders" part of the title really caught my eye. When the publisher asked if I'd like to review it, I said yes!

Don't let the title put you off though: you don't need to live on a homestead to benefit from the wealth of herbal knowledge in this book. Plants grow everywhere, not just in the wild. Many of the plants discussed in the book are common garden herbs and culinary herbs such as sage, mint and thyme.

In the first chapter author Abby Artemisia shares the equipment you should carry with you when you are out looking for plants, how to identify "safe" places to forage wild plants to avoid contaminated plant material, and how to harvest ethically and sustainably.

The rest of the handbook discusses how to build good health, how common herbs can be used to treat simple complaints such as colds, coughs and flu, how to make salves and other herbal preparations, and so much more. Recipes and remedies utilizing herbs are included throughout the book.
At the end of each chapter a page is devoted to each of the herbs that has been discussed, including contraindications (when it should not be used) and how the plant can benefit animals as well as humans.

This was my favorite part of the book: learning about herbs that will help my livestock and pets. Because let's face it, dogs get fleas, goats have worms, and horses attract flies.

This book is not meant to be an in-depth plant identification guide; the author recommends using field guides and plant identification books to make sure you are using the correct plant, and suggests her favorite guidebooks. Since Ms. Artemisia is a botanist, herbalist and professional forager, I respect her recommendations.

The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders is user-friendly and the projects and recipes are easy to make and use for beginners. If you are more comfortable with herbalism, this guide will take you deeper into homemade herbal remedies. This guide definitely deserves a place on your homestead bookshelves.



This post contains affiliate link, including the image below. Read my disclosure here.


Disclosure: A copy of The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders was provided for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own.




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