It might even have come from YOUR backyard...
If there’s one good thing that quarantine has afforded me, it’s the gift of observing. I find that, especially right now, there’s a unique opportunity to give my daily activities their due breadth and purpose. Take dog walks, for example. Normally a 20-minute jaunt that exists solely for the sake of giving Zigs some exercise, this post-lunch break now serves as a scavenger hunt to find rainbows, interesting house details, and weeds. Or should I say -- plants that aren’t always treasured but should be.
In Philadelphia, where we live and work, there are plenty of edible plants and other wild-growing flora that possess important benefits, like dandelion (detoxifier), chickweed (skin poultice), nettles (pain relief) and purslane (nutritional powerhouse). And, to boot, “shopping" in our literal backyards helps to minimize our carbon footprints, which is always a good thing. It’s this type of focus that helps me to appreciate — and slightly envy — Wooden Spoon Herbs’ ethos that much more.
Lauren Haynes, clinical herbalist and Wooden Spoon Herbs founder, lives and works among 400 acres of wilderness. (This is the envy part.) “I’m always in the woods -- mornings, afternoons and weekends,” she says. “Just the other day, I found wild native honeysuckle, which has a bright red flower and is pretty rare. It’s the biggest luxury to literally watch the seasons unfurl, and visit the same stands of plants day to day.”
It was this kind of obsession that inspired Lauren to study southern folk medicine at the Appalachian Center for Natural Health with Phyllis Light, a fifth-generation herbalist and reiki master in rural Alabama. “Our education took place outdoors and in a house next door to hers, where my classmates and I all stayed together one weekend a month for three years,” she says.
Lauren launched Wooden Spoon Herbs in 2014 to share the wealth that these local, nutrient-rich plants afford. “I wanted to highlight the abundance of gorgeous medicinal plants that are native to North America, and focus our sourcing here, thereby fostering a supply chain that supports small farmers and reduces our carbon footprint,” she says.
When she started out, Lauren sourced all of her botanicals from foraging and via her personal garden. Five years later, Wooden Spoon began scaling up to contract growing with a handful of small farms in Oregon, Washington, upstate New York and Vermont. Today she also works with a manufacturer who utilizes traditional harvesting methods akin to her humble beginnings, and who networks with over 300 farms in their region. “Superfoods don’t have to be exotic — they can be, and are, the plants we see every day.”
One of Wooden Spoon’s best-revered creations is the immune-boosting Commune Collection – including Solar Power Energy and Mushroom Magic – and whose name was inspired by Lauren’s communing with nature and her assurance to incorporate every part of the plant realm: leaves, flowers, berries, seeds and fungi. “The design is also very 70's, very back-to-the-land commune feel. This era is such a huge inspiration for us, so we thought it would be a cute way to present our offerings,” she adds.
In Philadelphia, where we live and work, there are plenty of edible plants and other wild-growing flora that possess important benefits, like dandelion (detoxifier), chickweed (skin poultice), nettles (pain relief) and purslane (nutritional powerhouse). And, to boot, “shopping" in our literal backyards helps to minimize our carbon footprints, which is always a good thing. It’s this type of focus that helps me to appreciate — and slightly envy — Wooden Spoon Herbs’ ethos that much more.
Lauren Haynes, clinical herbalist and Wooden Spoon Herbs founder, lives and works among 400 acres of wilderness. (This is the envy part.) “I’m always in the woods -- mornings, afternoons and weekends,” she says. “Just the other day, I found wild native honeysuckle, which has a bright red flower and is pretty rare. It’s the biggest luxury to literally watch the seasons unfurl, and visit the same stands of plants day to day.”
It was this kind of obsession that inspired Lauren to study southern folk medicine at the Appalachian Center for Natural Health with Phyllis Light, a fifth-generation herbalist and reiki master in rural Alabama. “Our education took place outdoors and in a house next door to hers, where my classmates and I all stayed together one weekend a month for three years,” she says.
Lauren launched Wooden Spoon Herbs in 2014 to share the wealth that these local, nutrient-rich plants afford. “I wanted to highlight the abundance of gorgeous medicinal plants that are native to North America, and focus our sourcing here, thereby fostering a supply chain that supports small farmers and reduces our carbon footprint,” she says.
When she started out, Lauren sourced all of her botanicals from foraging and via her personal garden. Five years later, Wooden Spoon began scaling up to contract growing with a handful of small farms in Oregon, Washington, upstate New York and Vermont. Today she also works with a manufacturer who utilizes traditional harvesting methods akin to her humble beginnings, and who networks with over 300 farms in their region. “Superfoods don’t have to be exotic — they can be, and are, the plants we see every day.”
One of Wooden Spoon’s best-revered creations is the immune-boosting Commune Collection – including Solar Power Energy and Mushroom Magic – and whose name was inspired by Lauren’s communing with nature and her assurance to incorporate every part of the plant realm: leaves, flowers, berries, seeds and fungi. “The design is also very 70's, very back-to-the-land commune feel. This era is such a huge inspiration for us, so we thought it would be a cute way to present our offerings,” she adds.
Solar Power Energy does what the name implies — harnesses the sun's healing rays with adrenal-lifting nettle and burdock, while red raspberry extracts help to build up your natural energy reserves. Alfalfa, a true native superfood, also makes a guest appearance.
Mushroom Magic blends together six medicinal mushrooms – including reishi, shiitake, lion’s mane and chaga -- and is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. The adaptogenic mix potentially supports digestion, as well as the nervous and immune systems.
Because she is so invested in sharing self-care strategies with her community, Lauren also launched Ways to Stay Well, an e-zine and “compilation of all of our favorite herbal and natural healing resources.” One idea she shared which I found especially interesting: Study one plant you love — say chamomile, rose or lavender — like it’s an actual school research project. Be curious. Ask questions. “Pick one plant that interests you, and take it daily for a month. Meditate with that plant, look up a photo of the plant. Feel its energetics.”
For the first time in a long time, I’m conducting some much-needed extracurricular research. And truly enjoying it. Look out, all you lovely wild Philly plants, here I come...
Because she is so invested in sharing self-care strategies with her community, Lauren also launched Ways to Stay Well, an e-zine and “compilation of all of our favorite herbal and natural healing resources.” One idea she shared which I found especially interesting: Study one plant you love — say chamomile, rose or lavender — like it’s an actual school research project. Be curious. Ask questions. “Pick one plant that interests you, and take it daily for a month. Meditate with that plant, look up a photo of the plant. Feel its energetics.”
For the first time in a long time, I’m conducting some much-needed extracurricular research. And truly enjoying it. Look out, all you lovely wild Philly plants, here I come...
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