The Mancos Times recently caught up with Blair and asked her a few questions about her book, which has been generating quit the stir after getting a favorable New York Times review.
Question: For those of you that don't know you, tell us a little about yourself?
Answer: I grew up in Durango and fell in love with plants when I was 11 years old. I camped out for a summer with the intention of eating wild edible foods just after high school. Got a degree in biology at Colorado College. Completed a master's in Holistic Health Education at JKF University in Orinda, Calif. Founded Turtle Lake Refuge in 1998, a nonprofit whose mission is to celebrate the connection between personal health and wild lands.
Question: What made you want to put this book together?
Answer: I love all plants equally and notice that the weeds are sometimes overlooked, neglected or at worst, tried to be eradicated. Sharing their critical values is a way to promote health for humanity and for the earth. When we understand how important and valuable the weeds are for food and medicine, we will naturally avoid using harmful herbicides to get rid of them. The weeds help regenerate the earth after humans disturb it while at the same time, they can provide a valuable resource for our well being.
Question: Do you believe people appreciate weeds as much as they should?
Answer: I thought I loved weeds before I wrote this book, but now after researching in depth the values of these weeds and their incredible nutrient dense properties both for food, medicine and as earth caretakers, I appreciate them even more. So I think this journey of appreciating weeds is unending that can open the door to understanding the whole universe.
Question: What message do you hope people walk away with when reading this book?
Answer: May they come away with inspiration, trust and an empowered feeling of connection to their place. When we get outside to gather the weeds in our backyards, we develop and important relationship with our food and medicines and our home and remember that we can thrive here on earth.
Question: Tell me how you grew to learn so much about plants?
Answer: I dove into learning about the plants from being outside in wilderness from that first summer camp out after high school to taking multiple independent study classes in college where I went to the woods for a month and wrote a paper at the end. My senior project in college was "The Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants of the San Juan Mountains". I continue to deeply learn from the plants each year when I take my wild food walkabouts where I journey for a week to 10 days and eat wild the whole way.
Question: What is your day job?
Answer: I am the director of Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango where we serve a wild local and living foods lunch twice a week, grow microgreens for the public schools, restaurants and stores, make wild food goodies for the stores and teach about the value of wild spaces for human health. Recently I have been teaching across the country at organic farming conferences, schools, universities, medical centers and farms in association with the new book, The Wild Wisdom of Weeds.
Question: Favorite weed?
Answer: It is not possible to pick my favorite, but I'd love to highlight the dandelion. Turtle Lake Refuge hosts a festival honoring the beautiful and important spring flower. The Dandelion Festival this year is on May 2 at Rotary Park in Durango from 1 to 9 p.m. It is a celebration to honor our wild pollinators and organic land stewardship practices! In Durango, we now have about 1/3 of all the city parks managed organically.
Question: Favorite weed recipe?
Answer: Dandy Candy and Thistle Root Chai Tea. Dandy Candy is made with one cup of dandelions (roots and leaves), 1 cup of raw cacao nibs, and 2 cups of soaked figs. Grind all ingredients in the food processor and roll into balls. Decorate with dandelion flowers and enjoy. Thistle Root Chai is made with 1 cup of thistle roots; 1" piece of fresh ginger root; 1 cup of cashew nuts; 1 teaspoon of each of cinnamon, cardamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper; and ½ cup of honey. Add all ingredients to the blender and fill the remainder with water. Blend well, strain out the pulp. Serve over ice and enjoy the delicious sweet chai that regenerates liver cells and connects us to the wise resilient nature of the thistle.
Question: Do you have anything else to add?
Answer: For more information about upcoming classes or for purchasing the new book, The Wild Wisdom of Weeds as well as our Local Wild Life Recipe book, please visit Turtle Lake Refuge.org.