7 Comments

Was there an decrease in elderberry production this year in the UK, or an increase in demand??

At weedom, (Midwest flyover country, U.S.) ours bloomed too early, then there was a very dry spring and summer, contributing to low yields in our area.

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Every year there seems to be fearmongering around cold and flu season. I'm unsure if there was a true elderberry "drought" this year, but we have had some very weird weather and the trees I usually source from are still barren. In previous years this has been due to folks harvesting ALL the flowers and leaving nothing for the Autumn. I will continue to monitor and keep you posted :) Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.

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Yaaaa, fear-mongering sells drugs, adds anxiety and isolation which sells more drugs! When my own elderberry fails, which seems to be every other year, I get some from my herb buddies, and have gotten some dried berries from brewing suppliers, and even some freeze dried berries. I was glad to see your SubStack pop back up.

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I am struck by the Sambucol shortage, and how reliant we are on commercially prepared health supports. Unraveling the belief that somehow factory-made is better than responsibly wildcrafted and home-prepared herbal medicine is something I continue to explore for myself. I really appreciate all the threads you’ve touched on in this missive, thank you!

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Thank you for taking the time to read and leave such thoughtful comments. Yes, the lack of knowledge around home herbalism is depressing. Thankfully there are some wonderful writers and educators who continue to inspire and share their knowledge of Nature. I feel grateful to connect with all you wonderful like-minded souls.

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Ah thank you so much for the shout-out!! So glad you enjoyed the talk with Gabrielle as well on face mapping. Sounds like you've had lots of adventures but also excited you've got time to write again, looking forward to learning more about our herbal healers and their medicines!

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Love the Substack Izzy. I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend your virtual event with CNM. I'm also a past student and would have liked to have supported both yourself and the College. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'm very glad indeed to have found you :)

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