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September 4th, 2026

Happy Herbal Wednesday, Reader!

I hope you had the BEST holiday weekend for Labor Day and are feeling refreshed if you're here in the states. We did some foraging and weeding, and of course spent time in the office/clinic/apothecary.

One of the things I got to do was talk with a friend of mine about self-sufficiency for awhile, and I realized a few things from our conversation:

1) People think homesteading is crazy hard.

My thoughts: Homesteading IS hard (being a homesteader and all), but only if you make it so. I've learned over the many years and having tried most of the diehard homestead things, that guess what?

We all get to decide what homesteading looks like for us, and it doesn't have to be crazy hard or complicated.

Joe and I have radically changed some of the things we do since we first began, and we also are committed to continually learning new things and giving them a try too. But as we age, we know our bandwidth better, and we make future choices around this.

My medicinal herb garden is my number one MUST have; while Joe has different must haves. Together, with focus and by also making sure it stays fun, we get plenty of the things done!

2) Most folks rarely think about health in the homestead equation.

The most typical response to health and wellness is to have a first aid kit on hand and maybe a few over-the-counter drugs stored away...with a static short shelf life and that also don't work that great---and definitely not as well as herbal medicine.

I'm passionate about spreading the word about health self-reliance! That's my jam. I'm trying to get this to become other people's jams too because whether or not you're a homesteading in the country or you're an urbanite homesteader, making your own plant medicine is within reach. For everyone.

It's a way for you to have barter power and to be of service and help to your neighbors and community in addition to improved health and saving a ton of money because you don't have to buy drugs.

3) Some are frustrated because it's a dream....and they feel that's all it will ever be for them.

But this is SO far from the truth!

I accidentally fell into homesteading relatively late in life, but when I look back on my entire life, I can see all the building blocks were there...all the way back to when I was a little girl.

Can you?

Don't be discouraged if you're homestead dreaming. You can make many things happen right now, even without tons of land and a rural existence.

I want to invite you to my great friend, Shelby DeVore's, FREE HomesteadHER Summit!

Next week, she'll be hosting experts in the various areas of homesteading (including me). You'll be able to enjoy talks on:

• cooking from scratch, especially from your own food sources---this means better health
• how to raise the livestock of your choice with confidence
• planning and managing a homestead, large, small, or in-between
• health! From herbalism to homemade cheeses, baking and other activities to upgrade your wellness (and taste buds)
• how to make homesteading fun and enjoyable instead of painful and frustrating
• and MORE

The bottom line is that homesteading doesn't need to be complicated. It's a mindset.

You can register for this FREE summit by clicking the button below. And I know you'll love Shelby as much as I do! She's a real inspiration!

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Herbal information.....

Do you use raw honey for health in your home?

I just have to ask....

I think everyone should use raw honey, and hallelujah to the beekeepers out there!

Here are SEVEN Ways to Harness the Powers of Raw Honey for Your Home and Health​

In fact, here's a quote from a reader about how honey literally saved her life:

"Hi there, i had a c/section that went terribly wrong in 1981. It was a time of Political unrest in my country and medicines were scarce especially antibiotics . My wound was so septic and the doctors told me there was nothing they could do. One old qualified nursing sister got very concerned, she was worried that I would die and leave the baby without a mother. One morning she came with a jar of honey from home and started dressing my wound and within a few days my wound was clean and the doctors were baffled. My fever came down after all the pus was cleared. I SALUTE THE HONEY!" ---- Silungile

Take a look at this updated article so you can use honey to its fullest:

​Seven Ways to Use the Healing Powers of Honey​

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Ready to add medicinal herbs to your life?

Learning to trust plant medicine takes some time, and it really helps when you can begin with easy-to-use and grow herbs and plants! Find out my 15 BEST recommendations to get going on your herbal journey.

If you've already begun, that's fabulous! Find out more about these great plants and see if you already have them in your apothecary!

​15 BEST Herbs for the Beginning Herbalist​

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That's it for this weekly Wednesday's note, and I hope that you'll dive into the powers of honey and take a look at medicinal herbs to get started with if you haven't yet!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Don't forget to save your FREE seat at Shelby's HomesteadHer Summit which is kicking off next week!

"This is the day which the Lord has made; Let's rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

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Thank you to our sponsor, the School of Botanical Arts & Sciences​

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