herbs@ancestreeherbals.com

509.997.0664

The Methow Medicine Garden, situated in the Twisp River Valley in North-Central Washington, on the Eastern slope of the North Cascade range, is a dynamic living system that is remarkably productive. Here is a brief history:

   * 13,000 years ago: The glacier of the last ice-age receeded, leaving a wealth of glacial minerals, and gave way to a shrub-steppe ecosystem where sagebrush, bunchgrasses, and ponderosa pines dominated the landscape, which built the topsoil over millenia.

   * In the early 20th century pioneers began farming and our farm was most likely an orchard of apples, until 1968 when a freeze of 50-below-zero killed most of the apple trees in the upper Methow Valley.

   * 1968-1998: the land supported a variety of crops, from alfalfa to mixed vegetables and cover crops, grown organically.

   * 1999-2005:  Michael Pilarski, of Friends of the Trees, began planting rows of herbs, then medicinal trees and shrubs, allowing volunteer native plants to fill their niches. He experimented with creating a multi-story agro-forestrial system, and grew the planting to 2 acres.

   * 2006-present: Lexi Koch and Chris Dorée bought the planting from Michael Pilarski and Ancestree Herbals was born. Today, the Methow Medicine Garden is home to almost 200 species of medicinal herbs, trees, and shrubs, including soil-building grass & legume cover crops, on 3 1/2 acres. Many are native to North America, while others are European or Asian in origin. Thanks to the variety of micro-climates and ecological niches we foster, we are able to grow:

   * montane-meadow herbs like Arnica chamissonis, Pearly Everlasting, and Meadowsweet;

   * shade-loving woodland herbs like Goldenseal,  Black Cohosh, Coltsfoot, and Valerian;

   * Mediterranean heat-loving herbs such as Hyssop, Thyme, and Lavender;

   * scores of popular medicinals in the Euro-American pharmacopeia like Betony, Elecampane, Peppermint, Red Clover, Lemonbalm, and Oats.

Of course, quality is a higher priority than quantity. Thus, our practices reflect our deep devotion to honoring the Earth and all her gifts.

While certified organic by the WSDA, we believe these standards are just a beginning point. A farm's health is dependent upon an intricate web of life involving biodiversity and natural cycles that cannot be substituted with a formula of inputs and outputs.

   * We are working to close loops in the nutrient and water cycles through extensive mulching and composting, reducing our needs for irrigation,  fertilizers and cultivation. As a species, we humans have already consumed more than our share. Conserving our precious resources  and reducing our fuel use is imperative, and a passion at Ancestree Herbals.

   * The farm is habitat for dozens of bird species, beneficial insects and other wildlife, an oasis of biodiversity.

   * We love our plants. Literally. We see ourselves as caretakers of a trove of healing wisdom passed on by dirty, loving hands for generations. When we walk the farm, we strive for each step to be one of gratitude and appreciation. Envisioning the health of all who will take this medicine we tend and harvest is a daily practice, and, we believe, a critical  link in the efficacy of herbal medicine.