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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 3:22:11 PM
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I just found a large patch of St. John's wort growing in a field on our property. There isn't much else growing there (we planted alfalfa, timothy and clover there last year but it didn't grow in that patch at all, which is sand and not much else)
I've positively identified it from the description on the OSU web site. A Canadian web site identified it as a noxious weed - there are 10,000 seeds per plant in a growing season and the seeds are viable for up to 20 years - Yikes!
Question is: Is there any commercial value to this "crop"? Should I harvest it? Maybe just for tea for myself? What's the best way to process it - tie it in bunches and hang upside down to dry? Since it's obviously not "standardized" how do I know if I'm drinking too much or too little?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 08:01:57 AM
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Hi Brenda..well, I don't want to be too much of a party pooper, but back in herbal school (yes, there were a few interesting paths on the road of life I've been on!), there was a very strict adage on the CAUTION one had to take when providing herbal products to the public.
By technicality, you REALLY need to follow FDA guidelines if you are selling St. John's wort in any medical sense. If you are selling it as, say, as TEA (an herbal ingredient, sans medical claims), that might be feasable BUT....St. John's wort is said to have side effects, and they also act on the effectiveness of OTHER drugs including
Digoxin and other heart medications
Birth Control
and other important drugs....so, it's probably best to stay away from selling it AND maybe taking it.
You can find very basic info on this by typing in St. Johns Wort in Wikipedia online, etc....
Just thought I'd give you the heads up.
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St. John's Wort
