Golden Light Center

09/25/2025

Upcoming Talk at the Ozark Folk Center Medicinal Herb Seminar 🌿
I’m honored to be speaking at this year’s Wild Herb Hike & Medicinal Herb Seminar at the Ozark Folk Center, October 18–19. My talk is titled:
From Tornado to Forest Garden: A Journey of Healing & Renewal
In this session, I’ll share how the 2024 tornado that struck my woods became an unexpected path into healing, renewal, and visioning new possibilities for the land.
This presentation is rooted in both community support and practical lessons from the land. My hope is that it will spark ideas or others navigating change, whether in the garden, the forest, or in life itself.
📅 Event details and registration:
👉 https://www.ticketleap.events/events/ozarkfolkcenter/wild-herb-hike-medicinal-herb-symposium-2025

09/23/2025

🌲🌱 Forest Farming in the Ozarks - An incredible panel coming to OACC 46! this Saturday, at Hammond Mill Camp, near West Plains, MO🌱🌲
It features some of the most forward-thinking forest farming practitioners in our area.
Meet these amazing LOCAL experts:
🌿 Richard Herman - A true pioneer with the longest-running intentional forest farm in Missouri! 25 years of experience on his 30 acres near Marshfield.
🌿 Nathaniel Graham from Rockbridge practices Korean natural farming and will help us "discover the secret world of microbes with KNF and widen our apertures with how we can partner with them."
🌿 Wren Haffner of Mountain Jewel farm brings wisdom about off-grid living, food forests, adaptation gardening, and natural building with local materials.
🌿 Ezra Houston, forest farming project coordinator at Lincoln University of Missouri, will share about the Midwest Forest Farming Coalition - offering resources, mentorship, workshops, and grants!

Panel moderated by Kelda Lorax, who runs an organic market garden in the Oklahoma Ozarks and teaches permaculture.

This is your chance to learn from the best in our region!

Learn more about the panel and OACC at https://ozarkareacommunitycongress.org/program-and-schedule-oacc-46/

09/23/2025

It's the perfect time to harvest Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), that wonderful immune system stimulant herb. I had a great afternoon out with friends, collecting it to make tincture and tea for the winter.
Boneset is best harvested in the fall in full bloom. It is usually located in wet areas like low spots in fields, gravel bars, or my current favorite place-- in a wet ditch along a dirt road, where I harvested it last week. Be sure to check for the leaves that clasp the stem, as though the stem is 'perforating' the leaf. There are other close look-alikes that aren't healthy for you, and the 'perforated leaf' is the best way to tell that you have the correct plant.

09/22/2025

I'm excited to connect with this organization. They've got some very good info on their website about cultivating rare and endangered medicinal plants. I'm learning a bunch with their support.

We are a network of farmers, landowners, universities, and other organizations with a shared goal of promoting non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and producers in the Midwest…

09/18/2025

In the aftermath of the tornado that changed the face of the woods on my land, I've been exploring the possibility of planting in some endangered wild medicinal herbs. Some of the areas in my woods are actually more accessible and suited to their growth as a result of the changes. I'll be talking about that whole journey this year at the Ozark Folk Center during their Wild Herb Hike & Medicinal Herb Symposium which is taking place Sat, Oct 18th, 2025 - Sun, Oct 19th, 2025. I would love to see you there. Here is more information and a link to register. https://www.ticketleap.events/events/ozarkfolkcenter/wild-herb-hike-medicinal-herb-symposium-2025

07/31/2025

I'm thrilled to be invited to speak at the Ozark Folk Center this fall, along with other of my favorite herbalists, Bo Brown and John Michael Kelley, who's a brilliant young herbalist with huge knowledge about forests, and the wonderful Tina Marie Wilcox and Susan Belsinger. I'm also looking forward to meeting Jane Hawley Stevens.
I'll be talking about my experiences last year when a tornado tore through the forest I’ve tended for decades, and left behind not only physical damage but a sense of deep disruption and loss. I'll share the story of recovering from that loss—personally, ecologically, and in community—and how it led me to explore forest farming with endangered medicinal herbs. Along the way, I discovered new ways to partner with the land, deepen my herbal practice, and form meaningful new connections with others drawn to healing and regeneration. https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/ozarkfolkcenter/wild-herb-hike-medicinal-herb-symposium-2025

06/15/2025

Some highlights from the Juneteenth Festival in Pocahontas, Arkansas yesterday: a motorcycle parade, talking about herbs and plants, music by the Williams Family, and hanging out enjoying a summer day.

06/13/2025

I'd love to see you tomorrow, Saturday June 14 at the Pocahontas Juneteenth celebration at the Riverside Park. I'm getting my booth ready today, and having such a great time picking the many herbs that are blooming at the moment. Eddie Mae Herron Center

03/11/2025

I'm looking forward to going to this. If you have any questions about it, I talked to them, and can give you details. DM me or put a comment here 🌿🍃

Join us for the 41st Annual Spring Walk on Saturday, April 5th!

03/10/2025

I'm happy to share that I've begun working with a new apprentice who is eager to deepen her knowledge of bioregional herbalism. We had our first meeting this Saturday with a beautiful walk at the Narrows by the 142 Hwy bridge in Oregon County, Missouri—an inspiring place to begin!

Apprenticeship is a time-honored way of passing down herbal wisdom through hands-on experience and connection with the land. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned and to keep this tradition alive.

If you're interested in learning more about studying herbalism in a deep, rooted way, feel free to reach out!

02/22/2025

Yesterday I posted a link to my first article in the local newspaper, the Prospect News. I'm glad that the newspaper is reporting the news in our little town of Doniphan and paying several staff members to do the work, so yay for subscriptions! However, I didn't think through that it wouldn't be accessible to people who don't have a subscription. That was probably a bit confusing or frustrating for those of you who tried to read the article! To be fair, you probably already know what I said... that Echinacea is a valuable immune system herb, and grows well both wild and in gardens here locally. Think about planting some for your garden this year, if you haven't got it already!