Gardening by Asking Mother Nature
GEG Bulletin
March 13, 2010
Dear Eco-Gardeners,
Slugs in your lettuce?
A wasp nest on your deck?
Weeds invading your yard?
Trees to cut down?
Is there is a way you might work with nature?
Yes! Come learn to consult the wise consciousness of nature itself.
Co-Creative Organic Gardening
April 10-11, 2010
Anchorage Alaska
You’ll learn how to
--Select organic fertilizers
--Perfect your composting
--Reduce pests without poisons
--Consult directly with the joyful Devas and Nature Spirits
--Reduce pests without battles or poisons
Saturday –Sunday April 10-11 from 10 am - 6pm
Information and registration: see flyer attached, and please register on line to hold your place at www.goodearthgardenschool.com
I’d love to have you. Please come join the fun!
Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com
“We farmers and gardeners are responsible for the health of this nation. As growers, we can do more to keep people healthy than all the doctors and hospitals combined. Human health is an agriculture issue.” --John Kempf
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Good Earth Garden School....
Classes,Seminars,Workshops,Films,Training
GEG Bulletin
March 13, 2010
Dear Sustainable Eco-Gardeners,
The sun is scribing an arc ever higher over the horizon. Warm rays stream into our windows. Underfoot, can you feel the sap of cottonwood, birch, willow, and spruce creeping upward? Like the first quiet notes of a symphony that builds to a furor, so do ancient and powerful forces conduct the glorious acceleration into spring. We are riding on a planet that is once again hurling us toward Spring Equinox.
Just as buds will soon swell and burst open, so is my head about to burst open. I am full to popping with exciting news. I don’t mean to overwhelm your INBOX, but wow, I have much to tell you. There is an explosion of opportunities for you to indulge in—new gardening courses, workshops, and conferences!
At last, we feel waves of electric enthusiasm about sustainable agriculture—local food, growing food, community-building, healthy diets, root cellars, and alternative energy systems. So if seed catalogs and spring fever are quickening your heart rate, read on!
In this bulletin:
Co-Creative Organic Gardening Workshop
How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility
Terra Bella Eco-Seminars
Terra Bella Wed Night Movies
Food Films in Mat-Su
Local Foods Class
Gardening for Market training
Small Scale Livestock class
Compost Class
Healthy Food Class
Spring Creek Farm classes
Okay, this is the comprehensive list. I’ll be sending out reminders of the individual classes as I am able to.
But check my website for reliable assistance.
Gardening Courses and Films
Opportunities, 2010
Through Good Earth Garden School:
Register through www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Co-Creative Organic Gardening Workshop
With Ellen Vande Visse, Sat-Sun Apr 10 -11-Anchorage
How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility - Palmer
With Experts Bob & Christine Greig of Alaska Sea-Agriculture
Two repeat sessions at their warehouse site in Palmer:
Sunday, April 18th, 2-4 p.m. and Thursday, May 6th, 3-5 p.m.
2- Hour Seminars at Terra Bella Café in Anchorage
To register for classes at Terra Bella Café: Go to www.goodearthgardenschool.com and sign up for the courses you would like to take.
Ask Mother Nature: Spiritual Tools for Gardening…Tue March 16 at 10am-noon
Shopping for Food You Can Trust………………Tue March 23 at 4-5:30pm
Grow Your Own Windowsill Greens……………..Tue April 6 at 10am-noon
Grow Your Own Windowsill Greens….Repeated Wed April 7 at 10am-noon
Breaking the Chemical Habit—
How to Choose Organic Fertilizers ……………..Tue, May 11 at 10-11:30am
Wednesday Night Movies —Sustainability, Food, & Health
at Terra Bella Bakery Café
Anchorage on Dimond Next to Bed, Bath, & Beyond
All start at 6pm. Come hungry! When you come, get a free packet of coffee grounds to fertilize your garden and repel slugs! For complete list of titles and descriptions, please go to www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Other Opportunities not to be Missed
Alaska Sea-Ag
Film Showing of “FRESH”…………. Mon Mar 22 -Wasilla
Film Showing of “ Dirt” ………………Tue Mar 23 -Wasilla
Both at 7 - 9 pm at The Alaska Club in Wasilla. For more information call 745-5725.
Also, see above for Bob & Christine Greig’s class “How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility” both April 18 and May 6.
Anchorage Gardening Series
Compost and Soil …………….......…….. Wed Mar 31, 7-9pm -Anchorage
Healthy Food ………………………..….…Wed Apr 28, 7-9 pm –Anchorage
Community Planting at the C-St Garden.....Wed June 2 Time TBA-Anchorage
Sponsored by Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Center for the Environment,
UAF Cooperative Extension Service, and Alaska Women’s Environmental Network http://akcenter.org/sustainable-communities/local-food/gardening-workshops For more information or to register, contact Diana at ACAT at diana@akaction.org 222-7714 or Alli at ACE at alli@akcenter.org 274-3662
Spring Creek Farm
Spring Gardening Series for 2010: Classes and programs in Palmer, including:
Ÿ Seed Starting for Herb Gardens,
Ÿ Home Chicken Flock,
Ÿ Seed Starting for Vegetable Gardens,
Ÿ Apple Tree Grafting Workshop,
Ÿ Planning a Children's Garden
Spring Creek Farm Garden & Art Event Sat June 12 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Come on out and visit the farm. Events for all ages includes: Valley Arts Alliance "Second Saturday" Fireside Books gardening books, Soaring Crane Natural Health Center & many others.
http://www.springcreekfarmak.org/eventannouncements.htm
Call 746-2714 for information & to register.
Mat-Su College Palmer
Organic Gardening………………….……….Agri 138 credit course Fri Mar 19-Apr 17 (Class full)
Gardening-Cultivate & Grow…………………. CED A049 non-credit M-W Mar 15-29
Local Food Sources………………………... CED A049 non-credit M-W Apr 5-19
Small Scale Livestock: Raise & Nurture…CED A049 non-credit M-W May 3-17
Market Gardening: Grow and Sell ………. CED A049 non-credit M-W May 24-June 9
To register for classes go to www.matsu.alaska.edu. Need help? Call 745-9746 or stop by Mat-Su College at Mile 2, Trunk Rd, Palmer, AK.
Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com
“We farmers and gardeners are responsible for the health of this nation. As growers, we can do more to keep people healthy than all the doctors and hospitals combined. Human health is an agriculture issue.” --John Kempf
GEG Bulletin
March 13, 2010
Dear Sustainable Eco-Gardeners,
The sun is scribing an arc ever higher over the horizon. Warm rays stream into our windows. Underfoot, can you feel the sap of cottonwood, birch, willow, and spruce creeping upward? Like the first quiet notes of a symphony that builds to a furor, so do ancient and powerful forces conduct the glorious acceleration into spring. We are riding on a planet that is once again hurling us toward Spring Equinox.
Just as buds will soon swell and burst open, so is my head about to burst open. I am full to popping with exciting news. I don’t mean to overwhelm your INBOX, but wow, I have much to tell you. There is an explosion of opportunities for you to indulge in—new gardening courses, workshops, and conferences!
At last, we feel waves of electric enthusiasm about sustainable agriculture—local food, growing food, community-building, healthy diets, root cellars, and alternative energy systems. So if seed catalogs and spring fever are quickening your heart rate, read on!
In this bulletin:
Co-Creative Organic Gardening Workshop
How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility
Terra Bella Eco-Seminars
Terra Bella Wed Night Movies
Food Films in Mat-Su
Local Foods Class
Gardening for Market training
Small Scale Livestock class
Compost Class
Healthy Food Class
Spring Creek Farm classes
Okay, this is the comprehensive list. I’ll be sending out reminders of the individual classes as I am able to.
But check my website for reliable assistance.
Gardening Courses and Films
Opportunities, 2010
Through Good Earth Garden School:
Register through www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Co-Creative Organic Gardening Workshop
With Ellen Vande Visse, Sat-Sun Apr 10 -11-Anchorage
How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility - Palmer
With Experts Bob & Christine Greig of Alaska Sea-Agriculture
Two repeat sessions at their warehouse site in Palmer:
Sunday, April 18th, 2-4 p.m. and Thursday, May 6th, 3-5 p.m.
2- Hour Seminars at Terra Bella Café in Anchorage
To register for classes at Terra Bella Café: Go to www.goodearthgardenschool.com and sign up for the courses you would like to take.
Ask Mother Nature: Spiritual Tools for Gardening…Tue March 16 at 10am-noon
Shopping for Food You Can Trust………………Tue March 23 at 4-5:30pm
Grow Your Own Windowsill Greens……………..Tue April 6 at 10am-noon
Grow Your Own Windowsill Greens….Repeated Wed April 7 at 10am-noon
Breaking the Chemical Habit—
How to Choose Organic Fertilizers ……………..Tue, May 11 at 10-11:30am
Wednesday Night Movies —Sustainability, Food, & Health
at Terra Bella Bakery Café
Anchorage on Dimond Next to Bed, Bath, & Beyond
All start at 6pm. Come hungry! When you come, get a free packet of coffee grounds to fertilize your garden and repel slugs! For complete list of titles and descriptions, please go to www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Other Opportunities not to be Missed
Alaska Sea-Ag
Film Showing of “FRESH”…………. Mon Mar 22 -Wasilla
Film Showing of “ Dirt” ………………Tue Mar 23 -Wasilla
Both at 7 - 9 pm at The Alaska Club in Wasilla. For more information call 745-5725.
Also, see above for Bob & Christine Greig’s class “How to Build Powerhouse Soil Fertility” both April 18 and May 6.
Anchorage Gardening Series
Compost and Soil …………….......…….. Wed Mar 31, 7-9pm -Anchorage
Healthy Food ………………………..….…Wed Apr 28, 7-9 pm –Anchorage
Community Planting at the C-St Garden.....Wed June 2 Time TBA-Anchorage
Sponsored by Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Center for the Environment,
UAF Cooperative Extension Service, and Alaska Women’s Environmental Network http://akcenter.org/sustainable-communities/local-food/gardening-workshops For more information or to register, contact Diana at ACAT at diana@akaction.org 222-7714 or Alli at ACE at alli@akcenter.org 274-3662
Spring Creek Farm
Spring Gardening Series for 2010: Classes and programs in Palmer, including:
Ÿ Seed Starting for Herb Gardens,
Ÿ Home Chicken Flock,
Ÿ Seed Starting for Vegetable Gardens,
Ÿ Apple Tree Grafting Workshop,
Ÿ Planning a Children's Garden
Spring Creek Farm Garden & Art Event Sat June 12 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Come on out and visit the farm. Events for all ages includes: Valley Arts Alliance "Second Saturday" Fireside Books gardening books, Soaring Crane Natural Health Center & many others.
http://www.springcreekfarmak.org/eventannouncements.htm
Call 746-2714 for information & to register.
Mat-Su College Palmer
Organic Gardening………………….……….Agri 138 credit course Fri Mar 19-Apr 17 (Class full)
Gardening-Cultivate & Grow…………………. CED A049 non-credit M-W Mar 15-29
Local Food Sources………………………... CED A049 non-credit M-W Apr 5-19
Small Scale Livestock: Raise & Nurture…CED A049 non-credit M-W May 3-17
Market Gardening: Grow and Sell ………. CED A049 non-credit M-W May 24-June 9
To register for classes go to www.matsu.alaska.edu. Need help? Call 745-9746 or stop by Mat-Su College at Mile 2, Trunk Rd, Palmer, AK.
Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com
“We farmers and gardeners are responsible for the health of this nation. As growers, we can do more to keep people healthy than all the doctors and hospitals combined. Human health is an agriculture issue.” --John Kempf
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Kitchen Cosmetics Blog Party!
I'm so glad my friend Cindy (Sagescript Institute and Colorado Aromatics) asked me to join in this Blog party. I don't blog often enough, I usually convince myself that I have nothing to say, lol, but subjects like this are near and dear to my heart, as these are the things I love and enjoy! Thanks Cindy for getting me off my butt! :O)
I have always liked the do it yourself approach to most things. I also believe that if you can do it inexpensively and with things you already posses, all the better. I love the natural approach...so with that in mind...open your cupborads & refigerators and get 'beautified" without breaking your bank!
Coffee Body Scrub
Coffee tightens and rejuvenates skin (and who doesn't love the smell of coffee?!), raw sugar exfoliates (contain calcium, iron and vitamins) and is antibacterial, and olive oil seals in moisturize.
Ingredients
2 cups of coarse (to fine, dependant on your preference)ground coffee
1/2 cup Turbinado raw sugar (you can sub any kind of sugae, however there will be more benefit form the less processed sugars)
3 Tbsp olive oil (or other oil of your preference)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Take a warm bath or hot shower to open your pores and hydrate your skin. Rub the coffee mixture into your skin in large circles with even, firm pressure. Shower to rinse, pat dry, and follow with unscented body lotion or light vegetable oil.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Lemon Salt Glow
Sea salts(rich in minerals and microelements) bring a healthy glow to dull, dry skin, exfoliates it, and helps it better benefit from the antioxidant properties of lemon and the nutrition of almond oil(rich in proteins and vitamin D).
Ingredients
½ cup sea salt (there are many to choose from, any one will work)
½ cup sweet almond oil (you can substitute other skin loving oils)
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Before showering, stir the ingredients again, then apply to body in firm scrubbing motion with hand or soft washcloth. Step into the shower and let power of the water stream rinse off the mixture.
I'll be posting other recipes on my other blog that I also do not spend enough time on :O) http://peacefullivingnews.blogspot.com/
For more on the Blog Party go here: http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2010/01/kitchen-cosmetics-blog-party.html
I have always liked the do it yourself approach to most things. I also believe that if you can do it inexpensively and with things you already posses, all the better. I love the natural approach...so with that in mind...open your cupborads & refigerators and get 'beautified" without breaking your bank!
Coffee Body Scrub
Coffee tightens and rejuvenates skin (and who doesn't love the smell of coffee?!), raw sugar exfoliates (contain calcium, iron and vitamins) and is antibacterial, and olive oil seals in moisturize.
Ingredients
2 cups of coarse (to fine, dependant on your preference)ground coffee
1/2 cup Turbinado raw sugar (you can sub any kind of sugae, however there will be more benefit form the less processed sugars)
3 Tbsp olive oil (or other oil of your preference)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Take a warm bath or hot shower to open your pores and hydrate your skin. Rub the coffee mixture into your skin in large circles with even, firm pressure. Shower to rinse, pat dry, and follow with unscented body lotion or light vegetable oil.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Lemon Salt Glow
Sea salts(rich in minerals and microelements) bring a healthy glow to dull, dry skin, exfoliates it, and helps it better benefit from the antioxidant properties of lemon and the nutrition of almond oil(rich in proteins and vitamin D).
Ingredients
½ cup sea salt (there are many to choose from, any one will work)
½ cup sweet almond oil (you can substitute other skin loving oils)
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Before showering, stir the ingredients again, then apply to body in firm scrubbing motion with hand or soft washcloth. Step into the shower and let power of the water stream rinse off the mixture.
I'll be posting other recipes on my other blog that I also do not spend enough time on :O) http://peacefullivingnews.blogspot.com/
For more on the Blog Party go here: http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2010/01/kitchen-cosmetics-blog-party.html
Friday, October 30, 2009
Winter Herbs, Oils & First-aid
With the first winter chill breezing into town it's time to start thinking about how to keep the sneezes and sniffles away. While there's talk of the value of vitamin C, echinacea and garlic as natural treatments, herbalist claim herbs can prevent colds and flu. There are three main herbs, as well garlic, which are widely used to ward off winter woes. They are Echinacea, andrographis and astrolagus.
Echinacea is effective for the early treatment of colds and flu because it's an immune stimulant but is best taken before a cold sets in, however, it can help shorten the duration of flu if you take it once you've become ill and can assist with treating respiratory infections.
Andrographis and Astrolagus work in much the same way. Andrographis is also used for coughs and sore throats. These herbs are highly effective alone or in conjunction.
The frequent use of Garlic, referred to as nature's antibiotic, puts you well on your way to preventing a winter cold.
And don’t forget your vitamin C. Citrus, grapes and strawberries are high in C, and it doesn’t hurt to add zinc from beans, nuts and whole grains.
You may wish to try this herbal remedy, shared by a friend who swears by it. She hasn’t had a cold/flu in years.
Total Tonic Formula
1 Handful of split Garlic cloves
1 Handful of chopped Onions
1 Handful of chopped Ginger
1 Handful of chopped Horseradish
1/2 handful of chopped Habanero Peppers.
Throw in a blender and chop, then cover with
an inch or two of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Let tincture for a week or two (shake now and then)
and strain, then drink a little of the juice daily,
or twice daily. (It is very HOT)
A small amount in V8 Juice is good and Turmeric can be added for extra benefit.
Winter Herbal Medicine Chest
Several herbs are effective for treating not only the symptoms of too much winter, but also the causes of colds and flu… Impaired immunity to virus/bacteria, maintaining blood circulation and warmth, ensuring vitality of the lungs and reducing the build up of congestion in the body. In addition to the herbs already mentioned, some herbs to keep on hand in your “medicine chest” are:
Ginger, Elderflower, Yarrow, Sage, Rose Hips, Mullein, Thyme, Fenugreek & Marshmallow.
Other beneficial ingredients to your chest would be
Winter Essential Oils
Aromatherapy brings us the aromatic energy of living plants in the form of essential oils. These fragrances are a natural antidote to the emotionally debilitating effects of winter. Winter essential oils cleanse and freshen air in homes closed tight against the cold weather and can be beneficial in treating winter ailments. Some useful winter oils are:
Bergamot, Black Pepper, Eucalyptus, Juniper Berry, Lemon, Orange, Rosemary & Tea Tree.
Try these Essential Oil remedies in a massage, a bath, infused in the air or in a “sniffy” bottle. In all of them combine the oils listed.
WINTER WARMTH BLEND
10 drops of cedar wood
25 drops of bergamot orange
15 drops of fir needle
30 drops of juniper berry
20 drops of sandalwood
SINUS CONGESTION BLEND
5 drops of Eucalyptus
3 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Tea-Tree
2 drops of Pine.
PICK ME UP BLEND
7 drops of Bergamot
5 drops of Grapefruit
3 drops of Rosemary
SUNSHINE BLEND
5 drops of Lemon
5 drops of Orange
3 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Peppermint
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Traditional Herbal Medicine Under Threat
www.cropwatch.org
THE FIRST TRULY INDEPENDENT WATCHDOG FOR THOSE
WORKING WITH NATURAL AROMATIC MATERIALS
E: info@cropwatch.org T: ++44 (0)7771 872 521
Traditional Herbal Medicine Under Threat.
The purpose of this Cropwatch emergency mailing is primarily to ask
all of you to seriously consider signing the Save Our Herbs petition at
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-herbal-medicine.html This
organisation not only campaigns on behalf of the general public, but
also represents a very significant proportion of medical herbalists of
both Eastern and Western traditions, practising in the UK.
Time is very short - if you want to support this very worthy campaign
ensuring the continued availability of safe Herbal Medicinal Products,
the continued free use of a wide range of our safe endemic &
imported Herbs by ordinary people according to our traditions,
preventing the takeover of small Herbal Medicine Suppliers by
pharmaceutical concerns, & opposition to Statutory Regulation of
Herbalists, you will need to sign the petition by 31st October 2009.
The Save Our Herbs campaign’s official website can be found at
http://www.saveourherbs.org.uk/index.html and provides a wealth of
background information to this potential crisis for Herbal Medicine.
Cropwatch strongly recommends you to read through the
comprehensive information to be found there.
Cropwatch’s Own View.
There are a number of inevitable consequences for Traditional Herbal
Medicine as a result of the implementation of the EU Commission’s
Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive 2004/24/EC, which
came into force on 30th April 2004.
§1. Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products (THMP’s). All THMP’s
placed on the market post the implementation date of the new EU
2
legislation, must have a national authorisation to be marketed, and
whilst several EU member countries have had national schemes in
place, the UK has previously enjoyed a virtually unregulated market.
In the UK, for products already on the market prior to the introduction
of this legislation, marketing concerns have until 30th April 2011 to
obtain authorisation (from the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency - MHRA) and to work to GMP. The MHRA’s
Traditional Herbal Registration Scheme, and its relative lack of
uptake – undoubtedly due to the excessive costs involved (as shown
by the low cumulative total of THR registrations) can be viewed at
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Howweregulate/Medicines/Herbalmedicines/
PlacingaherbalmedicineontheUKmarket/TraditionalHerbalMedicinesR
egistrationScheme/index.htm As we have witnessed in other seento-
fail & discriminatory areas of EU legislation (that pertaining to
Biocides regulation for example), unnecessary, over-intrusive and
crippling financial burdens are placed on the SME’s which market
natural products, a situation which plays straight into the hands of the
pharmaceutical / chemical companies. It should also be remembered
that the MHRA themselves have been severely criticised as being too
close to the pharmaceutical industry (e.g. in House of Commons
Health Committee Report (2005) entitled ‘The Influence of the
Pharmaceutical Industry’:
“A House of Commons Health Committee Report from 2005, entitled
‘The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry’ is highly critical of the
MHRA and its close relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. It
states, ‘(t)here are regular interchanges of staff, common policy
objectives, agreed processes, shared perspectives and routine contact
and consultation. Many of the senior staff of the MHRA have previously
worked with the industry …’1 It is therefore doubtful whether the
MHRA can be trusted to serve the best interests of herbal
medicines, herbalists and their patients”.
For a breakdown of expected MHRA fees for THMP’s, please refer to
a document drawn up by Dave Blackwell of Herbs4Healing Ltd. under
Appendix A at the end of this document, and reproduced with his kind
permission.
§2. The Possible Illegality of Actions by Regulatory Officials Meddling
with the Free Availability of Natural Remedies in the UK.
The UK differs from other European Member States, since there has
long been a legal recognition of Herbal Practitioners, dating back to
3
Henry VIII’s Charter, which defines a Herbalist and the right to
practice & minister:
Common Law set down by Henry VIII defines a herbalist '…henceforth it
shall be lawful to every Person being the King's subject. having
Knowledge and Experience of the Nature of Herbs, Roots, and Waters,
or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any
part of the Realm of England, or within any other the King's Dominions,
to practice, use, and minister in…'
(see Watt 2009: http://www.aromamedical.com/articles/traditionalherbalists.
htm, reproduced by kind permission). Cropwatch
understands this Charter has never been repealed.
It should also be remembered that there is a clause in the Treaty of
Rome of 25th March 1957 which can be interpreted as preventing
interference with the availability of natural remedies: “2. The Union
shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as they result
from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as
general principles of Community law.” Watt (2001) discusses the
validity of the above argument and further protections of natural
remedies afforded by other clauses in the Treaty of Rome at
http://www.aromamedical.com/articles/mlx249.html (scroll down to
“Controls on Natural Remedies.”
The interference with free availability of natural herbs and medicines
also impacts on religious freedom & worship and use of herbs in both
the Islamic and Judaeo-Christian traditions. Cropwatch understands
that representations to Ministers / MP’s by a delegation representing
views of individual members of the Islamic and Christian faiths
respectively, are in progress, in order to avert any possibility of the
prospect of religious or cultural discrimination by the regulatory
authorities.
§3. Statutory Regulation of (the Title & Function of) Herbalists.
A Consultation Document was published by the Department of Health
(DH) of the UK Government on 3rd August 2009: A joint consultation
on the Report to Ministers from the DH Steering Group on the
Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal
Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional
4
Medicine Systems Practised in the UK. The consultation period ends
on 3rd Nov 2009. The Save Our Herbs campaign has produced a
draft response to the consultation at
http://www.saveourherbs.org.uk/files/Download/Response%20To%20
Consultation%20Document.pdf which Cropwatch strongly
recommends you read.
We are told by the Department of Health (DH) that the purpose of
Statutory Regulation (SR) is / was to safeguard public safety but
many herbal practitioners would maintain that this is a nonsense,
since existing self-regulation is already proven adequate. The Pitillo
Report (see below) further states: “Statutory regulation can more
effectively assure the standards of those regulated, protecting the
public from poor or bad practice, because legal sanctions exist to
remove individuals from a register. Statutory regulatory bodies
determine standards of practice and competence.” But as Cropwatch
pointed out in 2008, CAM is not the issue. The UK-based inquiry
started in 2000, decided that the medical practitioner Dr Harold
Shipman allegedly killed up to 250 of his patients, some 218 of whom
have been subsequently identified. Similarly the confidence &
assurance in health officials supposedly assured by regulation did not
help the victims of Nurse Beverly Allit, knicknamed the ‘Angel of
Death’ by the popular press. Health care authorities had to
subsequently carry out heavy modifications to medical practice,
belatedly increasing patient protection. Conversely, we are not aware
that any practicing Herbalist has killed or injured anybody in the UK
(an MHPRA document (July 2008) “Public Health Risks with Herbal
Medicine: An Overview” only identified (only) a single major incident,
in a Belgian slimming clinic, where an irresponsibly prescribed herb of
the Aristolochia spp. resulted in 100 women developing kidney failure
many of whom allegedly went on to develop cancer). Further, in spite
of 22 million annual visits to herbalists in the UK (Thomas et al. 2001
thro’ The Pitillo Report) and with one in three US citizens taking
herbal medicines on a regular basis, no safety assessment of herbal
medicine has ever taken place, either in the UK or at an international
level. Attempts to demonize widely used herbal medicines such as St.
Johns Wort Hypericum perforatum by the pharmaceutical industry,
pale into insignificance when it is realised that the herbal drug has
been found to be as effective as major conventional synthetic antidepressants,
and to have fewer side-effects (Linde et al (2008)
5
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 8 (4)). In conclusion, under the
government's own protocol, before Statutory Regulation can be
established, a risk assessment tool for herbal medicine would have to
be established, and no such assessment tool exists. There is also a
requirement for an established knowledgebase to be in place, and
this is also not established.
On the other hand, with regard to conventional medicine, for some
curious reason we hear relatively little in the media about the
statistics surrounding the failure of MD's working in the National
Health Service (NHS) to correctly diagnose & prescribe the
appropriate treatment for a given patient's ills (a major concern). The
British Medical Journal (BMJ) Evidence Centre at
http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/knowledge.jsp reveals
that of around 2500 [commonly used NHS] treatments covered, 13%
are rated as beneficial, 23% likely to be beneficial, 8% as trade off
between benefits and harms, 6% unlikely to be beneficial, 4% likely to
be ineffective or harmful, and 46%, the largest proportion, as
unknown effectiveness.
Further, tens of thousands of patients die or suffer serious sideeffects
from certain prescribed (and by now, notorious)
pharmaceuticals. It has been admitted that in the decade up to the
year 2007, 80,000 patients had died from iatrogenic disease and that
a further £46 million had been spent by the NHS on treating the
survivors. Since that time reports have been issued that this state of
affairs has further deteriorated, in part blaming the increasingly
complex MHRA approved drug regimes employed. By comparison,
those therapies now being attacked with the threat of regulation are
becoming ever increasingly safer! (Information provided by Robert
Scott).
Finally, let us turn to the darkly hilarious but thorough reporting of an
extensive study by the Union of Concerned Scientists to the effect
that embarking on a course of conventional drug treatment appears
to statistically increase the chances of shortening your life. This is
quite aside from the serious chances of dying or losing limbs from
hospital acquired infections, or recent media reports of lack of care &
attention and even cruelty shown towards elderly NHS patients. Yes,
the conventional medical profession / NHS is in serious need of
effective statutory regulation, whereas any need for increased
6
regulation of CAM is, by comparison, not only completely
disproportionate to the degree of health risk posed, but, is essentially,
nothing but a sideshow, and a waste of taxpayers money.
4. The Government Reconsiders the Need for Statutory Regulation.
There are some strong signs that the Government is re-examining
any need for the imposition of Statutory Regulation (SR) of Herbalists
whatsoever (in spite of a House of Lords Select Committee
recommendation and the recommendation of three DH working
groups in favour of SR). At the same time they are apparently
reconsidering any need and the practicality of changes to the 1968
Medicines Act Section 12.1 (bear with us: this is an exemption from
various medicines licensing requirements in the Medicines Act which
allows herbal practitioners to prepare or obtain from a third party,
unlicensed herbal medicines to meet individual patient needs
identified in a consultation). Instead some reports indicate that they
are considering a less severe licensing system, perhaps based more
around self-regulation or self-licensing. This follows the publication of
the Report to Ministers from The Department of Health Steering
Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture,
Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional
Medicine Systems Practised in the UK May 2008 (‘The Pitillo Report’)
which can be accessed by following links from
(www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/DH_103567).
However, one of the recommendations of the above report is that
Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) should come under statutory regulation by the Health
Professionals Council (HPC), a body totally unsuited to the task.
It was pointed out by Robert Scott in a letter to the Health Authorities
(seen by Cropwatch), that the proposal to regulate Herbal Medicine
by Mr. Marc Seale, registrar of the HPC, was made after aggressive
lobbying by the chairman (a certain Mr. Michael McIntyre) of the
European Herbal Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA) who
sat as one of three stakeholders on the committee chaired by
Professor Pittilo mentioned above. The recommendation to ‘strategy
regulate’ was originally sent by Marc Seale to Alan Johnson in his
role as the previous Secretary of State, although we believe the
matter was handled by Ben Bradshaw a junior Minister of State at the
Department of Health. It appears that both these gentlemen have
7
now been transferred to different departments. But to quote from the
letter mentioned above:
“The chairman of the EHTPA, by his own admission, had a major
influence on the Pittilo report. As he is also closely associated with
the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), this establishes a
somewhat troublesome incestuous link between these organisations,
which jeopardises the integrity of the final report.
Although the EHTPA likes to put forward that its stance in favour of
statutory regulation is supported by the majority of practising
herbalists, this claim is not supported by their voting record. The
largest body within the EHTPA certainly is NIMH, but only a
ridiculously small amount of its membership actually voted in support
of this move. The vast majority either abstained or voted against.
The membership of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners,
another organisation that is a member of the EHTPA, was threatened
with expulsion from their professional register if they voted against
this proposition.
The lack of support for statutory regulation from the membership of
URHP had even been acknowledged in writing by the chairman of the
EHTPA.”
These extracts seen by Cropwatch only touch the tip of the iceberg
regarding the political manoeuvring and ‘behind the scenes’ power
games invisible to the hapless regulatory officials who are only
served up selected titbits by those players who would seek to control
the direction of the regulation of Herbal Medicine. If Cropwatch can
find the time, we may open this can of worms further and dissect the
odious contents a little later on.
As you can gather then, the basis of the HPC’s support for Statutory
Regulation based on the recommendations of the above report is
therefore totally undermined – not only has it failed to take into
consideration the unique character of Traditional Herbal Medicine but
it is also in danger of acting contrary to the principles of the Islamic &
Judaeo-Christian religions (see §2 above).
Thanks to Martin Watt & Robert Scott for kind permission to include
their material.
8
Appendix A – by kind permission of David Blackwell.
CRITIQUE OF THMPD AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN THE UK
The latest information and detailed explanation on costs are attached.
Dried Herbs and simple Tinctures (Reduced categories I and II)
Many herbal suppliers currently offer a wide range of dried herbs or tinctures for
direct sale to the public (e.g. Baldwins and many internet shops). The fee per
item (£577 - £864 every 3 years) plus other costs such as inspection and
preparation of dossiers will mean that many raw herbs and simple tinctures will
cease to be available to the public. The costs are considerably higher where a
herb has not previously been included in a product which has been granted a MA
or THR, which the vast majority in the western herbal pharmacopoeia have not.
In this case the fees rise to an eye-watering £5,185 per herb/tincture. Each
different preparation requires a THR. This means that if you supply a single herb
as a dried herb (tea), powder, capsules, tinctures of different strengths, alcoholfree
extracts, fluid extracts, infused oils and essential oils, plus the organic
versions if marketed separately, each would require a separate application. For
example Baldwins currently offer in the region of 550 products of which between
10-15% will be considered for the Reduced categories, while the rest will be
Complex i.e new registrations. This adds up to an estimated £2,600,000 initially
then £360,000 every 3 years thereafter.
This is a very unfair system, since the first to apply for a previously unregistered
product will have to pay the full cost (Complex), while subsequent applications
will fall into the Reduced category.
Herbal Remedies (Reduced categories I and II) - usually referred to as
Complexes, but this term is avoided to avoid confusion with the THR category
In theory this applies in a similar manner as for simples (above), but in most
cases will be subject to higher fees if there are more than 3 ingredients, ranging
from £864 for teas to £1,297 for other preparations and £7,7791 for previously
unregistered ingredients. However Herbs Hands Healing have been told that it
will not be possible to register very complex products and to consider issuing
them as kits containing all the ingredients separately. The MHRA Public
Assessment Reports reveal that where a product includes 2 or more active
ingredients genotoxicity data will need to be provided, at least by the time the
registration has to be renewed. EC genotoxicity testing involves expensive in
vitro and in vivo (live animal) procedures. The assumption here is that
combinations of herbs pose a significantly elevated risk and ignores the long
history of herb combining and the lack of evidence to suggest that a potential
problem exists. If we compare hospitalizations and deaths through food
1 Applies to combinations of 2 or more ingredients
9
consumption (e.g. allergic reactions and food poisoning together with the health
risks of long term poor food choices) with that arising from the use of herbs, it is
clear that food is far more dangerous. Yet it is ludicrous to imagine a time when
a simple aubergine bake in tomato sauce with oregano, black pepper, salt and
topped with cheese could be subjected to similar concerns and regulations, but
here it is happening with herbal medicines. Also we are well aware of the
limitations of such testing when it comes to protecting the public from
unforeseen adverse effects, as has happened with many pharmaceuticals.
It is anticipated that most specialist herbal suppliers, which can be classed as
small to medium businesses, will be unable to finance the registration of their
existing range of products and those consulted have come to the conclusion that
they will have to wind up their businesses.
Oriental and other World Herbs
Many products will fall foul of the 15 year rule. This includes complex products
and herbs from traditions such as Ayurveda and Unani-Tibb, which have no longestablished
OTC history in the EC. TCM products are more widely available in the
UK and tend towards traditional i.e. fixed formulations, however it may still be
difficult to establish 15 years use in many instances. Furthermore the “applicant
and registration holder must be established in the Community”, meaning that the
onus falls upon importers to arrange THRs. This means that ethnic communities
and those who show a preference for oriental medicines are likely to be more
disadvantaged by the new rules.
Potential Outcomes
The regulations will undoubtedly change the face of herbal medicine within the
UK. It is anticipated that there will be an upsurge in the marketing of a small
range of commercially viable herbal products; those that have entered the wider
public consciousness and which have gained a reputation as being cures for
certain conditions. Examples would be Black Cohosh for the menopause,
Feverfew for migraines, Valerian for stress, Echinacea for colds etc. Other herbal
ingredients and remedies are likely to disappear from the nation’s shelves or be
drastically reduced in range. There will be a shift in public perception of herbal
medicine towards a more pharmaceutical model where herbs are treated as
drugs for specific conditions rather than to treat individual symptom patterns.
THMPD will also enable mass marketing of products and will usher in a transition
towards supermarkets and chemists as the primary outlets.
Many existing businesses will be severely impacted by the new regulations
(wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers) and it is envisaged that many will
close as a result, either as April 2011 arrives in the following 3-5 years. The
impact of this restructuring of the herbal industry will be felt by herbal
practitioners in 2 ways. Firstly the increased demand for certain ‘popular’ herbs
10
and the buying power of larger corporations will lead to an inevitable price rise
and possible supply problems for these. Secondly, the contraction in demand for
other less popular herbs due to the closure of businesses may see a reduction in
the range stocked by wholesalers. It is impossible to foresee the full
consequences of this, just as no one predicted the sharp rise in world food prices
and shortages caused by biofuel production.
The effects could be devastating. Without wishing to be alarmist, the vast
majority of small to medium UK herbal businesses could rapidly disappear,
leaving many unemployed. Pharmaceutical companies, Chemists and
Supermarkets will gain from increased freedom to market products and will no
doubt increase their market share and profits. It’s somewhat akin to selling
mineral and timber extraction rights in the Amazon; the big conglomerates move
in and extract everything of value, leaving behind cultural and environmental
devastation.
The system is unwieldy, expensive, overly bureaucratic and unnecessary. If
anyone truly believes this will protect the public, they are sadly mistaken. There
is simply no evidence that there is any significant health risk to be protected
from, plus it will be impossible to prevent internet purchases from abroad,
thereby creating an uncontrolled marketplace where before there were
responsible UK companies who were subject to regulation.
MHRA Charges for THMPD Registration, not including site inspections,
stability testing, genotoxicity testing or other miscellaneous costs
CATEGORY
£
FEE
Standard
All products unless Reduced or Complex
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 2,593
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 3,890
Reduced
Category I
Herbal teas, excluding ingredients not previously registered*
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 577
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 864
Category II
Tinctures, Essential Oils, Oils, or Capsules, excluding ingredients not
previously registered*
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 864
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 1,297
Complex*
Applies where an active ingredient has not previously been included in a
11
medicinal product which has been granted a MA or THR
Single new herbal active ingredient 5,185
2 or more new herbal active ingredients 7,779
The definitions for fees categories are as follows:
"Reduced registration application category I" means an application other
than a complex registration application for a traditional herbal registration
relating to a medicinal product which is presented in the form of a herbal tea;
"Reduced registration application category II" means an application, other
than a complex registration application, or a traditional herbal registration where
the application falls within one of the descriptions specified in sub-paragraphs (a)
to (d) as follows -
(a) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of a herbal tincture;
(b) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of an essential oil;
(c) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of a fatty oil; or
(d) the application relates to a medicinal product which contains only herbal
substances in a capsule;
"Standard registration application" means any application for the grant of a
traditional herbal registration which is not a complex registration application, a
reduced application category I, a reduced registration application category II or a
change of ownership application;
"Complex registration application" means an application for a traditional
herbal registration relating to a medicinal product containing an active ingredient
that has not previously been included as an active ingredient in a medicinal
product in respect of which a marketing authorization (other than a product
licence of right) or a traditional herbal registration has previously been granted
THE FIRST TRULY INDEPENDENT WATCHDOG FOR THOSE
WORKING WITH NATURAL AROMATIC MATERIALS
E: info@cropwatch.org T: ++44 (0)7771 872 521
Traditional Herbal Medicine Under Threat.
The purpose of this Cropwatch emergency mailing is primarily to ask
all of you to seriously consider signing the Save Our Herbs petition at
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-herbal-medicine.html This
organisation not only campaigns on behalf of the general public, but
also represents a very significant proportion of medical herbalists of
both Eastern and Western traditions, practising in the UK.
Time is very short - if you want to support this very worthy campaign
ensuring the continued availability of safe Herbal Medicinal Products,
the continued free use of a wide range of our safe endemic &
imported Herbs by ordinary people according to our traditions,
preventing the takeover of small Herbal Medicine Suppliers by
pharmaceutical concerns, & opposition to Statutory Regulation of
Herbalists, you will need to sign the petition by 31st October 2009.
The Save Our Herbs campaign’s official website can be found at
http://www.saveourherbs.org.uk/index.html and provides a wealth of
background information to this potential crisis for Herbal Medicine.
Cropwatch strongly recommends you to read through the
comprehensive information to be found there.
Cropwatch’s Own View.
There are a number of inevitable consequences for Traditional Herbal
Medicine as a result of the implementation of the EU Commission’s
Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive 2004/24/EC, which
came into force on 30th April 2004.
§1. Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products (THMP’s). All THMP’s
placed on the market post the implementation date of the new EU
2
legislation, must have a national authorisation to be marketed, and
whilst several EU member countries have had national schemes in
place, the UK has previously enjoyed a virtually unregulated market.
In the UK, for products already on the market prior to the introduction
of this legislation, marketing concerns have until 30th April 2011 to
obtain authorisation (from the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency - MHRA) and to work to GMP. The MHRA’s
Traditional Herbal Registration Scheme, and its relative lack of
uptake – undoubtedly due to the excessive costs involved (as shown
by the low cumulative total of THR registrations) can be viewed at
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Howweregulate/Medicines/Herbalmedicines/
PlacingaherbalmedicineontheUKmarket/TraditionalHerbalMedicinesR
egistrationScheme/index.htm As we have witnessed in other seento-
fail & discriminatory areas of EU legislation (that pertaining to
Biocides regulation for example), unnecessary, over-intrusive and
crippling financial burdens are placed on the SME’s which market
natural products, a situation which plays straight into the hands of the
pharmaceutical / chemical companies. It should also be remembered
that the MHRA themselves have been severely criticised as being too
close to the pharmaceutical industry (e.g. in House of Commons
Health Committee Report (2005) entitled ‘The Influence of the
Pharmaceutical Industry’:
“A House of Commons Health Committee Report from 2005, entitled
‘The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry’ is highly critical of the
MHRA and its close relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. It
states, ‘(t)here are regular interchanges of staff, common policy
objectives, agreed processes, shared perspectives and routine contact
and consultation. Many of the senior staff of the MHRA have previously
worked with the industry …’1 It is therefore doubtful whether the
MHRA can be trusted to serve the best interests of herbal
medicines, herbalists and their patients”.
For a breakdown of expected MHRA fees for THMP’s, please refer to
a document drawn up by Dave Blackwell of Herbs4Healing Ltd. under
Appendix A at the end of this document, and reproduced with his kind
permission.
§2. The Possible Illegality of Actions by Regulatory Officials Meddling
with the Free Availability of Natural Remedies in the UK.
The UK differs from other European Member States, since there has
long been a legal recognition of Herbal Practitioners, dating back to
3
Henry VIII’s Charter, which defines a Herbalist and the right to
practice & minister:
Common Law set down by Henry VIII defines a herbalist '…henceforth it
shall be lawful to every Person being the King's subject. having
Knowledge and Experience of the Nature of Herbs, Roots, and Waters,
or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any
part of the Realm of England, or within any other the King's Dominions,
to practice, use, and minister in…'
(see Watt 2009: http://www.aromamedical.com/articles/traditionalherbalists.
htm, reproduced by kind permission). Cropwatch
understands this Charter has never been repealed.
It should also be remembered that there is a clause in the Treaty of
Rome of 25th March 1957 which can be interpreted as preventing
interference with the availability of natural remedies: “2. The Union
shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as they result
from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as
general principles of Community law.” Watt (2001) discusses the
validity of the above argument and further protections of natural
remedies afforded by other clauses in the Treaty of Rome at
http://www.aromamedical.com/articles/mlx249.html (scroll down to
“Controls on Natural Remedies.”
The interference with free availability of natural herbs and medicines
also impacts on religious freedom & worship and use of herbs in both
the Islamic and Judaeo-Christian traditions. Cropwatch understands
that representations to Ministers / MP’s by a delegation representing
views of individual members of the Islamic and Christian faiths
respectively, are in progress, in order to avert any possibility of the
prospect of religious or cultural discrimination by the regulatory
authorities.
§3. Statutory Regulation of (the Title & Function of) Herbalists.
A Consultation Document was published by the Department of Health
(DH) of the UK Government on 3rd August 2009: A joint consultation
on the Report to Ministers from the DH Steering Group on the
Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal
Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional
4
Medicine Systems Practised in the UK. The consultation period ends
on 3rd Nov 2009. The Save Our Herbs campaign has produced a
draft response to the consultation at
http://www.saveourherbs.org.uk/files/Download/Response%20To%20
Consultation%20Document.pdf which Cropwatch strongly
recommends you read.
We are told by the Department of Health (DH) that the purpose of
Statutory Regulation (SR) is / was to safeguard public safety but
many herbal practitioners would maintain that this is a nonsense,
since existing self-regulation is already proven adequate. The Pitillo
Report (see below) further states: “Statutory regulation can more
effectively assure the standards of those regulated, protecting the
public from poor or bad practice, because legal sanctions exist to
remove individuals from a register. Statutory regulatory bodies
determine standards of practice and competence.” But as Cropwatch
pointed out in 2008, CAM is not the issue. The UK-based inquiry
started in 2000, decided that the medical practitioner Dr Harold
Shipman allegedly killed up to 250 of his patients, some 218 of whom
have been subsequently identified. Similarly the confidence &
assurance in health officials supposedly assured by regulation did not
help the victims of Nurse Beverly Allit, knicknamed the ‘Angel of
Death’ by the popular press. Health care authorities had to
subsequently carry out heavy modifications to medical practice,
belatedly increasing patient protection. Conversely, we are not aware
that any practicing Herbalist has killed or injured anybody in the UK
(an MHPRA document (July 2008) “Public Health Risks with Herbal
Medicine: An Overview” only identified (only) a single major incident,
in a Belgian slimming clinic, where an irresponsibly prescribed herb of
the Aristolochia spp. resulted in 100 women developing kidney failure
many of whom allegedly went on to develop cancer). Further, in spite
of 22 million annual visits to herbalists in the UK (Thomas et al. 2001
thro’ The Pitillo Report) and with one in three US citizens taking
herbal medicines on a regular basis, no safety assessment of herbal
medicine has ever taken place, either in the UK or at an international
level. Attempts to demonize widely used herbal medicines such as St.
Johns Wort Hypericum perforatum by the pharmaceutical industry,
pale into insignificance when it is realised that the herbal drug has
been found to be as effective as major conventional synthetic antidepressants,
and to have fewer side-effects (Linde et al (2008)
5
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 8 (4)). In conclusion, under the
government's own protocol, before Statutory Regulation can be
established, a risk assessment tool for herbal medicine would have to
be established, and no such assessment tool exists. There is also a
requirement for an established knowledgebase to be in place, and
this is also not established.
On the other hand, with regard to conventional medicine, for some
curious reason we hear relatively little in the media about the
statistics surrounding the failure of MD's working in the National
Health Service (NHS) to correctly diagnose & prescribe the
appropriate treatment for a given patient's ills (a major concern). The
British Medical Journal (BMJ) Evidence Centre at
http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/knowledge.jsp reveals
that of around 2500 [commonly used NHS] treatments covered, 13%
are rated as beneficial, 23% likely to be beneficial, 8% as trade off
between benefits and harms, 6% unlikely to be beneficial, 4% likely to
be ineffective or harmful, and 46%, the largest proportion, as
unknown effectiveness.
Further, tens of thousands of patients die or suffer serious sideeffects
from certain prescribed (and by now, notorious)
pharmaceuticals. It has been admitted that in the decade up to the
year 2007, 80,000 patients had died from iatrogenic disease and that
a further £46 million had been spent by the NHS on treating the
survivors. Since that time reports have been issued that this state of
affairs has further deteriorated, in part blaming the increasingly
complex MHRA approved drug regimes employed. By comparison,
those therapies now being attacked with the threat of regulation are
becoming ever increasingly safer! (Information provided by Robert
Scott).
Finally, let us turn to the darkly hilarious but thorough reporting of an
extensive study by the Union of Concerned Scientists to the effect
that embarking on a course of conventional drug treatment appears
to statistically increase the chances of shortening your life. This is
quite aside from the serious chances of dying or losing limbs from
hospital acquired infections, or recent media reports of lack of care &
attention and even cruelty shown towards elderly NHS patients. Yes,
the conventional medical profession / NHS is in serious need of
effective statutory regulation, whereas any need for increased
6
regulation of CAM is, by comparison, not only completely
disproportionate to the degree of health risk posed, but, is essentially,
nothing but a sideshow, and a waste of taxpayers money.
4. The Government Reconsiders the Need for Statutory Regulation.
There are some strong signs that the Government is re-examining
any need for the imposition of Statutory Regulation (SR) of Herbalists
whatsoever (in spite of a House of Lords Select Committee
recommendation and the recommendation of three DH working
groups in favour of SR). At the same time they are apparently
reconsidering any need and the practicality of changes to the 1968
Medicines Act Section 12.1 (bear with us: this is an exemption from
various medicines licensing requirements in the Medicines Act which
allows herbal practitioners to prepare or obtain from a third party,
unlicensed herbal medicines to meet individual patient needs
identified in a consultation). Instead some reports indicate that they
are considering a less severe licensing system, perhaps based more
around self-regulation or self-licensing. This follows the publication of
the Report to Ministers from The Department of Health Steering
Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture,
Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional
Medicine Systems Practised in the UK May 2008 (‘The Pitillo Report’)
which can be accessed by following links from
(www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/DH_103567).
However, one of the recommendations of the above report is that
Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) should come under statutory regulation by the Health
Professionals Council (HPC), a body totally unsuited to the task.
It was pointed out by Robert Scott in a letter to the Health Authorities
(seen by Cropwatch), that the proposal to regulate Herbal Medicine
by Mr. Marc Seale, registrar of the HPC, was made after aggressive
lobbying by the chairman (a certain Mr. Michael McIntyre) of the
European Herbal Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA) who
sat as one of three stakeholders on the committee chaired by
Professor Pittilo mentioned above. The recommendation to ‘strategy
regulate’ was originally sent by Marc Seale to Alan Johnson in his
role as the previous Secretary of State, although we believe the
matter was handled by Ben Bradshaw a junior Minister of State at the
Department of Health. It appears that both these gentlemen have
7
now been transferred to different departments. But to quote from the
letter mentioned above:
“The chairman of the EHTPA, by his own admission, had a major
influence on the Pittilo report. As he is also closely associated with
the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), this establishes a
somewhat troublesome incestuous link between these organisations,
which jeopardises the integrity of the final report.
Although the EHTPA likes to put forward that its stance in favour of
statutory regulation is supported by the majority of practising
herbalists, this claim is not supported by their voting record. The
largest body within the EHTPA certainly is NIMH, but only a
ridiculously small amount of its membership actually voted in support
of this move. The vast majority either abstained or voted against.
The membership of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners,
another organisation that is a member of the EHTPA, was threatened
with expulsion from their professional register if they voted against
this proposition.
The lack of support for statutory regulation from the membership of
URHP had even been acknowledged in writing by the chairman of the
EHTPA.”
These extracts seen by Cropwatch only touch the tip of the iceberg
regarding the political manoeuvring and ‘behind the scenes’ power
games invisible to the hapless regulatory officials who are only
served up selected titbits by those players who would seek to control
the direction of the regulation of Herbal Medicine. If Cropwatch can
find the time, we may open this can of worms further and dissect the
odious contents a little later on.
As you can gather then, the basis of the HPC’s support for Statutory
Regulation based on the recommendations of the above report is
therefore totally undermined – not only has it failed to take into
consideration the unique character of Traditional Herbal Medicine but
it is also in danger of acting contrary to the principles of the Islamic &
Judaeo-Christian religions (see §2 above).
Thanks to Martin Watt & Robert Scott for kind permission to include
their material.
8
Appendix A – by kind permission of David Blackwell.
CRITIQUE OF THMPD AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN THE UK
The latest information and detailed explanation on costs are attached.
Dried Herbs and simple Tinctures (Reduced categories I and II)
Many herbal suppliers currently offer a wide range of dried herbs or tinctures for
direct sale to the public (e.g. Baldwins and many internet shops). The fee per
item (£577 - £864 every 3 years) plus other costs such as inspection and
preparation of dossiers will mean that many raw herbs and simple tinctures will
cease to be available to the public. The costs are considerably higher where a
herb has not previously been included in a product which has been granted a MA
or THR, which the vast majority in the western herbal pharmacopoeia have not.
In this case the fees rise to an eye-watering £5,185 per herb/tincture. Each
different preparation requires a THR. This means that if you supply a single herb
as a dried herb (tea), powder, capsules, tinctures of different strengths, alcoholfree
extracts, fluid extracts, infused oils and essential oils, plus the organic
versions if marketed separately, each would require a separate application. For
example Baldwins currently offer in the region of 550 products of which between
10-15% will be considered for the Reduced categories, while the rest will be
Complex i.e new registrations. This adds up to an estimated £2,600,000 initially
then £360,000 every 3 years thereafter.
This is a very unfair system, since the first to apply for a previously unregistered
product will have to pay the full cost (Complex), while subsequent applications
will fall into the Reduced category.
Herbal Remedies (Reduced categories I and II) - usually referred to as
Complexes, but this term is avoided to avoid confusion with the THR category
In theory this applies in a similar manner as for simples (above), but in most
cases will be subject to higher fees if there are more than 3 ingredients, ranging
from £864 for teas to £1,297 for other preparations and £7,7791 for previously
unregistered ingredients. However Herbs Hands Healing have been told that it
will not be possible to register very complex products and to consider issuing
them as kits containing all the ingredients separately. The MHRA Public
Assessment Reports reveal that where a product includes 2 or more active
ingredients genotoxicity data will need to be provided, at least by the time the
registration has to be renewed. EC genotoxicity testing involves expensive in
vitro and in vivo (live animal) procedures. The assumption here is that
combinations of herbs pose a significantly elevated risk and ignores the long
history of herb combining and the lack of evidence to suggest that a potential
problem exists. If we compare hospitalizations and deaths through food
1 Applies to combinations of 2 or more ingredients
9
consumption (e.g. allergic reactions and food poisoning together with the health
risks of long term poor food choices) with that arising from the use of herbs, it is
clear that food is far more dangerous. Yet it is ludicrous to imagine a time when
a simple aubergine bake in tomato sauce with oregano, black pepper, salt and
topped with cheese could be subjected to similar concerns and regulations, but
here it is happening with herbal medicines. Also we are well aware of the
limitations of such testing when it comes to protecting the public from
unforeseen adverse effects, as has happened with many pharmaceuticals.
It is anticipated that most specialist herbal suppliers, which can be classed as
small to medium businesses, will be unable to finance the registration of their
existing range of products and those consulted have come to the conclusion that
they will have to wind up their businesses.
Oriental and other World Herbs
Many products will fall foul of the 15 year rule. This includes complex products
and herbs from traditions such as Ayurveda and Unani-Tibb, which have no longestablished
OTC history in the EC. TCM products are more widely available in the
UK and tend towards traditional i.e. fixed formulations, however it may still be
difficult to establish 15 years use in many instances. Furthermore the “applicant
and registration holder must be established in the Community”, meaning that the
onus falls upon importers to arrange THRs. This means that ethnic communities
and those who show a preference for oriental medicines are likely to be more
disadvantaged by the new rules.
Potential Outcomes
The regulations will undoubtedly change the face of herbal medicine within the
UK. It is anticipated that there will be an upsurge in the marketing of a small
range of commercially viable herbal products; those that have entered the wider
public consciousness and which have gained a reputation as being cures for
certain conditions. Examples would be Black Cohosh for the menopause,
Feverfew for migraines, Valerian for stress, Echinacea for colds etc. Other herbal
ingredients and remedies are likely to disappear from the nation’s shelves or be
drastically reduced in range. There will be a shift in public perception of herbal
medicine towards a more pharmaceutical model where herbs are treated as
drugs for specific conditions rather than to treat individual symptom patterns.
THMPD will also enable mass marketing of products and will usher in a transition
towards supermarkets and chemists as the primary outlets.
Many existing businesses will be severely impacted by the new regulations
(wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers) and it is envisaged that many will
close as a result, either as April 2011 arrives in the following 3-5 years. The
impact of this restructuring of the herbal industry will be felt by herbal
practitioners in 2 ways. Firstly the increased demand for certain ‘popular’ herbs
10
and the buying power of larger corporations will lead to an inevitable price rise
and possible supply problems for these. Secondly, the contraction in demand for
other less popular herbs due to the closure of businesses may see a reduction in
the range stocked by wholesalers. It is impossible to foresee the full
consequences of this, just as no one predicted the sharp rise in world food prices
and shortages caused by biofuel production.
The effects could be devastating. Without wishing to be alarmist, the vast
majority of small to medium UK herbal businesses could rapidly disappear,
leaving many unemployed. Pharmaceutical companies, Chemists and
Supermarkets will gain from increased freedom to market products and will no
doubt increase their market share and profits. It’s somewhat akin to selling
mineral and timber extraction rights in the Amazon; the big conglomerates move
in and extract everything of value, leaving behind cultural and environmental
devastation.
The system is unwieldy, expensive, overly bureaucratic and unnecessary. If
anyone truly believes this will protect the public, they are sadly mistaken. There
is simply no evidence that there is any significant health risk to be protected
from, plus it will be impossible to prevent internet purchases from abroad,
thereby creating an uncontrolled marketplace where before there were
responsible UK companies who were subject to regulation.
MHRA Charges for THMPD Registration, not including site inspections,
stability testing, genotoxicity testing or other miscellaneous costs
CATEGORY
£
FEE
Standard
All products unless Reduced or Complex
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 2,593
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 3,890
Reduced
Category I
Herbal teas, excluding ingredients not previously registered*
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 577
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 864
Category II
Tinctures, Essential Oils, Oils, or Capsules, excluding ingredients not
previously registered*
3 or fewer existing herbal active ingredients 864
More than 3 existing herbal active ingredients 1,297
Complex*
Applies where an active ingredient has not previously been included in a
11
medicinal product which has been granted a MA or THR
Single new herbal active ingredient 5,185
2 or more new herbal active ingredients 7,779
The definitions for fees categories are as follows:
"Reduced registration application category I" means an application other
than a complex registration application for a traditional herbal registration
relating to a medicinal product which is presented in the form of a herbal tea;
"Reduced registration application category II" means an application, other
than a complex registration application, or a traditional herbal registration where
the application falls within one of the descriptions specified in sub-paragraphs (a)
to (d) as follows -
(a) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of a herbal tincture;
(b) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of an essential oil;
(c) the application relates to a medicinal product which is presented in the form
of a fatty oil; or
(d) the application relates to a medicinal product which contains only herbal
substances in a capsule;
"Standard registration application" means any application for the grant of a
traditional herbal registration which is not a complex registration application, a
reduced application category I, a reduced registration application category II or a
change of ownership application;
"Complex registration application" means an application for a traditional
herbal registration relating to a medicinal product containing an active ingredient
that has not previously been included as an active ingredient in a medicinal
product in respect of which a marketing authorization (other than a product
licence of right) or a traditional herbal registration has previously been granted
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Winter Detoxification & Remedies
Detoxifying is the process of releasing accumulated toxins and waste products that build up throughout our bobies. Every day we are bombarded by toxins, both externally from environmental sources, and internally as our organs give off waste products that accumulate in our bodies. Emotions also take part in polluting our system with excess chemicals such as free radicals, homocysteine and cortisol.
Detoxifying is essentially an easy process. Our bodies do much of the process through urination, defecation and perspiration. As our bodies age and our immune systems weaken, we sometimes need to lend extra help. That is why conscious detoxing is a great way to get back to optimum health.
One of the best ways to start your detoxification is with the body's biggest organ, the SKIN. A detox diet strengthens the organs involved in detoxification and releases stored toxins, expelling them through the organs of elimination: the skin, intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys, and lymphatic system.
TIPS FOR DETOXING
1. Eat a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables & fruits.
2. Eat whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
3. Adopt a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise.
4. Avoid drugs, alcohol & processed foods.
5. Take a high potency multi vitamin and mineral supplement.
6. Take nutritional and herbal supplements to protect and enhance liver function.
7. Go on a three day fast, four times per year.
8. Fasting at the change of the seasons is a good rule to remember.
MAKE YOUR OWN WINTER REMEDIES Seasonal trends-dropping temperatures, fading light, and your body's dipping defenses-invite all manner of ailments: colds and coughs, flues, and the winter blues. But with a few herbal tinctures, simple yet powerful remedies that you can make yourself, you'll be ready to ward off these ailments and, if they do find a foothold, minimize your discomfort and speed up your recovery.
Tinctures, which are concentrated liquid extracts of medicinal plants, are excellent remedies for wintertime ailments because of their sheer potency. Taken by the dropper-full, they work well, and they work fast. Also called herbal extracts, tinctures have been made for thousands of years by soaking fresh or dried herbs in a solvent, such as vodka or brandy, to extract the plants' medicinal properties. While mass manufacturers use more complicated exacting methods, the traditional technique is simple. It requires only easy-to-find ingredients and common kitchen tools, yet makes some of the most effective tinctures available—for pennies per dose.
Medicinal herbs can be tinctured alone or with other compatible herbs. The herb combinations here are among the most trusted, time-tested remedies. Echinacea, goldenseal, and turmeric make up Super Support, for fending off infections. Cold & Fever Buster contains elder, yarrow, and peppermint to help ease colds and fevers. Cough & Throat Relief features soothing, lung-supportive mullein, licorice, and wild cherry bark, plus ginger for a little kick. Garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne, and horseradish give Fire Tonic its warming, infection fighting kick. And Mood Lifter, for easing seasonal depression, includes hawthorn, oat tops, lemon balm, and St. John's Wort
Whether you make one or all of these recipes, keep in mind the two essential principles of herbal medicine making. 1. Quality ingredients make quality products. If you can't grow your own herbs, buy them from reliable growers or distributors. When choosing your solvent, the medium used to extract and deliver the plants' medicine, choose the best. 2. Just as important, intention matters. Native American healers, who used many of the herbs in these formulas, had a deep reverence for the plants' healing powers. When they dug the plants, they did so with respect and prayer, and when they made them into medicine, they also prayed. Without prayer, they said, the plant's medicine, its essence, stayed in the ground. Among people who use "green medicine" today, there is still a deep sense of respect for the plants. Apply this technique as you gather your herbs and brew your tinctures. Herbal remedies made with clear intention and an appreciation for the plants are much more effective.
SIMPLE TINCTURE MAKING
1. Gather the materials. Keep it simple and make small batches, tinctures are highly concentrated and taken in very small doses—a little goes a long way. To make about a pint of tincture, you'll need a clean, dry, quart-sized jar with a tight-fitting lid, enough herbs to fill the jar halfway, and roughly a pint and a half of solvent (the herbs will soak up some solvent). Most of these formulas call for 100-proof brandy or vodka (use what you prefer). If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can substitute vinegar.
2. Prepare the herbs. If you have any fresh herbs, use them. High-quality dried herbs, however, are just as potent, and available year-round. If you are using fresh herbs, rinse them with water to remove any dirt, dry thoroughly, then chop them finely. Pack your jar halfway with herbs. For a strong, effective tincture, be sure the herbs in the jar are packed firmly.
3. Add the solvent. Pour the solvent over the herbs until they're completely covered, then add an additional 2 to 3 inches of solvent. The herbs must be completely submersed to prevent bacteria from growing (this is also why the fresh washed herbs should be dried before adding to the jar). Cover the jar with a tight fitting lid. Herbs may swell as they soak up the solvent, so you may need to add more solvent to keep the herbs covered. Note: If using vinegar, warm it, do not boil it, on a stovetop before pouring it over the herbs; this helps facilitate the release of medicinal properties.
4. Let the tincture sit for 4 weeks. During the process of soaking the herbs in the solvent, the plants soften and break down (a process known as maceration), releasing their medicine. Most Western herbalists recommend letting tinctures macerate for 4-6 weeks. The longer tinctures macerate, the more effective they are, so consider a month your minimum. When starting the maceration process, label and date your jars so that you remember when you started.
5. Shake daily, with intention. Shaking the tinctures while they're soaking facilitates the breakdown of medicinal properties and prevent the herbs from remaining packed at the bottom of the jar. It's also an opportunity to add some magic to the science of herbal medicine. When you shake your tinctures, do so with your best healing intention. Remain focused and visualize the end result, your remedies will be the better for it.
6. Strain the herbs. After at least 4 weeks, your tincture will be ready for use. Line a stainless-steel strainer with cheesecloth or muslin, and place over a large glass jar or measuring cup. Pour the liquid slowly through the strainer. When finished straining, squeeze the herb-filled cheesecloth or muslin to wring out every drop. Reserve the liquid, this is your medicine, and discard or compost the herbs. Pour the finished tincture into a clean, dry glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Label your tincture with the contents and date.
7. Store the tincture properly. When stored properly, tinctures can last for years. Both light and heat can break down the medicinal properties, so keep your jars of tinctures in a cool, dark place. It's a good idea to keep a small supply of the tincture ready for use in a 1- or 2-ounce amber-colored bottle with a dropper top.
Dosage and Use varies depending on the individual and the herbs being used. For chronic problems and for remedies you're using as a tonic, the general adult dosage is 1/2 to 1 teaspoon three times daily. For acute ailments, small, frequent doses are much more effective: for adults, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every hour. Tinctures can be taken directly under the tounge, however some have a strong flavor, so most people prefer to dilute them in a small amount of water and “shoot” them rather than sip them.
SOLVENTS
The solvent is the liquid used to extract the herbs’ medicinal properties. The solvents used in these recipes have different benfits, however can be interchanged to your preference.
Alcohol extracts most plant constituents, including fats, resins, waxes, and most alkaloids (some of the strongest plant compounds). The body rapidly assimilates alcohol tinctures, and their effects are quickly felt. Alcohol makes an excellent preservative, maintaining the integrity of the tincture for many years. Brandy and vodka are perfect for the traditional tincture method . Both can be purchased at 100 proof, which provides an ideal alcohol-to-water ratio. (Water extracts many important constituents, like vitamins and volatile oils.) For preservative properties and extraction purposes, you must use at least 50-proof alcohol.
Vinegar is completely nontoxic, and well tolerated by most people. While it is not as strong or effective a solvent as alcohol (it does not break down as many plant components), it's a good alternative for alcohol-sensitive people and children. You can easily integrate vinegar tinctures into your daily diet, using them in place of vinegar in cold foods (use apple-cider vinegar if possible). Reports state that vinegar tinctures have a short shelf life, however when stored in a cool, dark place, tightly sealed when not in use, they can last for several years.
WINTERTIME FORMULAS
Note: If you have a serious condition, are pregnant, or take medication, consult your health-care provider before using these or any herbal remedies.
Super Support
Take 1/4- 1/2 tsp. per hour at symptom onset.
Solvent: 100-proof vodka/brandy
2 parts echinaces root, flower and leaf
2 pa1 part turmeric
1 cultivated goldenseal root (Use cultivated goldenseal; this herb has been over-harvested.)
Cold & Fever Buster
Take 1/4-1/2 tsp. per hour at the onset of symptoms.
Solvent: 100-proof vodka/brandy
1 part elder flower and elder berry
1 part peppermint leaf
1 part yarrow flower and leaf
Cough & Throat Relief
Take 1/4- 1/2 tsp. per hour at the onset of symptoms.
Solvent: 100-proof vodka/brandy
2 parts mullein leaf
1 part licorice root
1 part wild cherry bark
1/2 part gingerroot
Fire Tonic
Take 1/4- 1/2 tsp. per hour at the onset of a cold, or as a daily warming tonic. Makes a great salad dressing.
Solvent: apple-cider vinegar
1 part garlic
1 part onion
1/2-1 part freshly grated horseradish
1/2 part ginger small pinch cayenne
honey to taste (add to finished product)
Mood Lifter
To prevent or ease the winter blues, take 1/2 -1 tsp. three times daily.
Solvent: 100-proof vodka/brandy
2 parts hawthorn berry, plus flower and leaf if available
2 parts lemon balm
1 part St. John's wort
1 part milky green oat tops
Winter Herbs, Oils & First Aid
With the first winter chill breezing into town it's time to start thinking about how to keep the sneezes and sniffles away. While there's talk of the value of vitamin C, echinacea and garlic as natural treatments, herbalist claim herbs can prevent colds and flu. There are three main herbs, as well garlic, which are widely used to ward off winter woes. They are Echinacea, andrographis and astrolagus.
Echinacea is effective for the early treatment of colds and flu because it's an immune stimulant but is best taken before a cold sets in, however, it can help shorten the duration of flu if you take it once you've become ill and can assist with treating respiratory infections.
Andrographis and Astrolagus work in much the same way. Andrographis is also used for coughs and sore throats. These herbs are highly effective alone or in conjunction.
The frequent use of Garlic, referred to as nature's antibiotic, puts you well on your way to preventing a winter cold.
And don’t forget your vitamin C. Citrus, grapes and strawberries are high in C, and it doesn’t hurt to add zinc from beans, nuts and whole grains.
You may wish to try this herbal remedy, shared by a friend who swears by it. She hasn’t had a cold/flu in years.
Total Tonic Formula
1 Handful of split Garlic cloves
1 Handful of chopped Onions
1 Handful of chopped Ginger
1 Handful of chopped Horseradish
1/2 handful of chopped Habanero Peppers.
Throw it all in a blender and chop, then cover with
an inch or two of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Let tincture for a week or two (shake now and then)
and strain, then drink a little of the juice daily,
or twice daily. (It is very HOT)
A small amount in V8 Juice is good and Turmeric can be added for extra benefit.
Winter Herbal Medicine Chest
Several herbs are effective for treating not only the symptoms of too much winter, but also the causes of colds and flu… Impaired immunity to virus/bacteria, maintaining blood circulation and warmth, ensuring vitality of the lungs and reducing the build up of congestion in the body. In addition to the herbs already mentioned, some herbs to keep on hand in your “medicine chest” are:
Ginger, Elderflower, Yarrow, Sage, Rose Hips, Mullein, Thyme, Fenugreek & Marshmallow. Other beneficial ingredients to your chest would be
Winter Essential Oils
Aromatherapy brings us the aromatic energy of living plants in the form of essential oils. These fragrances are a natural antidote to the emotionally debilitating effects of winter. Winter essential oils cleanse and freshen air in homes closed tight against the cold weather and can be beneficial in treating winter ailments. Some useful winter oils are:Bergamot, Black Pepper, Eucalyptus, Juniper Berry, Lemon, Orange, Rosemary & Tea Tree.
Try these Essential Oil remedies in a massage, a bath, infused in the air or in a “sniffy” bottle. In all of them combine the oils listed
WINTER WARMTH BLEND
10 drops of cedar wood
25 drops of bergamot orange
15 drops of fir needle
30 drops of juniper berry
20 drops of sandalwood
SINUS CONGESTION BLEND
5 drops of Eucalyptus
3 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Tea-Tree
2 drops of Pine.
PICK ME UP BLEND
7 drops of Bergamot
5 drops of Grapefruit
3 drops of Rosemary
SUNSHINE BLEND
5 drops of Lemon
5 drops of Orange
3 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Peppermint
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Alaska Local Food Film Festival
Mark Your Calendars!
Great Movies Oct 2-8th, 2009
Join Alaska Center for the Environment, the Beartooth Theatrepub & Grill, Delicious Dave Catering, AK Root Sellers, NOLS, and Bioneers Alaska for the first Alaska Local Food Film Festival! The festival will take place October 2nd-8th at the Beartooth Theatrepub in Anchorage, and will feature the Alaska debut of Food Inc, as well as the films The Garden, Eating Alaska, FRESH, and The End of the Line. There will be opportunities to eat fresh Alaskan food and discuss the films, as well as to learn more about how you can get involved with the Alaska local food movement.
The Beartooth Grill will be preparing specials made with local ingredients brought in by AK Root Sellers from the Valley. Ellen Frankenstein, filmmaker and feature of Eating Alaska, will be in town to answer questions after screening her film, and Dave Thorne of Delicious Dave Catering along with Kathy Ciarimboli brings you FRESH the movie with an opportunity for discussion after the film. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and learn more about how you can get involved with the Alaska local food movement! Additionally, Bioneers Alaska will host a dessert, coffee, and Q&A opportunity on the last night of the Film Fest, Thursday 10/8th - stay tuned for details!
========Clip and post this film schedule======
10/2 - 5:30 - FOOD, INC.
10/3 - 5:30 - THE GARDEN
10/4 - 5:30 - EATING ALASKA with discussion w/filmmaker Ellen Frankenstein after the film
10/5 - 5:30 - FRESH with discussion after the film
10/5 - 8:00 - END OF THE LINE
10/6 - 5:30 - THE GARDEN
10/7 - 5:30 - END OF THE LINE
10/8 - 5:30 - FOOD, INC.
These are exciting and well worth coming out for!
Thanks to Alaska Center for the Environment for this bulletin and support.
Harvest blessings,
Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Great Movies Oct 2-8th, 2009
Join Alaska Center for the Environment, the Beartooth Theatrepub & Grill, Delicious Dave Catering, AK Root Sellers, NOLS, and Bioneers Alaska for the first Alaska Local Food Film Festival! The festival will take place October 2nd-8th at the Beartooth Theatrepub in Anchorage, and will feature the Alaska debut of Food Inc, as well as the films The Garden, Eating Alaska, FRESH, and The End of the Line. There will be opportunities to eat fresh Alaskan food and discuss the films, as well as to learn more about how you can get involved with the Alaska local food movement.
The Beartooth Grill will be preparing specials made with local ingredients brought in by AK Root Sellers from the Valley. Ellen Frankenstein, filmmaker and feature of Eating Alaska, will be in town to answer questions after screening her film, and Dave Thorne of Delicious Dave Catering along with Kathy Ciarimboli brings you FRESH the movie with an opportunity for discussion after the film. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and learn more about how you can get involved with the Alaska local food movement! Additionally, Bioneers Alaska will host a dessert, coffee, and Q&A opportunity on the last night of the Film Fest, Thursday 10/8th - stay tuned for details!
========Clip and post this film schedule======
10/2 - 5:30 - FOOD, INC.
10/3 - 5:30 - THE GARDEN
10/4 - 5:30 - EATING ALASKA with discussion w/filmmaker Ellen Frankenstein after the film
10/5 - 5:30 - FRESH with discussion after the film
10/5 - 8:00 - END OF THE LINE
10/6 - 5:30 - THE GARDEN
10/7 - 5:30 - END OF THE LINE
10/8 - 5:30 - FOOD, INC.
These are exciting and well worth coming out for!
Thanks to Alaska Center for the Environment for this bulletin and support.
Harvest blessings,
Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com
Sunday, July 12, 2009
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